Minnesota Wild Captain and Mascot Visit Children's Hospital

ST. PAUL, Minn. --For NHL players, the offseason usually consists of trips home, cabin getaways and some rest and relaxation before a return to skating, practicing and working out. But for Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon, he had one last thing to do before loading up the truck and heading home for the summer.

The Wild's fearless leader visited with patients at Gillette Children's in St. Paul. But Spurgeon wasn't alone. He teamed up with his buddy and team mascot, Nordy.

Accompanied by an energetic and friendly hospital staff, the duo set out to make the days of some hospital patients... and even some employees. While the presence of the NHL veteran was sure to turn heads, prompt nurses to ask for photos or spark conversations with fans, there was no escaping the audible squeals of joy from the kids who spotted Nordy walking down the halls.

It was hard to miss a six-foot-eight "teddy bear" with a mullet, as he was often called. "He usually steals the show," joked the captain.

Together, the pair of Wild representatives uplifted spirits, took photos, autographed some player cards, chatted with the kids and even sang "Happy Birthday." No child, or parent, was left without a smile on their face.

Gillette Children's and the Minnesota Wild have a partnership that dates back to the 2013-14 season. Since then, members of the hockey club have been visiting with the patients at various points throughout the season; something they are willing and eager to do. Thursday's outing was the second time Spurgeon has made the trip to the hospital in the 2022-23 season.

"It's awesome to hopefully brighten some days a little bit," said Spurgeon. "Having kids of my own, you know there are some struggles and obviously what they're going through here is definitely difficult … but it's nice to be able to come in and see some smiles."

Photos from the visit can be found

here

.