Wild's Brock Faber Opens Up About 'Scary' Fractured Skull Injury, Updates Rehab Process

Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber said he stayed in the preseason game during which a puck fractured his skull because he didn't initially feel significant pain from the injury.

Faber was hit by a shot from the Dallas Stars midway through the second period of a Sept. 25 preseason game. He played the rest of the period before exiting the game and later undergoing surgery.

"When the initial thing happened, I didn't anything of it, because it was such a slow shot," Faber told reporters Friday. "They all talked to me, and came down to the bench, and were asking all the questions. I told them, actually, 'I swear I'm actually good. There's nothing wrong with my head.'

"And then I guess I was wrong. But really, it didn't hurt at all. So that's why I kept playing."

Wild coach John Hynes said immediately after Faber's injury the defenseman had been hit just below the edge of his helmet above his ear.

Faber said there was limited swelling but that "things progressively got worse" after the second period. Doctors discovered the fracture after Faber underwent a CT scan at the hospital that night.

"I didn't really let myself think any other way than I'll be playing for a month," Faber said about his initial reaction to his diagnosis.

Faber said he felt "completely fine" within a few days after surgery but was forced to initially remain inactive as part of his recovery process.

"It was scary there for a little bit, but to be honest I don't really care to go into too much detail," Faber said. "I would rather not have the whole world know that. But I got treated so well, and it could have been a lot worse if, one, if I got hit harder in that spot, and two, if I didn't get the medical attention that I did."

"The thing, as a whole, I'm just so glad to put it in the past. It's so good to be back."

Faber's talk with reporters came the day after he rejoined Wild practice for the first time since suffering his injury.

Hynes said Thursday Faber had been medically cleared to return but wasn't "physically" ready to play yet.

He added Faber would be traveling with the team on their upcoming three-game road trip, which starts Tuesday at the Montreal Canadiens and continues Thursday in Toronto and Saturday in Boston.

The Wild (11-3-3) went into a Friday night matchup with the San Jose Sharks holding a lead over the Central Division. Minnesota will hope reuniting Faber and Quinn Hughes on their top pairing in the near future will help this team contend for the top of the Western Conference down the stretch of the season.