About 12 hours after the Gophers’ crushing defeat in the NCAA championship game, Minnesota native Brock Faber has signed an entry-level contract with his home-state Wild.
The official release came on Sunday morning as the Wild announced that they have signed the 20-year-old Faber to a three-year contract starting with the 2022-23 season. He will join the Wild immediately and will travel with them on the upcoming road trip to Chicago.
It’s still unclear if Faber will make his NHL debut against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night at the United Center. He could also wait about 24 hours and make his NHL debut against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night at the Xcel Energy Center.
As the Gophers’ captain this season, Faber had 27 points (4 goals, 23 assists), while serving as a stabilizing force on the blue line. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Maple Grove native leaves college with a long list of accolades that includes him being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year twice.
As much as the signing represents a dream come true for Faber, it comes on the heels of his collegiate career ending in heartbreaking fashion as Minnesota suffered a 3-2 overtime loss to Quinnipiac on Saturday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. After wearing No. 14 with the Gophers, Faber will wear No. 7 with the Wild.
Originally selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Faber became a part of the hometown Wild last offseason. He was the prize of a blockbuster trade that featured the Wild sending star winger Kevin Fiala to the Kings in exchange for the rights to Faber.
