Brock Faber Breaks Silence After Returning To Minnesota Wild Following Seven-Week Injury Layoff

Wild defenseman Brock Faber plays season debut after skull injury© X(formerly Twitter)/@NHL

Brock Faber was back. Seven weeks after a puck fractured his skull in September, the Minnesota Wild defenceman returned to the ice Saturday night against the Boston Bruins and did not look like a man who had spent two months away from the game. Minnesota won 6-2 in commanding fashion, and Faber logged 24 minutes and 29 seconds of ice time, picked up an assist, registered two shots on goal, and finished at plus-4. His first reaction, though, was not what anyone expected from a player who just had that kind of debut.

Faber Downplays His Own Return Despite Outstanding Numbers

After the final buzzer, Faber spoke to The Athletic's Michael Russo with a refreshing lack of self-congratulation. “It was honestly probably pretty fortunate game on my end I'd say. I don't think it was my best. But you know I felt OK. I felt better than I thought I would to be honest. But yeah definitely some things to clean up,” Faber said.

That's the kind of honesty you rarely get. A plus-4 night in your first game back from a skull fracture, and the guy is talking about what he needs to fix. What it tells you is that Faber is not someone interested in celebrating survival. He came back to compete, and he already knows the gap between where he is right now and where he wants to be.

That mindset matters, especially for a Wild team that is 15-3-4 this season and sitting at 34 points, tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for the most in the NHL. They are not a team waiting around for anyone to get comfortable.

Quinn Hughes Sends a Clear Warning to the Rest of the League

If Faber was understated, his defensive partner Quinn Hughes was not. Hughes laid out exactly what Faber's return means for Minnesota, and the words carry weight given how well this team is already playing.

“Just what Brock brings. His skating, closing plays, making plays, defending hard, PK. I mean, he had a couple looks there late in the first. He made a good play down to Kirill on my goal. And it's his first game, so he's just going to keep growing. I mean, the Brock you saw tonight won't be the Brock you see in a week,” Hughes said.

That last line is the one that should concern the rest of the NHL. A defender who logged over 24 minutes in his season debut, finished plus-4, and contributed directly to a goal in a 6-2 win is apparently still not close to his ceiling. Minnesota was already a legitimate Stanley Cup contender before Saturday night. Getting Faber back, and getting this version of him, only makes the argument stronger.