Jared Spurgeon

Summary

Jared Spurgeon (born November 29, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain of the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). Spurgeon was selected 156th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft but joined the Wild after going unsigned by the Islanders.

Jared Spurgeon
Jared Spurgeon at Minnesota Wild open practice at Tria Rink in St Paul, MN.jpg
Spurgeon with the Minnesota Wild in 2019
Born (1989-11-29) November 29, 1989 (age 34)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 167 lb (76 kg; 11 st 13 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
NHL team
Former teams
Minnesota Wild
SCL Tigers
NHL Draft 156th overall, 2008
New York Islanders
Playing career 2010–present

Prior to the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Spurgeon played five seasons of major junior hockey with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He won both a WHL Championship and the 2008 CHL Memorial Cup with the Chiefs. Following the 2009–10 OHL season, Spurgeon joined the Minnesota Wild's American Hockey League affiliate, the Houston Aeros. He impressed the coaching staff through his first 23 games and earned his first NHL recall the day before his 21st birthday. Spurgeon made his NHL debut the following day and remained with the Wild for the remainder of the season.

Early life edit

Spurgeon was born on November 29, 1989, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada[1] to Barry and Debbie Spurgeon.[2] He grew up alongside his older brother Tyler, who also played ice hockey, and older sister Breanne.[3] Spurgeon was a fan of the Edmonton Oilers, specifically Doug Weight, growing up as his grandfather had a pair of season tickets and alternated between various Spurgeon family members.[4]

Playing career edit

Growing up in Alberta, Spurgeon played minor hockey alongside Tyler Ennis and the two were coached by both of their fathers.[5] Although he was originally a forward, Spurgeon was changed to defence at the age of 13 while in peewee.[6] Due to their short stature, both Ennis and Spurgeon were cut from their Bantam AAA Canadian Athletic Club team. Spurgeon then played with the Knights of Columbus Squires U15 AAA team in the Alberta Elite Hockey League alongside Ennis.[2] In the 2004–05 season, Spurgeon recorded 35 points in 37 games and played in the 2005 Alberta Cup.[7]

Western Hockey League (2005–2010) edit

As a result of his strong 2004–05 season, Spurgeon was drafted in the tenth round of the Western Hockey League draft by the Spokane Chiefs.[7] He was also drafted by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the United States Hockey League 2005 Futures Draft.[8] Spurgeon made the jump to the WHL during the 2005-06 season, where he recorded three goals and nine assists for 12 points in his rookie season.[1] He suffered a back injury in the 2006 offseason and missed the first month of the 2006–07 season to recover.[9]

During the 2007–08 season, Spurgeon earned a larger role on the team as a member of their top power-play unit. His play earned him praise from head coach Bill Peters, who said: "He has real good on-ice vision and a superior hockey sense in my opinion...He competes very hard, he’s a pit bull out there and he’s an undersized guy but it doesn’t hold him back one bit."[10] Spurgeon finished the regular season with a career-high 43 points and was named the Chiefs' Defenseman of the Year and Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year.[11] After Spurgeon and the Chiefs won the 2008 Memorial Cup, he was drafted 156th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.[12] As he had not been contacted by any hockey scouts prior to the draft, Spurgeon had been prepared to enroll in college as a backup plan.[13]

As one of the Chiefs' top defensemen in the 2008–09 season, Spurgeon set and matched two franchise records[14] en route to a career-high 35 assists and 45 points.[1] As a result of his performance the previous season, Spurgeon was one of three Chiefs players selected to participate in the 2008 ADT Canada–Russia Challenge.[15] Spurgeon and the Chiefs started the season with a 16–9–0–3 record as the defenceman accumulated one goal and nine assists.[16] In December 2008, Spurgeon attended Team Canada’s camp to qualify for their 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships roster.[17] Spurgeon finished the regular season with 10 goals and a career-high 35 assists for 45 points.[1] His 10 goals ranked 25th amongst most goals scored in a single season by a Chiefs defenceman. He also allowed a franchise-low 145 goals against as a defenceman during the season, down from his previous record of 160.[14] Spurgeon finished his fourth season with the Chiefs as their second consecutive Defenseman of the Year and earned the Player’s Player award for the first time.[18]

