Spurgeon discusses being Wild captain, Kaprizov in Q&A with NHL.com

NHL.com's Q&A feature called "Sitting Down With…" runs each Sunday. We talk to key figures in the game, gaining insight into their lives on and off the ice.
This edition features Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon.

Jared Spurgeon has been a mainstay with the Minnesota Wild since signing as a free agent in 2010, two years after he was selected in the sixth round (No. 156) of the 2008 NHL Draft by the New York Islanders.
The defenseman, who sustained a lower-body injury on Nov. 20 and will be out at least through this weekend, was named captain on Jan. 3, 2021, replacing Mikko Koivu, who left the Wild as a free agent after the 2019-20 season.
The 31-year-old from Edmonton, Alberta, has scored 313 points (92 goals, 221 assists) in 724 regular-season games, all with the Wild. He has scored eight points (three goals, five assists) in 17 games this season.
NHL.com caught up with Spurgeon recently to ask him about a variety of topics, including being captain during a season impacted by COVID-19, the play of Kirill Kaprizov, the reigning Calder Trophy winner voted as rookie of the year after scoring 69 points (32 goals, 37 assists) last season, and the 2022 Discover NHL Winter Classic against the St. Louis Blues at Target Field on Jan. 1, 2022.
What did you learn from your first season as captain?
"Last year was a bit tough, just for getting the team together off ice. Tough just with all the circumstances we had to go through but just trying to be yourself as much as possible, being a sounding board for everyone, just being a support system. I thought we did a good job, especially with, like I said, the circumstances we had last year. There's a lot of things that weren't normal for us and just making sure routines were normal and guys were feeling good and having fun."

Who is the veteran with the biggest influence on your career?
"I'd go with Mikko. My first couple years would be Matt Cullen. He took me under his wing my first year when I was in the hotel, had me over for Christmas dinner with his family-type thing. He just really showed me how to be polite, professional to everyone. I always loved being around Matt. And then Mikko, obviously. Great leader. He showed me the ropes for a long time. And Ryan Suter, Zach Parise when they came in as well, just the professionalism they had. And they were always around, always willing to talk to you and sort of give you their insight. And they're just great teammates as well."
What was the thing that has impressed you the most about Kirill Kaprizov?
"I think just the way he creates space for himself and he doesn't shy away from the hitting or the dirty areas either. He's a very strong kid and obviously knows how to score, but he creates plays as well. Being out there with him you definitely notice that the other teams are taking notice of him and that does open up more space for his linemates or teammates and that's what great players do. They're able to find that open spot and either finish it themselves or give a teammate a good opportunity. At the same time, he just works extremely hard. He enjoys it, has fun at the rink and that rubs off on everyone."
What does that kind of talent mean, do you think, for this Wild group going forward?
"It's huge. It's tough to find guys like that, that can put every chance that they have, you have a feeling it's going in and I think last year a lot of guys fed off that. [It's] just the confidence he has and, like I said, the work ethic he has and he shows it in practice. He's not the guy to shy away in practice either. He's always out there working either on his shot or just certain things, so just to have a guy like that on both ends of the ice, it bleeds into the lineup."

What did you see from Joel Eriksson Ek before he developed into the player he is and was that a guy you knew had something special?
"He's such a strong, strong guy, whether it's skating or just in the corners. He's always had a great shot, but I think last year he just had the confidence to use it. He's such a dynamic player at both ends of the ice. Defensively, he's great. On the penalty kill, he's great. He gets into guys' kitchens as well. He's a very aggravating guy to play against but he's just such a strong guy. He's a beast to play against."
How much excitement is there for the Winter Classic?
"We're all very excited. We like the jerseys. I know there's some people that wanted a North Stars-type of thing, but I think they did a great job putting the cities and state together sort of on the emblem and also sort of a baseball feel since we're playing at Target Field. I think, for us, we're just hoping for the weather to be decent, not freezing. It's just an exciting time to share with family and friends. We've had one -- the Stadium Series -- I'm not sure how many years ago (2016). That was just an awesome experience, so we have a lot of guys who haven't played in one, so it's going to be awesome."
What about facing the Blues in that game?
"Whenever we play St. Louis, it's a good game. They're a big, heavy team. They've had some changes this year as well. It's always a good game against those guys."
If the NHL put your name on an award, what would that award be for?
"I have no idea. It would be an honor if they put one there."
Is there a special quality you think that the League needs to appreciate about Jared Spurgeon?
"I think they do a pretty good job of finding the qualities."
Who is someone in hockey you were nervous to meet for the first time?
"I think for my first training camp … I grew up watching Doug Weight as an Oiler and when I went to the Islanders [camp], he was there so I was pretty nervous to be around him."
Who will score the gold medal-winner at the Olympics?
"Hopefully someone from Canada. Doesn't matter who, just someone."