Fractured Skull Sidelines Wild's Faber Indefinitely
Minnesota defenseman Brock Faber had surgery for a fractured skull after a preseason shot to the head, and the Wild have given no timetable for his return.
Brock Faber, Minnesota's top-pair defenseman, underwent surgery on 28 September for a fractured skull sustained during a preseason game two days earlier. The 24-year-old, per TSN, is absent from a season that opened against Nashville on 1 October, with no timetable for his return, per NHL.com.
The preseason injury
The injury occurred during a preseason matchup between the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars on 26 September, a game the Stars won 2–1 according to NHL.com. At 10:24 of the second period, per ESPN, a shot from Dallas forward Sam Steel struck Faber in the head. The impact landed near his left ear, an area the helmet does not protect, per ESPN. The vulnerability of that spot—where the helmet's protective shell ends—made even a routine shot a serious threat.
Despite the force of the blow, Faber's immediate response suggested a less severe outcome. He skated to the bench under his own power and returned for his next shift, per NHL.com, continuing to play through the remainder of the second period. His ability to return to the ice made it appear he had weathered the shot without major consequence. However, he did not take the ice for the third period. During that frame, he was transported to hospital for evaluation, per ESPN.
Diagnosis and surgery
Medical evaluation revealed the severity of the impact: Faber had sustained a fractured skull, per NHL.com. The diagnosis meant surgery was necessary. He underwent the procedure on 28 September, per Yahoo Sports.
The margin between his actual injury and a far worse outcome was narrow. Coach John Hynes, speaking to ESPN, reflected on the physics of the moment: "If it was a quarter of an inch higher it just hits his helmet." That comment captures how close Faber came to a different trajectory—one where helmet protection would have intervened. The shot found the one area of his head that the helmet does not cover.
His place in Minnesota's season
Per ESPN, he was expected to anchor the team's top defensive pairing alongside Quinn Hughes as the 2026–27 season began. Per ESPN, Faber also won gold with the 2026 US men's Olympic hockey team. In the 2025–26 season, per TSN, he recorded 15 goals and 51 points across 80 regular-season games, production the Wild must now replace from elsewhere on the blue line.
The Wild addressed the gap by moving Jared Spurgeon to the top pair with Quinn Hughes, per Yahoo Sports and Fox 9. General Manager Bill Guerin explained the team's approach, per Yahoo Sports. They will "follow the doctor's leads" on Faber's recovery timeline, he said. But Guerin also set the sport in its proper place: "The biggest thing here is that he's doing well ... sometimes you just have to put the hockey aside and worry about the human being."
The road ahead
Faber's return remains indefinite, determined by the pace of medical recovery rather than the calendar. The Wild will wait for their top defenseman to heal fully, with his health the priority over the team's roster needs.