ST. PAUL, Minn. – Unless he’s scoring Game 7-tying goals in the waning minutes like he did a decade ago, Jared Spurgeon doesn’t get fired up a ton when he scores, especially in the preseason.
But when Spurgeon, the Wild’s all-time defenseman scoring leader with 110 goals in 867 games, scored the first of his two goals in Tuesday night’s 7-2 exhibition beatdown of a quality Chicago Blackhawks roster, it was easy to see the relief on his face.
The big night in his first NHL action since Jan. 2 was also a stark reminder of just what the Wild missed last season when their captain was limited to 16 games because of shoulder, back and hip injuries that ultimately required season-ending back and hip surgeries.
“Even when he was playing near the end there, a couple games, like he’s trying to untie his skate after every shift because he couldn’t feel his toes,” said coach John Hynes, who is running his first Wild training camp and only coached Spurgeon in 10 games last season. “You could see how much he battles. But the thing for me is you didn’t get to experience as the coach working with the captain and what he brings to a locker room, what he brings in every day in practice, the conversations that you have between a captain and a coach.
“We had some on the side, but it’s very different when a player’s out of the lineup and he can’t really contribute for as long as he was.”
Captain Spurgeon with a laser 😤 #mnwild pic.twitter.com/MRDBjrVscC
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 2, 2024
The return of Spurgeon, 34, should be felt everywhere.
It should help stabilize his normal defense partner, Jake Middleton. It should lessen the load on Brock Faber. It should help cure the Wild’s penalty kill and it could even help the No. 2 power play if he sees ice time there.
Spurgeon’s preseason debut in the team’s fifth game was about adjusting to the speed again and getting used to Hynes’ systems in game action.
“I think just timewise there were some things where maybe you’re doing something a little too fast or not quick enough,” he said. “It was to be expected with the time off and practices are one thing, but game situations are a little bit different so looking to keep building from here.
“It’s been like your first camp over again. There’s a lot of stuff last year that they switched during the year, but I wasn’t really in for it. It’s just been a lot of fun. It’s been a hard camp but I’m glad to get back into a game.”
Spurgeon noted it was good to see Marcus Foligno back in the swing of things as well. He underwent core muscle surgery late last season.
“He was hammering guys,” Spurgeon said. “Energy is normal so it was great to see. He brings so much. That forecheck is so hard to get off the puck, and it just changes the momentum of the game.”
Fleury joins Wild ice crew
Marc-André Fleury, the Wild’s resident prankster, had his teammates wondering why they were getting chirped by a brash member of the Wild’s ice crew during Tuesday’s exhibition game against Chicago.
Fleury came to the rink armed with a fake mustache and wig he found in his basement, threw on a Wild gym suit and his goalie skates and joined the ice crew in disguise during the last TV timeout of the first period.
He skated by the Wild bench and yelled to “wake up a bit. We’re down by one there, so gotta get going.”
Marc-Andre Fleury: goalie by night, ice crew by later night. 😂 pic.twitter.com/XCoKD1dunG
— NHL (@NHL) October 2, 2024
One of his closest friends on the team, Freddy Gaudreau, tied the score right after and the Wild scored five in the second period en route to a 7-2 win.
“It worked,” Fleury said.
Coach John Hynes said he didn’t know it was Fleury until after the game.
“I wish I knew when it was going on,” Hynes said. “Nobody said anything on the bench.”
Fleury said he was dared in the morning by the equipment staff and took them up on the offer. He was hoping to do the prank incognito, but a staff member tipped off Bally Sports North.
“I didn’t want to laugh or smile too much,” Fleury said. “Just kinda kept doing my job. I had snow to pick up. I didn’t want to fall or something. I was worried about losing my mustache along the way, but we had good glue.”
Hynes loving the fourth line
Hynes has fiddled around with his first three lines in camp, but the Jakub Lauko–Marat Khusnutdinov-Gaudreau line has been the one constant.
Lauko has scored three goals in camp, Khusnutdinov bagged one goal and one assist and has strung together solid preseason games and Gaudreau scored the tying first-period goal in Tuesday’s preseason win over Chicago after a Lauko takeaway.
“(I like) just the make-up of it,” Hynes said. “Khusnutdinov seems like he’s becoming more and more comfortable with the puck. Offensively, he’s playing a more tenacious game, winning more puck battles. I thought Freddy was very similar, like you started seeing all the stick skills in tight areas, the ability to make plays, willing the skater. All three of them were competitive and tenacious. Now top that with some of the talent they have, that’s what you need.”
Hynes has said Lauko has been one of the Wild’s most consistent performers in camp.
“He’s impacting the game the same way every time, with his speed,” Hynes said. “He’s obviously been able to score for us. He’s put himself in good situations to be able to do it. But I really like the consistency that he’s played with and the attention to detail that he has in his game.”
Lauko gets the lead!#mnwild pic.twitter.com/NEv6NXnoYQ
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 2, 2024
Lauko took a spill in Tuesday’s game in the corner and was kept out of a large chunk of the second period for precautionary reasons. It was his first game against the Blackhawks since he took a skate to the left eye against the Blackhawks last season while a member of the Boston Bruins.
“That was probably the scariest moment I’ve been in so far,” Lauko said. “I feel like Chicago is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of my life with this moment.”
Heidt should grow from experience
As far back at last spring, the Wild talked about teenager Riley Heidt like he would be a true contender to make this year’s roster.
But while the 2023 second-round pick’s talent was easy to discern this month, he also showed he wasn’t close to being NHL ready. That’s why the Wild decided not to give him up to a nine-game look to start the year and instead returned him to his Western Hockey League team a few days ago.
Heidt, 19, who had 80 assists and 117 points in 66 games for Prince George last season, will get a chance to play for Canada at the World Junior Championship and have another big year so he comes better prepared for training camp next season when he’s AHL-eligible.
“I think it was a great experience for Riley to come in,” Hynes said. “You could certainly see the hockey intelligence, the skill level. He’s a very competitive guy. But now you’ve played against NHL players, you’ve been in the training camp, you see how the demand of an NHL training camp is to get ready for the season.
“He’s a young player that has things that you can’t teach, and now for him, it’s continuing to grow his game on the ice, but you can see the physical development that you need to be an offensive player in this league as a high skill player.”
Injury and line updates
Matt Boldy took part in his first full practice since getting hurt Sept. 21 and cycled in and out of his normal second-line right wing spot with Liam Öhgren. If Boldy responds well after Thursday’s practice, he may play his first exhibition game in Friday’s preseason finale in Chicago.
Regardless if he does or not, Boldy is on track to be ready by the Oct. 10 opener vs. Columbus.
Marco Rossi, who played part of Tuesday’s exhibition game on the top line with Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello and scored his second goal in the past two games, centered the two skilled wingers in Wednesday’s practice. Ryan Hartman practiced Marcus Foligno and Yakov Trenin.
(Photo of teammates congratulating Jared Spurgeon on his goal: Matt Blewett / Imagn Images)
