It’s no surprise to anyone that the Wild have been bit by the injury bug this season. There have also been a frankly frustrating amount of injuries that have come from plays that haven’t been penalized in-game or later by the NHL Department of Player Safety.
Of the injuries that have occurred, these are the outcomes of injuries that have caused players to be out long enough to be placed on IR (7 days). Bolded injuries were long enough to be placed on LTIR (10 games/24 days).
PRESEASON
***10/5 vs. the Chicago Blackhawks*** \- Jared Spurgeon is injured after a check into the boards by Reese Johnson, leaves the game. No penalty is called. Connor Dewar fights Johnson in the 2nd period.
Result: No penalty, fight, Spurgeon out until November 10th. (14 games missed)
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REGULAR SEASON
*10/14 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs* \- Matt Boldy is injured after a check into the boards by Morgan Riley in the 3rd period. No penalty. No response from the team.
Result: No penalty, Boldy out until November 2nd. (7 games missed)
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(***10/17*** \- Alex Goligoski injured in practice, out until November 24th – no opponent – 14 games missed)
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***10/26 after Edmonton Oilers*** \- Freddy Gaudreau – unknown cause. Was hammered by Ryan Reaves on 10/14 and taken off the bench by concussion spotters (no penalty on the play, Foligno fought Reaves). No penalties drawn by Gaudreau in the past 5 games.
Result: Gaudreau out until November 19th. (10 games missed)
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***12/9 vs. the Edmonton Oilers*** \- Jonas Brodin is injured after being hit into the boards by Evander Kane. No call on the play. Ryan Hartman retaliates, and is given a roughing penalty. This leads directly to the game winning goal. DOPS issues a “warning” to Kane afterwards, but no suspension or fine.
Result: No penalty, Hartman retaliation, no DOPS action, Brodin still out. (11+ games missed)
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*12/14 before Calgary Flames* \- Jared Spurgeon placed back on IR, this time for a lower body injury – unknown cause. No penalties drawn by Spurgeon in the past 5 games. We’re gonna circle back on this one.
Result: Spugeon out until December 30th. (7\* games missed)
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*12/18 before Pittsburgh Penguins -* Mats Zucarello – unknown cause. Drew a tripping penalty against the Flames 12/14.
Result: Zuccarello still out. (7+ games missed)
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RECENT INJURIES
*12/30 vs. Winnipeg Jets* \- Kirill Kaprizov is injured after multiple crosschecks to the lower body from Brenden Dillon, leaves the ice doesn’t return. No call on the play. No word from DOPS. Jake Middleton fights Dillon. Pat Maroon fights Adam Lowry at the start of the next game. Ryan Hartman high sticks Cole Perfetti in retaliation the next day. Hartman is fined for the retaliation.
Filip Gustavsson is injured some time in the 2nd period and leaves the game – unknown cause. No penalties drawn in game.
Vinni Letteri injured – unknown cause. No penalties drawn in game.
Result: No penalties, fights, Hartman retaliation, Kaprizov listed out for 2 weeks, Gustavsson listed out 1-2 Weeks, Letteri listed day-to-day. All still out.
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*1/2 before Calgary Flames* \- Marcus Foligno lower body injury, listed day to day – unknown cause. No penalties drawn in either Jets game. Still out.
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*1/3 after Calgary Flames -* Jared Spurgeon undisclosed injury, placed on IR – unknown cause. No penalty drawn in any game since returning from injury. He was back for 3 games total. Now out again.
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As noted by [Michael Russo](https://x.com/RussoHockey/status/1742734538504130969?s=20), the Wild will be icing a team down $50.9 million in cap space against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Not a single injury directly caused by another player has been penalized in-game or by the DOPS.
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by Paladad
4 Comments
When a player goes off injured, there should be someone to review, right then and there, if a penalty should be called based on what led to the injury. They want to clean up the cross-checks, etc? Then they need to start being active on this shit.
I watched the MN PWHL game tonight and it was refreshing not watching them trying to kill each other.
Some things of note:
-Reactions to these injuries seem to be increasing. No reaction from Boldy injury, 1 immediate retaliation for Brodin injury, 2 fights and 1 retaliation for Kaprizov injury. With no action on any of these injuries “they won’t fix it, so I’ll take it into my own hands” ethos seems to be growing.
-No injuries at all in November, beyond ones previously sustained.
-Hartman retaliations haven’t had a single benefit.
-Currently the only players who *haven’t* been out with injury at some point are the Deweys, Ek, Rossi, Faber, Maroon, Merrill, Middleton, Fleury, and the AHL call-ups (although Vinni just got hurt as well).
Something really needs to change. I am disgusted and disappointed by the refs and the DoPS. I know the refs have a tough job but the NHL’s response to this has been pathetic. The fines and 1-2 game suspensions are not a deterrent at all and this will continue to happen.
How does Zucker get a 3 game suspension after a retaliation hit and cousins gets nothing when his initial hit had him leaving his feet to hit a guy in the head with his knees. I’m flabbergasted as to how he did not also get a fine or suspension. It reinforces that retaliation is the only thing the nhl cares about and gives the players near free reign to continue to make dangerous hits. If they’d called the penalty on cousins immediately there is a possibility zucker would not have retaliated.
In my opinion the fines and suspensions need to be significantly higher especially when the dangerous hit causes injury. What if there was a review board which could review dangerous plays within 24 hours of the game to determine if it warrants a fine or suspension. The reviewers would take into account the type of play, whether it was negligence leading to it or if it was more malicious (easy recent example being Zuckers retaliation hit on cousins was obviously malicious and intentional). Malicious hits that lead to injury could warrant a suspension equal to the duration of the injured players time out. Would it be harsh? Yeah! I think things like this would create an actual deterrent since the status quo is clearly not.
Also to play devils advocate, geez the new generation of players needs to keep their heads up and learn how to take a hit too. Their lack of experience and knowledge of playing that way is a huge factor and really shows.
This league is seriously becoming unwatchable. I love the Wild but when it feels like you’re missing a majority of your stars and you icing an above average AHL club it gets tough to give a shit.