17 January 2024
The Wild are holding out hope that team captain Jared Spurgeon returns from his latest injury, but they’re also prepared to hear otherwise, head coach John Hynes said Wednesday before the team left for Thursday night’s game at Tampa Bay.
Spurgeon has been limited to 16 games this season, first by an upper-body injury suffered in a preseason game Oct. 5 at Chicago, this time by a lower-body injury last month that has proven tricky to solve.
Asked Wednesday after a morning practice at TRIA Rink if there is a chance Spurgeon doesn’t return this season, Hynes said, “Yeah, I think there’s always a chance until (we’re told otherwise).”
Spurgeon, 34, hasn’t played since Jan. 2 and is currently on long-term injured reserve, not expected back until after the Wild’s Jan. 27-Feb. 6 all-star break. Monday’s 5-0 victory over the Islanders was his 27th missed game this season, and he is not traveling with the team for a three-game road trip through Tampa Bay, Sunrise, Fla., and Carolina.
The exact nature of Spurgeon’s injury is undisclosed but he appeared to injure his left knee when he was checked into the boards by Chicago winger Ryan Donato in the first period of a 4-1 victory on Dec. 3. Spurgeon crumpled to the ice after the hit and was examined by trainers before returning in the third period.
He played seven more games before being placed back on injured reserve.
“He’s going through some things, you know, some testing and trying to work through some things,” Hynes said. “So, I don’t have an answer for you yet. But until you’re told no, you’re always hopeful that he can come back — or any player in that situation would be able to come back.”
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