Brock Faber skates at TRIA Rink after months away
The Minnesota Wild defenseman returned to ice practice this week following skull fracture surgery in late September.
By Sanjay Caldwell ·
Brock Faber laced up his skates at TRIA Rink in downtown St. Paul on Wednesday morning. The Minnesota Wild defenseman was seen skating and shooting in a full practice uniform. He smiled while moving the puck with a few teammates who are also rehabbing injuries. The team was officially off following its win in Philadelphia on Tuesday, but the franchise shared video of the session on social media.
Faber has not played a regular season game since late September. He suffered a skull fracture during the Wild’s final exhibition game on Sept. 25. A deflected puck struck him near his left ear, an area without helmet protection. He left the game after a few shifts. Doctors examined him and sent him to a hospital where he underwent surgery to repair the fracture. He has missed the bulk of the season since that injury in Dallas.
Head coach John Hynes provided updates on Faber’s recovery last week. The coach said doctors had cleared Faber to begin skating. The team has not announced a specific date for his return to game action. More details are expected to emerge on Thursday when the team holds its next practice session.
The Wild are currently tied with Edmonton for the best record in the Western Conference. They sit at 11 wins, 3 losses, and 3 overtime losses for 25 points. The team relies on younger players on the back end while Faber is out. David Spacek and Matt Kiersted have taken on larger roles. Captain Jared Spurgeon is also out of the lineup, adding to the depth issues on defense.
Faber is from Maple Grove and played college hockey for the University of Minnesota Gophers. He was named the Big Ten defensive player of the year twice during his time there. He won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA last winter. The Wild play San Jose on Friday night at Grand Casino Arena. They face another game on Saturday in a back-to-back set.
The practice footage showed Faber moving with confidence. He joined other players on the ice for drills. The visual confirmation of his activity follows the verbal updates from Hynes. The team will continue to evaluate his progress before placing him back into the lineup.
