Undersized, overlooked, and now a franchise icon. A sixth-round pick defied the odds, becoming a cornerstone and captain for his team's historic 1,000th game.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — When Jared Spurgeon first arrived in Minnesota, the odds were stacked against him. He was undersized for an NHL defenseman at 5-foot-9 and was a sixth-round pick by the New York Islanders who never signed him.
And when the Minnesota Wild gave him an opportunity in 2010, there were no guarantees it would last.
Spurgeon, 36, was the highest-scoring defenseman for Spokane in the WHL which led him to be picked in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL Draft at pick No. 156.
He played two more seasons with Spokane and became a free agent after the Islanders did not sign him. He then accepted a training-camp invite from the Wild before the 2010-11 season.
That led to a contract, a short stint with Houston of the American Hockey League and, on his 21st birthday, he made his NHL debut against the Calgary Flames.
15 seasons later, Spurgeon never looked back and is now set to skate in his 1,000th NHL game tonight against the New York Rangers, and every single one of them has come in a Wild sweater.
"Yeah, he is the captain for a reason," Wild head coach John Hynes said. "He is very well spoken and understands the game and obviously, he's got great experience. I think the way he runs the team, along with the other assistant captains, I mean I think everyone talks about (how) it's a great team to be a part of and it's a great locker room environment. I think he and his wife Danielle do with the team away from the rink, it's an all-inclusive team.
"He's just a great human being. He is a great player, but I think he cares about people, he cares about the team and he cares about the organization. He treats everybody the same. If he is talking to Billy Guerin or Craig Leipold or anyone else in the organization, he is the same guy, which I think makes him a great captain."
For a player who was once overlooked because of his size, the milestone is a testament to consistency, intelligence and quiet leadership.
Spurgeon never needed to be the loudest voice in the room. Instead, he built his reputation through reliability. Shift after shift, year after year, he became one of the most trusted players in the organization.
That trust eventually led to him being named the second-longest tenured captain in franchise history in 2021, succeeding longtime leader Mikko Koivu.
"As a player, he is just so smart, so competitve and is a great skater (who) plays in all situations," Hynes said. "He plays the game the right way all the time. He plays to the system and the structure we want. I think in my experiences, 11 years in the NHL, just seeing him as a leader and coming in later in his career, it has been awesome as a coach because you have a great captain that you can count on, and you know things are taken care of when you are not around. He does the right things on and off the ice."
Along the way, Spurgeon also became one of the most productive defensemen the Wild have ever had. His offensive instincts, skating and ability to move the puck helped redefine what Minnesota’s blue line could look like over the last decade.
But the number that stands out most is the one he will reach tonight. 1,000 games.
"I am really happy for him and his family," Zach Bogosian said. "He's been an example of an undersized defenseman that's played a long time and that plays the right way. He's been great in the community and he's definitely what the Wild (want) and he embodies that."
For most players, that milestone alone is rare. For someone who many believed was too small to succeed in the NHL, it’s even more remarkable.
And for the Wild, it represents something else entirely. A career built entirely in Minnesota.
When it is all said and done, his No. 46 will never be worn again for the Wild. Spurgeon will have been the first player in Wild history to wear 46 and the last.
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