After enduring four ACL tears and two seasons away, the gritty forward returns to the Twin Cities healthy, hungry, and ready to reclaim his spot on the roster.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Mason Shaw spent two seasons away from the Minnesota Wild organization. Apparently, that was enough.
“Two years away was too long,” Shaw said Saturday.
When Shaw’s contract expired following last season, he went through the normal process of seeing what opportunities were available. Then Minnesota called.
“When Minnesota came knocking I was really hoping that we could make something work,” Shaw said. “So, it’s great to be back and I was super thrilled to get that done.”
For Shaw, returning to Minnesota means more than simply coming back to a familiar organization.
The Wild drafted him in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Draft and stuck with him through a series of significant injuries, including multiple ACL tears. He eventually worked his way into the NHL and appeared in 82 games across three seasons for Minnesota before leaving the organization.
Now he’s back, healthy and trying to earn another opportunity.
“This was the team that gave me the opportunity to achieve a dream,” Shaw said. “Stuck with me through some really hard times. Fortunately now I’m healthy and feeling really good and just want to give back to the organization any way I can.”
Shaw, 27, said the last two seasons allowed him to finally string together healthy offseasons instead of spending his summers focused on rehabilitation.
“I think as of right now, this is probably the best I’ve felt in a long time,” Shaw said. “Just having to stack some summers up and some good training. So, there should be no issues going forward and kind of have that pop back in my stride that’s kind of needed for my game.”
While Shaw left the Wild organization, he never really left Minnesota.
He continued spending his summers in the state and maintained close relationships with former teammates and members of the organization. This summer, he married his wife, a Stillwater native, in Nisswa, Minnesota.
Around 10 to 12 current and former teammates attended the wedding. Former Wild defenseman Jake Middleton was among them, while Shaw’s former roommate Connor Dewar was part of the wedding party.
“It’s kind of like I was in a different organization but it’s your family away from home,” Shaw said. “Just so many good people that are in this organization that I became great friends with away from the rink.”
Shaw and his wife also bought a house in Shakopee, giving him even deeper roots in the state.
“I was just ready to get out of downtown,” Shaw said. “A lot of my friends that I hang out with in the summer and teammates and stuff live out west. So, I liked being as close as I can to the corn but also at a distance where I can still get to the rink.”
Shaw isn’t pretending he doesn’t understand where he stands. Minnesota has plenty of competition for roster spots, and Shaw knows the type of game he needs to play to give himself a chance.
“Billy says it best, ‘Every camp is an opportunity,’” Shaw said. “I remember the season that I [did] make it here I wasn’t supposed to and I cracked my way in. So, just control what you can. Things will sort itself out.”
Shaw can play center or either wing and contribute on the penalty kill, versatility that could help him as the Wild make roster decisions. His identity, though, hasn’t changed.
“Obviously my role as a player I know where I stack up on the lineup kind of thing, and it’s bringing energy and hard to play against,” Shaw said. “I feel like my motor’s good right now.”
And after two years away, Shaw is back in familiar surroundings with another chance to prove himself.
“Sometimes all you need is a chip and a chair at the table.”
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
