Minnesota Wild: 2014-15 Turning Points
Mar 14, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman
Ryan Suter(20) controls the puck against St. Louis Blues left wing
Jaden Schwartz(17) during the second period at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
November-December: The Wild are Besieged by the Mumps
More from Sporting Sota
- Minnesota Twins bullpen will be their downfall
- Top 5 Minnesota Twins Pitching Prospects
- Kyle Rudolph signing gives stability to Minnesota Vikings offense
- Jake Odorizzi’s emergence fueling Twins starting staff
- Former Minnesota Twins player David Ortiz shot
Mumps in the NHL in 2014 is one of the most bizarre things I can ever remember. The mumps have to a large extent been eradicated from North America due to decades of immunizations. The thing is, professional athletes get immunized more than just about anyone. How did this outbreak happen? Matt McCarthy with Deadspin wrote an article on the strange outbreak in December. In his piece, he cited a phenomenon called waning immunity. Viruses are evolving entities. Therefore, the effectiveness for the prevention and cure to them wanes over time.
The bad news for the Wild was that they were his as hard as any team in the league. As General Manager Chuck Fletcher said in McCarthy’s piece, “Ten percent (of the Wild’s roster) contracted it.” That included Ryan Suter, their blue line leader. It was no surprise that as the team battled through a health epidemic, their play suffered. That included a stretch where the team only picked up two wins out of 14 games and nearly dug themselves a hole too deep to get out of.
Next: The Last Straw