October 17, 2024, 1:30 PM
Minnesota Wild centre Joel Eriksson Ek was back at practice Thursday after having surgery on his broken nose.
Eriksson Ek sustained the injury during the second period of Saturday’s 5-4 loss to the Seattle Kraken when defenceman Adam Larsson caught him in the nose with an elbow. No penalty was called on the play.
The 27-year-old from Karlstad, Sweden, missed the past two games and was sporting a full bubble shield during practice.
Eriksson Ek had a career-high 64 points (30 goals and 34 assists) in 77 games last season. He has one goal in two games this season.
The Wild (2-0-2) return to the ice Saturday on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets.