Nico Sturm Hospitalized for Evaluation Following Puck Strike to Head

Minnesota forward Nico Sturm was transported to a hospital after being struck in the helmet by a Jared Spurgeon slap shot during the Wild's 4-2 win.

The Minnesota Wild defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Monday night at Grand Casino Arena, but lost forward Nico Sturm to a head injury during the first period. The 31-year-old was transported to a hospital for precautionary evaluation after being struck on the right side of his helmet by a slap shot from teammate Jared Spurgeon. Sturm, who was skating as the left wing on the fourth line, was assisted off the ice by center Michael McCarron.

Wild coach John Hynes stated following the victory that Sturm is unlikely to travel for the team's upcoming road game in Winnipeg on Tuesday. The incident occurred while Minnesota was missing several other key players, including defenseman Brock Faber, who is sidelined indefinitely with a skull fracture, and veterans Marcus Foligno and Nick Foligno. Despite these absences and the ongoing recovery of backup goaltender Filip Gustavsson from hip surgery, the Wild improved their season record to 4-1-1.

McCarron noted that Sturm appeared to be okay when seen after the first period, though he was holding his ear following the impact. The injury follows a similar fluke occurrence involving Faber, who was hit in the head by a puck during the final preseason game. Hynes reported that Faber attended Monday's game and is making progress, with another medical evaluation scheduled soon.