It was in keeping with his understated nature that Wild veteran defenseman Jonas Brodin took a Mikko Rantanen shot off the foot in the second period of Game 5, skated to the bench in some obvious discomfort, then quietly made his way down the tunnel to the visitors training room at American Airlines Arena.
He did not return to the game, which Minnesota won, 4-2, to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, and was seen in a walking boot and with crutches leaving the arena late Tuesday night for the team’s flight back to St. Paul.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Wild coach John Hynes did not have an update on the severity of the injury or whether Brodin would be available for Game 6 on Thursday at Grand Casino Arena. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m.
“I don’t have an update on him yet. I know he was getting checked out today, but I haven’t seen him today,” Hynes said in a meeting with the media at an otherwise quiet TRIA Rink. “I just got the update that he was out during the game. … I don’t really want to comment on it yet because usually they let it sit, then he confers with the trainers, or a doctor, and they see where he’s at. And then sometimes you think it’s worse than it is.”
Brodin, 32, missed 20 games during the regular season and had surgery in January to repair a lower body injury, which cost him a chance to play for Team Sweden in the Winter Olympics. He had four goals and 14 regular-season assists, and he has one assist in the Wild’s first five playoff games.
Hynes said Jeff Petry and Daemon Hunt are options to play with Zach Bogosian on the team’s third defensive pairing.
Benn’s antics draw fine
While the Wild have generally kept their cool and refused to retaliate at some of the on-ice malfeasance perpetrated by Stars forward Jamie Benn over the course of five games, the NHL apparently has had enough of his antics.
On Wednesday morning, the league announced that Benn will pay a fine of $2,604.17, the maximum allowable under the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, for a series of cross checks he delivered to Wild forward Ryan Hartman late in Game 5.
Benn, who also delivered a blow to the back of the head of Wild forward Matt Boldy earlier in the series and who drew a penalty by embellishing his own stick hitting his helmet in Game 4, cross-checked Hartman down to the ice with just over five minutes to play and the Wild leading 3-1. The on-ice officials penalized Benn for the cross-check, but also put Hartman in the penalty box for unsportsmanlike conduct.
With the teams skating 4-on-4, Dallas pulled its goalie for a de facto power play and scored to pull within one. But Kirill Kaprizov’s empty-net goal sealed the Wild win.
Hartman, who has been suspended multiple times for on-ice misconduct — including an eight-game suspension in February 2025 — drew praise from Hynes for keeping his cool on Tuesday and throughout the series.
“The second half of last year, when he came off the suspension, I think he was very good coming down the stretch,” Hynes said. “Last year in the playoffs, I think Vegas targeted him a little bit, to try to get him to retaliate, and he didn’t do it. I think the same thing last night, the cross checks on Benn. No retaliation.”
The money from Benn’s fine goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.