Wild insider: Behind Filip Gustavsson’s bizarre in-game vanishing act, plus more – The Athletic
ST. PAUL, Minn. — John Hynes can laugh about it now.
Tuesday night in Chicago, though, it wasn’t as funny when in the third period and the Wild clinging to a one-goal lead, Filip Gustavsson suddenly appeared at the bench, climbed over and walked by the Wild coach and down the short walkway to the locker room in the middle of the game.
The look on Hynes’ face and his bewilderment — and that of Gustavsson’s teammates, for that matter — when the Wild goalie exited stage right was hilarious to watch.
As Mats Zuccarello said after scoring the overtime winner that night, “I don’t even know if (Gustavsson) knows what’s going through his mind sometimes.”
“Normally, there’s some communication, but he kind of just went off the ice and didn’t say anything to anyone,” Hynes said. “My first thought was, ‘Is he OK?’ And then he just kept going and I was like, ‘Where?’
“You know, sometimes they come off and maybe like it’s an equipment thing right there and the guys fix it, and … then he turned the corner. Then the refs were like, ‘What’s going on?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’”
In Chicago, the visiting bench lifts up to create a walkway to the tunnel. Gustavsson simply climbed over the boards, then that part of the bench and down one step to the little tunnel toward the locker room. Everybody looked at Gustavsson, wondering where he was going.
Then, he just left.
Goalie coach Freddy Chabot radioed down and was like, “What’s going on?”
“Nobody knew,” said Hynes.
The bench is also so small that the backup goalie watches the game from a TV in the locker room. As Wallstedt was watching the game with about eight minutes left, the telecast went to a commercial.
Because there was so little time left in the game, Wallstedt began to gear down. He took off his chest plate and his neck guard. Coincidentally, in January, in the third period, St. Louis Blues coach Jim Montgomery was trying to pull Jordan Binnington, but when he did, backup Joel Hofer wasn’t ready to enter the game because he began to take off his equipment, too.
Binnington had to stay in the game.
This time, Wallstedt was shirtless in just his pads and skates, walking around.
Suddenly, as Wallstedt grabbed a water, he looked behind him and Gustavsson suddenly appeared in front of him in the locker room.
“I’m like, ‘What are you doing here?’” Wallstedt said. “He goes, ‘You gotta get out there.’ I didn’t ask much more. I quickly put on my chest plate and jersey and rushed out there and played.
“The only thing I knew, he told me right away, ‘I’ll be back.’”
Wallstedt played 3 minutes, 27 seconds, made two saves, including one two-minute shift in the Wild end.
“Right away, they were just rolling around, hooking the outside,” Wallstedt said. “They had some good screens and some shots that went wide, and then we kind of chipped it out and got a little bit of a break. And then they turned it back around and came in a two-on-one that went off my hip, and then kind of out and around, shot, tip down in my pads. And then they blew for the next TV timeout and Gus suddenly was back.”
Chabot radioed down again and told Hynes that if Gustavsson was good to go, he should be put back in so Wallstedt, ice cold from sitting all game, didn’t have to continue.
Somebody told Hynes that Gustavsson was just standing there with his chin leaning on his stick.
“I turned around, and there he is,” Hynes said. “He’s standing there, got his helmet on, and staring at me. I said, ‘Are you good?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m good.’ I’m like, ‘You ready to play?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m ready to play.’ I’m like, ‘All right, let’s go.’”
Hynes never asked Gustavsson what was wrong. He just knows he wasn’t sick.
“I wish I could tell you what was wrong,” Wallstedt said. “I can’t say.”
Apparently, it was private. Under the gear.
So what is it?
“Something I couldn’t fix in front of 20,000 people,” Gustavsson said. “I tried to rush as quick as I could.”
Faber’s toast
When the Wild asked Brock Faber before he left for the Olympics if he’d be open to hosting their annual “Whiskey and Wine” charity event, it was a quick yes. And Faber, the Wild’s shutdown defenseman, knew exactly what cause he wanted to promote. At Saturday’s event, Faber and the Wild raised money through a silent auction for Minnesota Special Hockey.
