Wild captain Jared Spurgeon to have season-ending hip and back surgery

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon (46) in action during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche Friday, Nov. 24, 202Matt Krohn/AP)

Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon will undergo season-ending hip and back surgery next month, president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin announced Thursday.

The Wild believe he will be ready for the start of next season.

Spurgeon, 35, last played on Jan. 2 against the Calgary Flames and has suited up for just 16 games this season for the Wild, after being sidelined with various injuries since the start of the year.

The defenceman is four years into a seven-year, $53-million contract. With Spurgeon now on LTIR, the Wild have cleared about $7.575-million of extra cap space to utilize for the remainder of the season.

The Edmonton native was selected in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL Draft by the New York Islanders, but has spent his entire 14-season career with the Wild. In that time, he’s suited up for 867 games, notching 110 goals and 384 points.

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