Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon will miss the rest of the season due to a hip surgery, with rookie defenseman Brock Faber and veteran Jonas Brodin expected to shoulder more of the team’s defensive responsibilities.
Bad news for Minnesota Wild fans. Captain Jared Spurgeon’s season is over. The team made the announcement on Thursday.
Spurgeon is set to undergo hip surgery on Feb. 6. He’s expected to be back in time for the 2024-25 season.
He missed the start of this season due to injury. After returning, he only played 16 games. During that time, the veteran defenseman recorded just five assists.
His last game? A 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Jan. 2.
This was Spurgeon’s 14th season with the Wild. He’s known for being an elite defensive defenseman. He’s got a knack for stopping opponents’ scoring chances before they even get started.
The Wild will miss that skill.
The team’s had some bad injury luck this season. It’s a big reason why they’re eight points out of a playoff spot, despite preseason postseason expectations.
With Spurgeon out, rookie defenseman Brock Faber’s going to have to step up. He’s already a Calder Trophy candidate, playing nearly 25 minutes per night.
Faber and veteran Jonas Brodin will be shouldering a lot of the defensive burden in Minnesota.
‣ Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon will undergo season-ending hip surgery on Feb. 6, following an injury that limited his participation this season.
‣ The Wild team has had a challenging season with injuries, which has contributed to them being eight points out of a playoff spot.
‣ With Spurgeon’s absence, rookie defenseman Brock Faber and veteran Jonas Brodin are expected to take on more defensive responsibilities.