Jared Spurgeon

Jared Spurgeon (born November 29, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain of the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). Spurgeon was selected 156th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, from the major junior WHL's Spokane Chiefs where he won both a WHL Championship and the 2008 CHL Memorial Cup. Playing career After drafting him 156th overall in 2008, the New York Islanders failed to sign Spurgeon to a professional contract. After playing five seasons with the Spokane Chiefs in the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he won a Memorial Cup with the team, the Minnesota Wild invited the unsigned defenceman to attend their 2010–11 training camp. On September 23, 2010, Minnesota rewarded him by signing Spurgeon to a three-year, entry-level contract, assigning him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Houston Aeros. Spurgeon played 23 games in the AHL before being recalled to the NHL to make his debut on his 21st birthday. Wearing number 46 for the Wild, Spurgeon played 14:42 minutes and registered one shot on goal in a 3–0 shutout loss to the Calgary Flames. He scored his first NHL goal on February 22 against Nikolai Khabibulin of the Edmonton Oilers. During the 2012–13 NHL lockout Spurgeon and Tyler Ennis, best friends since boyhood, played together for the SCL Tigers of the National League A in Switzerland.