Spurgeon returns to ice with teammates at practice on Wednesday

ST. PAUL -- It was a welcome sight for the Wild on Wednesday as Jared Spurgeon cruised around the ice at Xcel Energy Center, participating in his first practice with teammates since sustaining a groin injury last month.
Spurgeon has missed the past seven games with the ailment, one that flared up in a game about a week prior to the Wild's game in Winnipeg. Spurgeon said he was hit awkwardly and thought it was a charley horse.
But after a few days of discomfort, and as it moved to the inside of his leg, Spurgeon knew something was amiss.

"A weird position I guess, and something just happened," Spurgeon said. "There [was] something there but eventually it got as bad as it was and we had to pull out."
He didn't play in the Wild's 7-2 loss to the Jets on Nov. 27 and had been off the ice entirely until last week, when he began skating on his own with Minnesota on the road in California.
Wednesday marked another step in his recovery.

"It's a different pace than skating by yourself," Spurgeon said. "It's nice to get out there. The guys were happy with the win last night, so made it a bit easier on myself."
Much has changed in the time Spurgeon has been gone.
The Wild recalled Ryan Murphy from Iowa of the American Hockey League on the day of the Winnipeg game. He's played in all seven games since and has been very good, posting one goal, one assist and a plus-3.
Minnesota also acquired Nate Prosser off waivers from the St. Louis Blues. He has one assist in five games and has been a rock on the Wild's penalty killing unit.
How Wild coach Bruce Boudreau chooses to fit the puzzle pieces together is yet to be seen, but rest assured he's already thinking about it.
"There's a lot of space to build in there so I work at it," he said.
Boudreau said there isn't a firm timeline on when Spurgeon will return. The next big step will be getting approval from doctors for him to get back into game action. The Wild leaves Saturday night to begin a four-game road trip that begins Sunday in Chicago.
Spurgeon will be on that trip, and Boudreau didn't rule out a return even before then if doctors give the thumbs up.
"I'm looking forward to [having] him," Boudreau said. "He should be able to, unless he tells us there's something wrong, be able to play in that situation."

Dubnyk update

As one player moves closer to a return from injury, the Wild is dealing with another ailment after goaltender Devan Dubnyk left Tuesday's 2-1 win over Calgary after the first period because of a lower-body injury.
Dubnyk, who sustained the injury early in the game, finished out the period and made 10 saves -- many of them big -- before giving way to Alex Stalock at the start of the second.
Boudreau said he spoke to Dubnyk on Wednesday morning, who reassured the coach that he didn't think his injury was too serious.
Still, the team was waiting on the results of an MRI conducted at 12:30 Wednesday afternoon before charting a course forward.

"It's concerning because he's our No.1 goalie. We want to know," Boudreau said. "But you can't race ahead of what the doctors and everybody wants. We'll see, but hopefully it's not too bad."
Boudreau said the team will likely be without Dubnyk on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, at a minimum, meaning a call up will likely arrive Wednesday evening.
That means Stalock will get a start against his former organization, one that he would have gotten Nov. 8 in Toronto had his wife Felicia not gone into labor.
"Funny how that works out," Stalock said. "Obviously first time around didn't get to get in there but obviously with them here tomorrow, it will be another chance to get back in there."

Beaupre steps in

With Dubnyk out and Stalock the only other goalie on the roster as of Wednesday morning, the Wild called in Connor Beaupre to serve as the other practice goaltender.

Beaupre was the emergency goalie on Tuesday after Dubnyk left the game with his injury. When it became apparent that he may be needed, Beaupre was summoned from his seat in the press box to the Wild dressing room, where he strapped on half his pads and waited in the tunnel to the ice, watching the game on a television monitor.
"You're a little nervous going into it, but the more times you come, the more times I skated with the guys, that kind of stuff, you get more used to it," Beaupre said. "You're not so nervous and it's just another time playing hockey."
Beaupre, 24, is a former Edina Hornet and club hockey goalie at the University of Denver and currently coaches at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield. He also plays in a couple of men's leagues to keep sharp.
Beaupre has known Wild assistant coach Darby Hendrickson for years, which is how he got the "in" to be the emergency goaltender. He is schedule to serve in the position for "19 or 20" games this season, splitting the role with one other person.
The person in the job is available to both teams should one of their goaltenders get injured before or during a game.
"I've known Darby forever, and [Wild goalie coach Bob Mason] and all those guys," Beaupre said. "So when I got call from [Mason] to do it, for anybody it's a dream to do. So if you get the odd chance to go in there or whatever it is, it's pretty cool."
Connor is also the son of former North Stars goaltender Don Beaupre, who played 667 games across 17 seasons in the NHL, including nine with the North Stars, who drafted him in the second round of the 1980 draft.
Don Beaupre was one of two goalies for the North Stars alumni team that defeated the Chicago Blackhawks alumni before the 2016 Coors Light Stadium Series game at TCF Bank Stadium.
Connor wears the pads Don used in that game.
"Got the old hand me downs from him, so after he was done with them, I took over," Connor said.
Among the many texts that came in as Connor moved from the press box to the dressing room came from his dad. Did the elder Beaupre have any words of wisdom?
"No, not really. He just said, well, you better hope Al doesn't go down, or else you've got to get in there," Connor said. "He was just giving me a little crap."