Nico Sturm Cleared After Hospital Evaluation Following Puck Strike to Head

Minnesota Wild forward Nico Sturm has been cleared of major injury following a hospital evaluation over the weekend. Sturm was transported for medical testing after being struck in the head by a puck during the first period of the Wild’s 4-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on October 12.

The incident occurred when a slap shot from Wild captain Jared Spurgeon caught the right side of Sturm’s helmet. While the 31-year-old was able to leave the ice, the team opted for a precautionary hospital visit to rule out serious internal damage. According to reporting by RG.org, Sturm passed his medical evaluations and is expected to rejoin the lineup within a few days.

Despite the positive test results, Sturm did not travel with the team for their Tuesday game in Winnipeg. His recovery timeline suggests a return to the fourth line later this week, provided he remains symptom-free following the impact.

The game was held at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, the venue formerly known as Xcel Energy Center. The arena name change was finalized earlier this year, marking a new branding era for the Wild’s home ice.

The injury caused immediate concern on the Minnesota bench, largely due to a similar incident involving defenseman Brock Faber. Faber is currently sidelined indefinitely after suffering a skull fracture from a puck strike during the 2026 preseason. While Sturm’s helmet appears to have absorbed the brunt of the force from Spurgeon’s shot, the team has remained cautious with head-related impacts given the recent loss of Faber from the defensive rotation.

Sturm has been a consistent presence on the Wild’s bottom-six forward group, providing defensive reliability and penalty-killing minutes. The team has not yet announced a corresponding roster move, indicating they expect his absence to be brief.

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