As Spurgeon underwent shoulder surgery during the 2009 offseason, he did not participate in any games at the Chiefs camp or in the pre-season.[19] Despite missing the first 18 games of the season, Spurgeon finished the regular season with a career-high 43 assists and 51 points. When he made his season debut in November, Spurgeon recorded three assists.[20] Spurgeon maintained a seven game point streak through February, during which he recorded three goals and nine assists.[21] During this point streak, Spurgeon was recognized by Chiefs’ as one of their Top 25 Chiefs in 25 Years.[22] Over his final 10 games of the season, Spurgeon had one goal and seven assists for a total of 170 points over his five seasons with the Chiefs, the fourth most for a Spokane defenseman.[21] His 51 points were the 23rd most points by a Spokane defenseman in a single season and his 43 assists were the 21st by a team defensemen in a single season.[14] Spurgeon was also named a finalist for the WHL's Brad Hornung Trophy as the league's Most Sportsmanlike Player.[23]

Professional (2010–present) edit

After playing five seasons with the Spokane Chiefs, the Minnesota Wild invited the unsigned defenceman to attend their 2010–11 training camp.[24] He scored a goal and an assist while representing the Wild at the 2010 Traverse City Rookie Tournament before signing a three-year, entry-level contract on September 23, 2010.[25] He was subsequently assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Houston Aeros, to start the 2010–11 season.[26] Spurgeon immediately impressed the Aeros coaching staff upon joining the team. Prior to his first NHL callup, he had maintained an eight-game point streak.[27] Due to his small stature, sportswriter Michael Russo later confessed that he had refrained from reporting on Spurgeon's call-up because he initially dismissed it as a joke.[28] As the callup was unexpected, the Wild's assistant equipment manager only had the jersey number 46 available in his size.[27] Wearing number 46 for the Wild, Spurgeon played 14:42 minutes and registered one shot on goal in a 3–0 shutout loss to the Calgary Flames on November 29.[29][30] Following this game, Spurgeon remained the rest of the season at the NHL level.[27] He later scored his first career NHL goal on February 22, 2011, in his 31st career NHL game, against Nikolai Khabibulin of the Edmonton Oilers.[31]

 
Spurgeon warming up with the Wild in 2011.

Due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Spurgeon and Ennis joined the SCL Tigers of the National League A (NLA) in Switzerland.[32] He played 12 games with the SCL Tigers[1] but suffered a groin injury when the lockout was near its end.[33] He recorded five goals and 15 points through 39 games with the Wild in the 2012–13 season and signed a three-year contract extension on July 5, 2013.[34]

On December 21, 2015, the Wild announced they re-signed Spurgeon to a four-year, $20.75 million contract extension. At the time of the extension, Spurgeon ranked third amongst defensemen in franchise history in goals, game-winning goals, power-play goals, and blocked shots.[35] He played much of the season on the Wild's top defensive pairing with Ryan Suter.[citation needed]

On September 14, 2019, with one year remaining on his contract, Spurgeon signed a seven-year, $53.025 million contract extension with the Wild. At the time of the singing, Spurgeon led all franchise defensemen in goals and blocked shots and was tied for first in game winning goals with 13.[36]

Captaincy and injuries edit

Spurgeon was named the franchise's second full-time captain on January 3, 2021, before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic-delayed 2020–21 season.[37] On January 31, during a game against the Colorado Avalanche, Spurgeon became the second defenceman in team history to record 200 career assists with the team.[38] A few days later in another game against the Avalanche, Spurgeon suffered a lower-body injury and missed the remainder of the third period.[39] While recovering from his lower-body injury, Spurgeon and various other teammates contracted a mild case of COVID-19. Due to the severity of the virus and the Wild's depleted members, the league cancelled the Wild's next four games.[40] Spurgeon was removed th Wild's COVID-19 protocol list on February 13,[41] and rejoined the Wild's lineup on February 19 for their game against the Anaheim Ducks.[42] The injury, illness, and delayed games resulted in a slow start for Spurgeon through the first 28 games of the season. After tallying only one goal and five assists, Spurgeon broke out offensively in the final 26 games of the season.[43] Spurgeon broke his 26-game goalless drought, dating back to the Wild's final game of the regular season in 2020, by scoring twice on March 24, 2021, against the Ducks.[44] On April 29, Spurgeon recorded his 300th career NHL point to become the third player and second defenseman in team history to reach the milestone.[45] Over the final 26 games of the regular season, Spurgeon added six goals and 19 points for a total of seven goals and 18 assists.[43] Beyond leading all Wild defensemen in scoring and assists, Spurgeon also led the team in blocked shots with 102, ranked third in power-play points with nine, and fourth in shots on goal with 94.[45] Spurgeon and the Wild met with the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs,[43] but fell to them in seven games.[46] On June 5, Spurgeon was named a finalist for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the league's most gentlemanly player.[45] During the 2021 offseason, Spurgeon was one of seven forwards the Wild protected from the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft.[47]

