Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber dropped a bomb this past Friday, revealing he actually played the rest of the second period of a September 25 preseason game with a fractured skull. Yes, you read that right. He was hit by a Dallas Stars shot midway through that second period, stuck it out, and then exited the game to eventually undergo surgery. Talk about gritty, but also, seriously scary stuff.
“I Swear I’m Actually Good”
Faber told reporters Friday that when the initial hit happened, he barely registered it. He described it as “such a slow shot,” which is probably why he felt zero significant pain. “They all talked to me, and came down to the bench, and were asking all the questions. I told them, actually, ‘I swear I’m actually good. There’s nothing wrong with my head,’” Faber recounted. He genuinely believed he was fine, which is why he kept playing. Wild coach John Hynes later confirmed the puck caught Faber just below his helmet, above his ear. It wasn’t until after the period, when swelling began and “things progressively got worse,” that doctors discovered the fracture after a CT scan. Can you even imagine the shock of finding out you had a fractured skull after telling everyone you were totally fine?
The Scary Reality and the Road Back
“It was scary there for a little bit,” Faber admitted, choosing not to go into too much detail about the severity, but stressing it “could have been a lot worse” without the immediate medical attention he received or if the shot had been harder. His initial reaction to the diagnosis? “I didn’t really let myself think any other way than I’ll be playing for a month.” Despite feeling “completely fine” within days of surgery, the recovery process forced him into inactivity. But good news arrived this past Friday when Faber rejoined Wild practice for the first time since the injury. Coach Hynes confirmed Thursday that Faber had been medically cleared to return but wasn’t quite “physically” ready to jump back into game action.
The Wild, currently holding a strong 11-3-3 record and leading the Central Division as they headed into their Friday night matchup against the San Jose Sharks, are eager for Faber’s full return. Hynes said Faber will travel with the team on their upcoming three-game road trip, which kicks off Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens, followed by games Thursday in Toronto and Saturday in Boston. Everyone’s hoping that reuniting Faber with Quinn Hughes on that top defensive pairing will be the final piece to help push Minnesota to contend for the top of the Western Conference down the stretch. We’re all rooting for a smooth, full return to action after such a wild and harrowing experience.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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