Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber is back in recovery mode after undergoing surgery Sunday following a skull fracture suffered in Friday’s preseason game.
The Wild confirmed Tuesday that the 24-year-old defenseman sustained the fracture in Friday’s game and had successful surgery two days later. Minnesota did not offer any kind of timetable for his return, saying only that an update will come later.
Wild president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin said Tuesday that Faber is doing well after the procedure, but the team is going to wait for guidance from its medical staff before saying anything more about when he might get back on the ice.
“He just had a serious surgery and an injury, so we’re just gonna [update] you guys when the time’s right,” Guerin said. “But he’s doing well.
He’s doing really well, which is good news. And we’ll just follow the doctor’s lead.”
Faber left Friday’s preseason game and never returned. He also missed practice Saturday and Sunday while the Wild waited for more information on the injury.
Minnesota then placed him on injured reserve Monday before the NHL roster deadline.
The setback is a significant one for a player who has grown into one of the Wild’s most important pieces and was expected to play a major role again on the blue line this season. For the moment, though, hockey is secondary.
The Wild still haven’t said how long Faber could be out or when he might resume skating and other hockey work. With the team describing the injury and surgery as serious, Minnesota says it will wait for medical clearance before putting any kind of timeline on his return.
"Brock is a great player. He's a big player for us.
It's always going to affect your team when guys like that are out,” Guerin said. “The biggest thing here is he's doing well and sometimes you have to put the hockey aide and worry about the human being."
Faber’s absence leaves Minnesota short one of its top defensemen as the club gets ready to open the 2026-27 regular season Thursday against the Nashville Predators.
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