As Spurgeon's former defensive partner Ryan Suter left the Wild for Dallas during the offseason, Alex Goligoski was signed to replace him on the Wild's top defensive pair for 2021–22.[48] After delivering a cross-check to Pavel Buchnevich's right ankle during a game against the St. Louis Blues on May 2, Spurgeon was fined $5,000 by the NHL Department of Player Safety but avoided a suspension.[49] He finished the regular season with 10 goals and a career-high 30 assists for 40 points over 65 games.[50]

On October 22, 2022, Spurgeon scored his 100th NHL goal and 348th point to pass centre Pierre-Marc Bouchard for fifth on the Wild's all-time points list.[51] On February 19, 2023, during a game against the Nashville Predators, Spurgeon became the Wild's franchise scoring leader among defenceman with 370 career points.[52] On January 18, 2024, Spurgeon was ruled out for the rest of the 2023–24 season due to multiple injuries that required surgeries.[53]

Personal life edit

Spurgeon and his wife Danielle have four children together, two boys and two girls.[3]

Career statistics edit

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2005–06 Spokane Chiefs WHL 46 3 9 12 28
2006–07 Spokane Chiefs WHL 38 4 15 19 16
2007–08 Spokane Chiefs WHL 69 12 31 43 19 21 0 5 5 16
2008–09 Spokane Chiefs WHL 59 10 35 45 37 12 2 3 5 10
2009–10 Spokane Chiefs WHL 54 8 43 51 18 7 0 4 4 2
2010–11 Houston Aeros AHL 23 2 7 9 10 23 1 10 11 10
2010–11 Minnesota Wild NHL 53 4 8 12 2
2011–12 Minnesota Wild NHL 70 3 20 23 6
2012–13 SCL Tigers NLA 12 3 4 7 6
2012–13 Minnesota Wild NHL 39 5 10 15 4 5 0 0 0 2
2013–14 Minnesota Wild NHL 67 5 21 26 16 13 3 3 6 2
2014–15 Minnesota Wild NHL 66 9 16 25 6 10 1 3 4 4
2015–16 Minnesota Wild NHL 77 11 18 29 14 6 2 3 5 4
2016–17 Minnesota Wild NHL 76 10 28 38 20 5 0 1 1 0
2017–18 Minnesota Wild NHL 61 9 28 37 8 5 0 1 1 0
2018–19 Minnesota Wild NHL 82 14 29 43 20
2019–20 Minnesota Wild NHL 62 12 20 32 18 4 2 2 4 4
2020–21 Minnesota Wild NHL 54 7 18 25 6 7 0 3 3 0
2021–22 Minnesota Wild NHL 65 10 30 40 10 6 0 3 3 4
2022–23 Minnesota Wild NHL 79 11 23 34 14 6 0 2 2 4
2023–24 Minnesota Wild NHL 16 0 5 5 2
NHL totals 867 110 274 384 146 67 8 21 29 24

