The Minnesota Wild are already dealing with the absence of defenseman Brock Faber, who suffered a fractured skull as a result of being struck with the puck during a preseason game against the divisional rival Dallas Stars; he underwent surgery and is out indefinitely.
As if that weren’t enough, the Wild are already heavily shorthanded thanks to the absences of brothers Nick and Marcus Foligno, along with goaltender Filip Gustavsson and defensemen Ollii Maatta and Zach Bogosian.
And now, the Wild are short yet another key player thanks to an injury suffered on Monday night.
The Minnesota Wild Have Lost Forward Nico Sturm To A Scary Injury
During Monday evening’s game at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul against the visiting rival Vegas Golden Knights, forward Nico Sturm was injured after he was accidentally struck in the head with a shot from teammate Jared Spurgeon.
He immediately fell to the ice in distress, and needed assistance in making his way toward the bench and down the tunnel toward the team dressing room.
The Wild soon confirmed afterward on social media that Sturm will not return to the game.
“Injury Update: Nico Sturm (upper body) will not return to tonight’s game,” the Wild reported on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Fans began chiming in with their well wishes immediately afterward, expressing concern for Sturm’s condition.
“please tell me that injury isn’t serious… i am literally sick to my stomach watching that,” one fan said.
“Healing vibes for Sturm! We love you,” a second fan said.
Another fan said, “we love you goat heal up”
Finally, this fan said, “Mantha had a similar situation on the caps where his ear drum burst from a puck. Hope all is well ❤️”
Nico Sturm Is Skating In His Second Tenure With The Wild
After going undrafted, Sturm signed with the Wild in April 2019, making his NHL debut days later. He spent most of the following season with the American Hockey League affiliate Iowa Wild but recorded his first two NHL assists in six games with Minnesota. During the 2020 playoff qualifying round, he scored his first NHL goal against Vancouver.
Minnesota traded Sturm to the divisional rival Colorado Avalanche in March 2022, and he helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup that June. He then signed a three-year, $6 million deal with the San Jose Sharks.
The Sharks traded Sturm to the Florida Panthers in March 2025, and he eventually won his second career Stanley Cup ring that spring.
Sturm returned to Minnesota in July 2025, signing a two-year, $4 million contract. Through two games this season, Sturm had yet to register his first point.
He’s skated in 382 career NHL games, scoring 51 goals with 52 assists for 103 points and 102 penalty minutes. He’s also tallied three goals and seven assists in 37 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Shorhanded Wild Suffer Yet Another Frightening Injury