ST. PAUL, Minn. \u2014 It had been 15 games since Jared Spurgeon and Jake Middleton had been on the ice for a five-on-five goal against before the first period of Saturday\u2019s shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou jinxed us,\u201d the Wild captain said, laughing, after Monday\u2019s practice \u2014 a reference to Tweet earlier that day about the 220-plus minutes of five-on-five ice time from Spurgeon and 200-plus from Middleton since the last time it had happened, on Oct. 28. \u201cWe\u2019ll just have to start a new streak.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spurgeon, the Wild\u2019s all-time leader in virtually every statistical category for defensemen, may have turned 36 years old Saturday and might be in his 16th season, but it feels like he\u2019s turned the clock back during an 11-1-2 month of November heading into his 37th career game against his hometown Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night at the arena where he registered his only career hat trick in Feb. 2020.<\/p>\n
After going minus-12 in his first 12 games of the season, Spurgeon was plus-8 with the Wild outscoring opponents 9-0 with him on the ice at five-on-five until being, uh, cursed against the Sabres.<\/p>\n
The string of elite play of Spurgeon, which happened to coincide with being paired again with his old partner, Middleton, came after Spurgeon held a players-only meeting that many credit<\/a> with helping turn the season around.<\/p>\n In other words, the captain has put his money where his mouth was.<\/p>\n \u201cHas nothing to do with me,\u201d said Spurgeon, always humble when it comes to his game. \u201cThis has to do with the team. The start of the year, we were all doing too much to get out of the rut. But the team\u2019s been playing great. Everyone\u2019s contributing to that, and that makes everybody look better.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s me included.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked if he\u2019s especially gratified to be playing this way at this age, Spurgeon, who underwent season-ending hip and back surgery two years ago, said, \u201cYeah, but we\u2019re very lucky to have this as our job, and we have a lot of young guys in here that keep you feeling young. The youth and group of guys we have make you enjoy and look forward to coming to the rink every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Spurgeon is a big reason for that. The captain takes care of everybody around him, like Thanksgiving, when he and his wife, Danielle, hosted 26 teammates and significant others, plus nearly a dozen kids.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was such a good time,\u201d goalie Jesper Wallstedt said. \u201cIt was pretty early, so we could have an early night because we had (the Colorado Avalanche) game the next day, but spending the day having lunch together, it\u2019s always fun to get away from the rink, spend time with each other and get to know the persons a little bit more. I think Spurge is great at that. Every time I\u2019ve been up here, called up in the past, he\u2019s always very inviting. He makes sure everyone feels like it\u2019s more of a family environment and everyone knows each other. I hope fans see it because it\u2019s very important for our group.\u201d<\/p>\n And on the ice, Wallstedt said, \u201cHe\u2019s very good in our D-zone. He does the dirty job in our zone. Maybe that\u2019s the stuff that you don\u2019t always see, but for us goalies, we notice them. We appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n Spurgeon\u2019s rank in Wild history among defensemen Games<\/p>\n 959<\/p>\n 1<\/p>\n Goals<\/p>\n 118<\/p>\n 1<\/p>\n Assists<\/p>\n 302<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n Points <\/p>\n 420<\/p>\n 1<\/p>\n Plus-Minus<\/p>\n +121<\/p>\n 1*<\/p>\n Power-play goals<\/p>\n 35<\/p>\n 1<\/p>\n Power-play points <\/p>\n 135<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n Game-winning goals<\/p>\n 23<\/p>\n 1<\/p>\n Overtime goals <\/p>\n 5<\/p>\n T-2<\/p>\n Shots<\/p>\n 1,568<\/p>\n 1<\/p>\n Hits<\/p>\n 829<\/p>\n 1<\/p>\n Blocked shots<\/p>\n 1,655<\/p>\n 1*<\/p>\n Time on ice<\/p>\n 21,172:40<\/p>\n 1*<\/p>\n * First among all players in team history<\/p>\n The month of October was hard on Spurgeon as he was eating minuses. He admits he went home angry a lot after games but said, \u201cI knew eventually with the team we had and the trust we have in each other that it was going to turn around. Eventually, it started going the other way, and right now, I can say it\u2019s just awesome to be a part of and we have to keep it going.\u201d<\/p>\n John Hynes feels this is the best Spurgeon has played in the coach\u2019s tenure in Minnesota. He said Spurgeon is simply playing an efficient game.<\/p>\n \u201cHis ability to break pucks out and just transition the puck has been really smooth and quick,\u201d Hynes said. \u201cHe just sees the option and hits it. I\u2019d say from a defensive standpoint, he\u2019s been really good on his rush defense and his gaps and coming into D-zone coverage and D zone. We had a video (last week) about some of the D-zone coverage, and just the amount of times that he\u2019s either blocked shots or he\u2019s boxing out at the net front against bigger guys, his details are flawless.\u201d<\/p>\n Spurgeon is in the sixth year of a seven-year deal, so he cherishes all these late-career trips to Edmonton. His older brother, Tyler, still plays overseas, but his parents and sister, as well as Danielle\u2019s parents and several other family members and friends, will be at the game.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always fun to go back home and play in front of family and friends that don\u2019t always have the opportunity to come here,\u201d Spurgeon said. \u201cYou do know it\u2019s coming closer to the (end of my career), so you want to take it in. I\u2019m excited to go home, see family tonight and go for dinner and stuff like that, catch up, and then just game day as usual.\u201d<\/p>\n The Wild haven\u2019t played since Saturday, which is a rarity during this season\u2019s condensed schedule due to the Olympics.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be able to have two days, especially here at home, without travel before traveling is nice to get sort of a mental reset, as much as a body reset,\u201d Spurgeon said.<\/p>\n Goalie rotation continues<\/p>\n For the 11th consecutive game, the Wild will rotate goalies, giving Oilers fans a chance to finally see what all the fuss is about with the one who got away, Tuesday\u2019s anticipated starter Wallstedt.<\/p>\n In 2021, the Oilers traded the 20th pick in the draft to the Wild for the 22nd pick and a third-rounder. They took center Xavier Bourgault at No. 22 pick. He has since been traded to the Ottawa Senators and hasn\u2019t played an NHL game. With the 90th pick, Edmonton took University of Vermont defenseman Luca M\u00fcnzenberger. The Oilers didn\u2019t sign him, and he\u2019s back playing in Germany.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why fans of the Oilers, whose goaltending woes are well-documented, get so worked up on social media every time Wallstedt does anything good, which has happened a lot this season. Wallstedt has recorded points in each of his nine starts (7-0-2) and went 6-0 in November with 1.14 goals-against average, .967 save percentage and three shutouts.<\/p>\n https:\/\/t.co\/ka7f557abS<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/FlvsIzPiti<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 dyln (@oilcuntree) December 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n A real “look at what you could have had” moment https:\/\/t.co\/HZYLOME59T<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Brock Seguin (@Brock_Seguin) December 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Time to show the world why we passed on this guy, took the FAR SUPERIOR Xavier Bourgault and expose this fraud for the block of Swiss Cheese that he is. \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udded\ud83e\uddc0<\/p>\n (Yes, I\u2019m being facetious \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23)#LetsGoOilers<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/d39wE2nMUN<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Russ Jericho (@RussJerichoArt) December 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I see it online,\u201d Wallstedt said. \u201cNow, this year, they apparently miss that pick or wish they had me. For that reason, it\u2019s pretty fun. But it\u2019s not like it matters anymore. I\u2019m very happy where I am.\u201d<\/p>\n Swedish Goaltending Mafia https:\/\/t.co\/gYmzH6nq1w<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/IgR8xHXjKq<\/a><\/p>\n
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