The dog days of the NHL offseason are slowly coming to an end.

Minnesota Wild stars Matt Boldy and Brock Faber were back on the ice this week as preparations for the 2026-27 season officially began. Bartlett Hockey, the agency that represents both players, shared a post on Instagram showing the pair skating at Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.

While it may only be late July, seeing two of the Wild's biggest stars already training is another reminder that hockey season is quickly approaching.

Boldy is coming off another outstanding season in Minnesota, continuing to establish himself as one of the NHL's premier young wingers. The 25-year-old will once again be counted on to provide elite scoring alongside Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek as the Wild look to build on last season's success.

Faber, meanwhile, has rapidly developed into one of the league's top all-around defensemen. After another heavy-minute campaign, the former Golden Gopher is expected to anchor Minnesota's blue line once again this season while playing in every situation.

The skate also featured several other NHL players represented by Bartlett Hockey, including Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller, former Gopher teammate of Faber and current Mammoth center, Logan Cooley and former Wild power forward Jordan Greenway.

Although training camp is still several weeks away, many NHL players begin skating together in late July and early August to rebuild timing and conditioning before informal captain's practices begin later in the summer.

For Wild fans eager for hockey to return, seeing Boldy and Faber back on the ice is another encouraging sign that the countdown to the 2026-27 season is officially underway.

Bartlett Hockey's post offered a brief glimpse at the pair getting back to work, and if this week is any indication, Minnesota's core is already laying the foundation for another important season.