As the Wild enter their home stretch, Nico Sturm knows what's needed of him
For the Minnesota Wild, every game matters as the season reaches the final stretch. Niceo Sturm knows it.
"It's kinda the dog days of the season," Sturm said. "Sometimes you get into a little bit of a rut. Which, when it's game after game, day after day, the intensity kinda wears off, that you need to play in the National Hockey League. So just trying to remind myself every day to get that spark."
Sturm's been around the block, now in his second stint wearing a Wild sweater. The eight-year pro won a Stanley Cup with Colorado and another one last year with Florida.
"Those teams never started questioning themselves or their qualities," said Sturm. "They know that it's normal in an 82 game season. That doesn't mean you're happy or you're ok with losing. But it also doesn't mean that you completely come off the rails and start questioning everything that you do."
Sturm is a bottom-six guy. With newly fortified depth, when the Wild is fully healthy, his role could become limited. But his value is undeniable.
"Try to push to get better through wins, but also the individual and the team game," said Wild head coach John Hynes. "When you have some guys that have that experience, I think that's always valuable because, A, they can talk about it, but probably most importantly, they can do it and they live it."
Minnesota has their sights set on a championship. Could Sturm's third be in the works?
"When the lights get a little bit brighter, the intensity is higher and the hearts beating a little faster," said Sturm. "You want to feel secure in your game, feel secure in the line combinations and your special teams."
NOTE: The attached video first aired on March 3, 2026.