Brock Faber’s path back to the Minnesota Wild lineup is about more than simply getting healthy. If he looks like himself Saturday night against the Boston Bruins, it will also add another layer to the case that he could be the franchise’s captain down the line.
That’s a big conversation to have with Jared Spurgeon already wearing the “C,” and with Minnesota sitting atop the Central Division at 14-3-4 for 32 points as of Friday morning. The Wild have handled Faber’s absence well, and that starts with Spurgeon’s leadership and the work of the team’s other defensemen. Minnesota has put itself in a strong position to make the playoffs and do real damage once it gets there.
Still, Faber is a different kind of player.
The Wild acquired him in 2022 as the centerpiece of the Kevin Fiala trade with the Los Angeles Kings, and he wasted little time making an impression after arriving late in the 2022-23 season. A former captain at the University of Minnesota, where he led the Golden Gophers to one goal shy of a national title, Faber brought a resume full of leadership long before he became an NHL regular.
His first full season showed why Minnesota valued him so highly. Faber scored eight goals and finished with 47 points, then ended up second to Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard in Calder Memorial Trophy voting. His production dipped the following year, when he had 10 goals and 29 points in 78 games, and he also struggled early last season before the Wild landed Quinn Hughes in a blockbuster trade with the Vancouver Canucks.
After that, Faber’s game took off. He closed the regular season with 15 goals, 51 points and a career-best plus-18 rating. Then he carried that momentum into the playoffs, scoring four goals and 10 points during Minnesota’s 11-game run last spring.
The numbers tell part of the story, but they don’t explain why Faber keeps showing up in captaincy conversations. He has worn a letter at every level, including with the U.S. National Junior Team, and he also learned from Spurgeon early in his NHL career while helping shape the locker room culture around him.
“Just the way he carries himself and how mature he is for only playing one year and just the way he conducts himself, you can definitely see that he’s a well-spoken guy and treats people with the utmost respect as well,” Spurgeon said in September 2024, per Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin. “He’s just very approachable but a very genuine guy, and he has something special about him on the ice and off the ice as well.”
That kind of reputation matters inside a room, but it also helps with fans. Faber, who grew up in Maple Grove, has become a favorite in Minnesota. So has his off-ice look, especially the trademark glasses that seem to pop up everywhere.
Then there’s the version of Faber that shows up once the gear goes on. He played through broken ribs late in the 2023-24 season, even after the Wild had been eliminated from playoff contention, and he took a shiner early in last year’s playoff run. Those moments only added to the image of a player willing to jump into plays and drive offense no matter the pain.
That’s the kind of presence a captain needs to have. If Faber gets back on the ice Saturday with little trouble seven weeks after taking a puck to the head, it will say plenty about his recovery.
The Wild will want him to be careful, and they’ll make sure the ear guards are there on his helmet. But if he returns looking like the same player, it only strengthens the feeling that he’s headed toward something bigger in Minnesota.
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