Wild dealt major Stanley Cup blow with Marcus Foligno’s injury following Ryan Hartman’s three-game suspension
Minnesota Wild in tough spot with Marcus Foligno’s season-ending surgery days after Ryan Hartman’s suspension from NHL Player Safety department.
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Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno [Image Credit: Imago]
Minnesota Wild lands in hot waters with Stanley Cup dream on line, as the team’s alternate captain Marcus Foligno gets listed on IL following season-ending core muscle repair surgery. Furthermore, forward Ryan Hartman is out with a 3-game suspension for throwing a stick at an official during Saturday’s game.
The team provided an update on Foligno’s successful surgery prior to their game against the Ottawa Senators. He won’t be able to skate on ice before training season in September. Considering the timing of the start of Stanley Cup games, Foligno’s injury has dealt a huge blow to the team. They are still fighting for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with limited games in their hands.
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However, it’s not only Foligno who will be missing from the team’s lineup but also Hartman. Hartman’s action during the Wild’s 1-2 OT loss against Vegas, cost him a 3-game suspension. Previously he was fined seven times including a 2-game ban from tripping in November.
He’ll be missing three home games this week, against the Senators (Wild’s won 3-2 against Sens), Colorado Avalanche, and Winnipeg Jets. The race for a Stanley Cup spot will be a tough one for the team. The regular season ends on 18 April and the NHL world will start preparing for the Cup race starting on 20 April.
Minnesota Wild’s coach John Hynes comments on Marcus Foligno’s injury
Although it’s upsetting to lose Marcus Foligno just before the Stanley Cup starts, coach John Hynes is focusing on the bigger picture. As “an emotional leader” on the ice, it’s going to be hard “to replace” what he brings to the team and in the locker room.
![Marcus Foligno and coach John Hynes [Image Credit: Imago/The Sport Credential]](https://firstsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marcus-Foligno-and-coach-John-Hynes.jpg)
“To get a healthy Marcus,” it’s going to be very important that he focuses on rehabilitation, as per Hynes. In the 2023-24 season, Foligno scored 10 goals and 22 points in 55 games. He last played against St. Louis Blues on 23 March.
On the other hand, Ryan Hartman admitted that his frustration got the better of him with 1:40 left on the clock against the Vegas Golden Knights. He noted that it was “out of my hands” and what he did was in the heat of the moment. Regardless, of his reasons, the forward will miss crucial games for the team, as they strive for the wild-card spot in the Stanley Cup race.
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Kaushani Chatterjee
(2197 Articles Published)