Wild's Brock Faber Has Surgery for Fractured Skull, Latest Injury Updates and Timeline to Return

The Minnesota Wild announced on Tuesday that defenseman Brock Faber underwent successful surgery after suffering a fractured skull.

Faber suffered the injury in Friday's preseason game against the Dallas Stars and had surgery on Sunday. A timeline for his return will be provided at a later date.

Per TSN, Faber took a puck off the left side of his head in the second period of Friday's game. He skated to the bench under his own power before returning to the ice and playing the rest of the period, but he was held out of the third.

A five-year veteran, Faber is coming off his best season, as he finished the 2025-26 campaign with career highs of 15 goals and 51 points. He averaged 24:41 of ice time during the regular season and increased to 29:44 in the playoffs as the Wild advanced to the second round before losing to the Colorado Avalanche in five games. He had four goals and 10 points in 11 playoff games.

In addition to his continued rise in the NHL, Faber has also established himself at the international level. He was a member of the Team USA squad that brought home the gold medal at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. He also helped Team USA earn silver at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

After back-to-back trips to the playoffs, the Wild are hoping to make a deeper postseason run this year. Minnesota will open the 2026-27 campaign on Thursday in a road matchup against the Nashville Predators.