Minnesota Wild forward Nico Sturm was taken to a hospital for precautionary evaluation after he was hit in the head by a puck during the team's game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night. Sturm was struck on the right side of his helmet by a slap shot from teammate Jared Spurgeon in the first period of Minnesota's 4-2 victory.
The crowd, which had been roaring after the Wild built a three-goal lead, went eerily silent when Sturm dropped to the ice. Team medical staff tended to him before he slowly skated off with assistance. Wild coach John Hynes had no update on Sturm's condition but said he was not likely to travel with the team for a game at Winnipeg on Tuesday.
The incident immediately brought to mind defenseman Brock Faber, who is out indefinitely after taking a puck to the head during the team's last preseason game and being diagnosed with a skull fracture. Faber actually returned to play before feeling discomfort and being sent to a hospital for further examination. Center Michael Mc Carron, who helped Sturm off the ice, said he was reminded of Faber. "Holding his ear, same spot kind of," Mc Carron said. "I felt horrible. It's scary around there, and I'm just praying for the best for him."
Sturm, 31, has mostly played center in his career but has been filling in on the fourth line while veterans Marcus Foligno and Nick Foligno are sidelined by unspecified injuries. Backup goalie Filip Gustavsson is also still recovering from offseason hip surgery. Despite the injuries, the Wild are off to a 4-1-1 start. Faber visited the rink Monday and attended the game, and Hynes said he has another medical evaluation coming soon and is making "lots of good progress."
Source: ESPN NHL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing