Nico Sturm Left Game With Upper Body Injury

Minnesota Wild forward Nico Sturm sustained an upper-body injury during a 4-2 victory against the Vegas Golden Knights. Late in the first period, Sturm was struck on the right side of the head by a shot from teammate Jared Spurgeon. Head coach John Hynes confirmed after the game that Sturm was taken to a local hospital as a precautionary measure to evaluate the injury.

Sturm, who logged just 3:20 of ice time before departing, adds to a growing injury list for Minnesota that also includes defenseman Brock Faber, the Foligno brothers, and goaltender Filip Gustavsson. The incidents involving head impacts to both Sturm and Faber have reignited discussions across the league regarding mandatory ear guards for NHL players.