ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon will miss a minimum of four weeks due to a partial tear of his right hamstring, a big blow to a team trying to maintain control of a playoff spot.
The Wild announced the news Wednesday after Spurgeon was hurt against Colorado Tuesday. They recalled forward Zack Mitchell and defenseman Ryan Murphy from the AHL, in advance of their game on Friday against Vegas.
Spurgeon likely would miss some postseason games if the Wild, currently in third place in the Central Division, make it there. The 28-year-old Spurgeon has nine goals and 28 assists in 61 games for Minnesota this season. He leads the team in blocked shots (127) and is second behind stalwart Ryan Suter with average time on ice per game (24:32).
