Minnesota Wild defenceman Brock Faber is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured skull suffered when a puck struck him in the head during the club’s final pre-season game.
General manager Bill Guerin announced the diagnosis after the 24-year-old was hit on the side of his helmet near the left ear during the second period against the Dallas Stars. Guerin said Faber was at home and resting, and reported that the player was doing well. However, the general manager did not put a timeframe on a return or say whether Faber would play at any point this season.
The absence removes a major component of Minnesota’s planned defence at the start of the campaign. Faber had been expected to play alongside Quinn Hughes after the two had quickly developed an understanding in training camp.
Faber was initially able to leave the ice
Faber fell to the ice immediately after being struck by a shot from the point midway through the second period at Grand Casino Arena. He later got up and skated off under his own power.
He returned after a television timeout and took several further shifts before Minnesota withdrew him in the third period. The report said he was then taken to hospital after his condition deteriorated.
Guerin said the club would follow medical guidance before providing another update. He declined to discuss the prospect of Faber’s availability for the season, stressing instead that the player had undergone serious surgery and was recovering at home.
Guerin’s comments focused on Faber’s recovery rather than a return target.
Hughes and Spurgeon take the new pairing
Faber and Hughes had been expected to offer Minnesota a pairing with contrasting but complementary attributes. Faber had said their skating allowed each player to be aggressive in his respective role, with Faber able to read off Hughes and Hughes able to do the same in return.
Instead, the report said Hughes was set to open alongside Wild captain Jared Spurgeon at Nashville. Spurgeon said Hughes made difficult plays appear straightforward and indicated that his role would be to support his new partner.
Spurgeon was described in the report as a 17th-year veteran as well as Minnesota’s captain. The report’s planned pairing of Spurgeon and Hughes set out the immediate adjustment, but the available information does not set out how the rest of the defence would be arranged over a longer period.
That uncertainty reflects the absence of a timetable for Faber rather than any stated decision on his eventual replacement. Guerin did not offer an estimate for Faber’s return, and said the club would provide another update when appropriate while following the guidance of doctors.
Hughes acknowledged that Minnesota would miss Faber’s influence, describing him as a player whose absence could not simply be overcome. He nevertheless said the Wild had depth and would need to make the best use of the players available.
The change is significant because Faber carried a heavy workload last season. According to the report, he played the ninth-most of any player in the NHL and posted a career-best 51 points in 80 games. The workload and production illustrate the scale of the disruption to the planned pairing with Hughes.
A pause in a promising partnership
The pair had also become close away from the rink as members of the United States team that won men’s Olympic ice hockey gold in Italy. On the ice, Faber said they did not always see the game in the same way, but believed their mobility made the partnership work.
Hughes said Faber could not simply be replaced and that Minnesota would need to draw on its depth. His comments suggested the club recognised the scale of the loss, while the reported move to pair him with the veteran Spurgeon provided an experienced alternative.
There is no timetable attached to Faber’s absence, and Guerin did not provide a timetable for Faber’s return or say whether he would play this season. The Wild will therefore have to manage without a defenceman who was expected to take on a prominent role, while allowing his recovery to determine the next step.