Wild captain Jared Spurgeon ruled out for rest of season
Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, left, gloves a shot as Jared Spurgeon (46) blocks out Nashville Predators' Ryan Johansen (92) in the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
The Minnesota Wild were dealt a major blow on Thursday when the team announced that captain Jared Spurgeon will miss the rest of the season due to injury.
Spurgeon, 34, played in only 16 games this season due to injuries, recording five assists.
Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin said Spurgeon will have left hip surgery on Feb. 6, and then undergo back surgery around four weeks later. The announcement comes two weeks after he was put on injured reserve.
Guerin said Spurgeon is expected to be fully recovered before the start of training camp in September, but the Wild will sorely miss him for the rest of this season.
It’s been a turbulent season, both on and off the ice, for the Wild, and the team has been hit hard by injuries.
Entering Thursday, the team was 18-20-5, with 41 points on the season, ahead of only Chicago in the Central Division.