Wild Captain Jared Spurgeon Leaves Game After Blocking Two Consecutive Shots Vs Utah

Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon has not returned to Tuesday night's game against Utah after a painful sequence in the second period that saw the veteran defenseman block two shots just 15 seconds apart while shorthanded.The sequence began with 16:11 remaining in the second period when Spurgeon blocked a slap shot from Utah forward Dylan Guenther in the defensive zone.Spurgeon appeared to be injured on the initial block and was visibly struggling to move afterward. However, with the Wild still killing a penalty, the captain remained on the ice as Utah continued to apply pressure.Just 15 seconds later, with 15:56 remaining in the period, Guenther fired another slap shot toward the net.Despite already hobbling from the first block, Spurgeon managed to get in the way of the second attempt, preventing another shot from reaching the Minnesota goal.The 36-year-old defenseman then managed to clear the puck out of the defensive zone before slowly skating toward the Wild bench.Once he reached the bench, Spurgeon remained hunched over in apparent discomfort for a period of time before eventually heading down the tunnel.The extent of Spurgeon's injury remains unknown, and Minnesota has not yet provided an official update on his status.For now, the concern centers on the Wild captain, who managed to block two consecutive shots while visibly injured before finally making his way off the ice.This story will be updated as more information becomes available.See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred SourceFor action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.