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "Jared Spurgeon". Elite Prospects. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Matheson, Jim (March 10, 2018). "Edmonton product Jared Spurgeon among best small defenceman in NHL". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Russo, Michael (January 13, 2021). "The underdog becomes the captain: Jared Spurgeon's journey to the Wild 'C'". The Athletic. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  4. ^ Wharnsby, Tim (January 9, 2019). "SPURGEON STANDING TALL ON WILD'S BLUELINE". NHLPA. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  5. ^ Kennedy, Kevin (October 15, 2011). "Tyler Ennis". The Hockey News. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  6. ^ "Wild Defenceman Spurgeon 10 Seasons Into Size-Deying Career". NHLPA. December 11, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Kierszenblat, Adam (November 28, 2023). "WHL Draft Day Steals: Jared Spurgeon". The Hockey News. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  8. ^ "RoughRiders select 6 players in USHL futures draft". The Gazette. September 7, 2005. p. 19. Retrieved February 25, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Chiefs miss quartet". The Spokesman-Review. November 3, 2006. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  10. ^ Brown, Jess (February 20, 2008). "Spurgeon quarterbacks Chiefs' win". The Spokesman-Review. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  11. ^ Brown, Jess (May 22, 2008). "Spurgeon sibling rivalry paid off". The Spokesman-Review. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  12. ^ Brown, Jess (June 22, 2008). "Long and short of it: 3 Chiefs picked". The Spokesman-Review. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  13. ^ McLellan, Sarah (March 19, 2019). "Career of Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon has proved doubters wrong". Minnesota Star Tribune. Archived from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "Alumni Spotlight: Team Spurgeon". Canadian Hockey League. August 26, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  15. ^ "Three Chiefs to Play for Team WHL". Our Sports Central. October 30, 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  16. ^ Brown, Jess (November 30, 2008). "Chiefs waste chances". The Spokesman-Review. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  17. ^ "TOKARSKI AND SPURGEON LEAVE FOR CAMP". Canadian Hockey League. December 10, 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  18. ^ "CHIEFS HAND OUT YEAR END AWARDS". Canadian Hockey League. March 16, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  19. ^ "OFF-SEASON INJURY UPDATES". Canadian Hockey League. August 24, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  20. ^ Trimmer, Dave (March 18, 2010). "Chiefs' Spurgeon succeeds with on-ice savvy". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  21. ^ a b "The Playoff Report". Canadian Hockey League. March 16, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  22. ^ "Spokane announces "Top 25 Chiefs in 25 Years"". KTTO. February 26, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  23. ^ "SPURGEON RUNNER-UP FOR LEAGUE'S MOST SPORTSMANLIKE". Canadian Hockey League. April 28, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  24. ^ "SPURGEON SIGNS WITH MINNESOTA". Canadian Hockey League. September 23, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  25. ^ Andersen, Glen (September 23, 2010). "Wild Signs Three Prospects". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on June 10, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  26. ^ "Minnesota Wild Transactions 2010". ESPN. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  27. ^ a b c Russo, Michael (October 23, 2014). "The Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Big in stature if not in size". Minnesota Star Tribune. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  28. ^ Russo, Michael (March 13, 2018). "Now a star for the Wild, Jared Spurgeon has had to prove himself at every turn". The Athletic. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  29. ^ "Miikka Kiprusoff stops 32 shots, Jarome Iginla scores in Flames' win". ESPN. November 30, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  30. ^ "Calgary Flames - Minnesota Wild November 29, 2010". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  31. ^ Brothers, Bruce (February 22, 2011). "Jared Spurgeon's first goal hits home in Wild win over Edmonton Oilers". Twin Cities. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  32. ^ "Tyler Ennis und Jared Spurgeon zu den SCL Tigers". scltigers.ch (in Swiss High German). Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  33. ^ Russo, Mike (December 19, 2012). "Wild's Devin Setoguchi says he is taking time off from ECHL team; Jared Spurgeon update". Minnesota Star Tribune. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  34. ^ "Spurgeon re-signs with Wild". National Hockey League. July 5, 2013. Archived from the original on July 9, 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  35. ^ "Wild Re-Signs Jared Spurgeon To A Four-Year Contract Extension". National Hockey League. December 21, 2015. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  36. ^ "Wild, Spurgeon agree on seven-year contract extension". National Hockey League. September 14, 2019. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  37. ^ "Spurgeon named captain of Wild, replaces Koivu". National Hockey League. January 3, 2021. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  38. ^ "Wild win in OT after Avalanche lose MacKinnon to lower-body injury". Sportsnet. January 31, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  39. ^ Myers, Dan (February 2, 2021). "Postgame Hat Trick: Avalanche 2, Wild 1". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  40. ^ Myers, Dan (February 8, 2021). "Wild searching for clarity as virus pauses team's season". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  41. ^ "Wild players on COVID-19 protocol list". National Hockey League. February 21, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  42. ^ Myers, Dan (February 19, 2021). "Captain's return sparks Wild in win over Ducks". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  43. ^ a b c Myers, Dan (May 15, 2021). "It's Knight time: Breaking down the Wild's opening round playoff series". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  44. ^ Myers, Dan (March 24, 2021). "Spurgeon scores twice as Wild's top defensive pair steps up its game". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  45. ^ a b c "Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon named Lady Byng Memorial Trophy finalist". National Hockey League. June 5, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  46. ^ Myers, Dan (May 29, 2021). "Wild's belief never wavered, which makes Game 7 defeat harder to swallow". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  47. ^ "Wild announces protected list for Expansion Draft". National Hockey League. July 18, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  48. ^ "Wild get veteran defenseman Alex Goligoski, miss out on other free agents". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. July 28, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  49. ^ Wyshynski, Greg (May 3, 2022). "Minnesota Wild's Jared Spurgeon not suspended for cross-check". ESPN. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  50. ^ Myers, Dan (May 20, 2022). "Post-season Send Off: Jared Spurgeon". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  51. ^ Russo, Michael (October 22, 2022). "Wild struggle early, fall to Bruins in OT: 'We've got to clean up our starts'". The Athletic. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  52. ^ McLellan, Sarah (February 19, 2023). "Jared Spurgeon becomes Wild franchise scoring leader among defensemen". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  53. ^ "Spurgeon out rest of season for Wild with hip, back injuries". National Hockey League. January 18, 2024. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.

External links edit

  • Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
Sporting positions
Preceded by Minnesota Wild captain
2021–present
Incumbent