Faber’s older sister Paige, 25, is an active athlete, playing for Minnesota Special Hockey as well as other sports. She’s been an inspiration to her brother, and this was a way to pay it forward.
Brock Faber on stage with his sister, Paige (second from left), and two other athletes from Minnesota Special Hockey at the Wild’s “Whiskey and Wine” event Saturday. (Joe Smith for The Athletic)
Paige was on stage with Faber during his short but sweet speech at Saturday’s event at Herbie’s.
“This game has impacted and changed my life so much and all you wish for me as a younger brother for my sister, just that, you know, her and her friends can feel that same way about this game and so that’s what this is for, and that’s really cool,” Faber told The Athletic. “I’m honored to be a part of it.”
In previous years, the Wild had Marcus Foligno host (funds going to his late mother’s foundation for breast cancer research), and Freddy Gaudreau focusing on Down syndrome, inspired by his nephew Noah. Paige plays hockey, softball, basketball, flag football, with hockey being her favorite. Faber is often at her events when he can make it.
“You just look at it as a young brother and what her life has looked like versus mine without even being like able to control it,” Faber said. “I was given so much and so many opportunities with my life and hers just looked a lot different. I think from a young age, I understood that and it made me feel extra grateful for every opportunity I get, knowing that there’s a lot of kids out there that don’t have that opportunity. She’s made such a huge impact on me, my family, and everyone close to us. Everyone loves her, everyone follows everything she does. She’s definitely a light.”
Faber grateful for time with Motzko
It didn’t come as a shock last week for Faber when news broke that Bob Motzko and the University of Minnesota mutually agreed that he’d part ways as the men’s hockey coach.
The Gophers captain knew Motzko only had one year left on his contract, was about to turn 65 and was flirting with retirement even before a down year at the U.
“I talked to him a little bit over the summer,” Faber said. “And this is what, his 42nd year coaching? I’m happy for him. He had an incredible career. I shot him a text and just basically congratulated him and thanked him for everything he’s done for me and the Gopher program and every player he’s had an impact on.
“Every player you’ll talk to, I think, has the same thing where they loved him as a coach and even better person. He just said it’s time now to enjoy some fun in the sun, watch hockey as a fan. And I think he was ready and he’s excited. It’s bittersweet for him. Being in hockey for so long and being in coaching for so long, he’ll miss it, I’m sure. But I think it really was a mutual thing that it was his time. He was ready and it’s exciting for him.”
When Faber was first acquired by the Wild from the Kings, Motzko was his biggest champion. In fact, Motzko almost guaranteed that Faber would be more offensive as a player in the NHL than he was at the college level.
“He always knew, but he never pushed it,” Faber said. “For me in college, my role felt more like I just wanted to be out there and be steady and not be on the ice for goals. That kind of was my mindset the whole way in college and the (U.S.) NTDP. And then now you’re here, it’s a lot more of a flowy game and a lot more opportunities for defensemen, I think, to make plays. I think being a good skater, you can really develop in a lot of different ways as a defenseman.
“But Bob is a big reason for that. He’s one of the hardest-working, most humble and selfless coaches I’ve ever seen.”
College free agent pursuits
It’s college free agent season, and it’ll be interesting to see if the Wild land some free agents to supplement some of the picks and prospects they’ve traded away over the past couple of years.
One free agent we hear they have interest in is University of St. Thomas freshman Nathan Pilling, 21, a 6-4 center who had 29 points in 38 games. Another player we can see them pursuing is Owen Michaels, 23, who has 25 points in 37 games as the captain of Western Michigan.
St. Thomas’ season is done. Not defending NCAA champion Western Michigan, however. This creates a small complication, too, because both players are advised by the same agent, and agents would likely not want to play players of the same position on the same team.
So, stay tuned.
