The Minnesota Wild are set to begin the 2026-27 NHL campaign with the uncertainty of defenseman Quinn Hughes’ long-term future with the club following last year’s blockbuster trade in December.
However, a more pressing issue for the Wild is that defenseman Brock Faber, who was paired with Hughes upon his acquisition, has been confirmed as starting the season on Injured Reserve after he was hurt in their preseason contest against the rival Dallas Stars.
And now, the full extent of Faber’s injury has been made public in a grim update from GM Bill Guerin.
Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin Confirms Brock Faber Suffered A Fractured Skull And Is Out Indefinitely
According to Wild GM Bill Guerin on Tuesday, Faber suffered a fractured skull, underwent surgery, and is out indefinitely.
“Brock Faber suffered a skull fracture in Friday’s preseason game and underwent successful surgery on Sunday. A timeline for his return to hockey will be provided at a later date,” the Wild reported on X, formerly known as Twitter.
During the contest against the Stars, Faber took a shot off the left side of his helmet from Sam Steel; he would ultimately play the rest of the period. Following the game, Wild coach John Hynes painted an optimistic picture of Faber’s condition.
“You’ve got to let some things resolve,” Hynes said via The Athletic. “Some of it was precautionary. It’s a delicate area. We didn’t need to push it — let it resolve a little bit. See how he’s feeling. There’s usually 24 to 48 hours where you have different check-ins (with doctors) on it and see where it goes from there.”
Last season, Faber appeared in 80 games and scored 15 goals with 36 assists.
Brock Faber Was Paired With Quinn Hughes
Upon being acquired from the Canucks, Hughes was immediately paired with Faber, something he said went extremely well.
“I think it’s an insane difference because, I mean, he’s just already reading off me, and I’m reading off him in scrimmage, and it’s just easy,” Hughes said of Faber. “He knows exactly what I’m thinking. I kind of know what he’s thinking, and that’s just going to continue to build. So I’m excited to just kind of start the season, and we’ll take it, I think, where we left off, honestly.”
Wild GM Bill Guerin Confirms Grim Update On Brock Faber