NEARING A RETURN

December 23, 2025

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JAASKA WORKING WAY BACK FROM INJURY

A familiar—and welcomed—face has returned to the ice during Wolves practices.

Juha Jaaska, who hasn’t played this season after undergoing groin surgery, is progressing in his rehab process and is zeroing in on his season debut.

“I’m feeling better and better every day,” the 27-year-old forward said. “I’m not 100 percent, but it’s nice to be back on the ice. No one wants their first team practice to be right before Christmas but we’re working hard to get me back to be able to play.”

Jaaska battled through the injury last season during which he was a mainstay in the Wolves lineup. It was the Helsinki, Finland, native’s first season in North America and he finished the campaign with 12 goals and 21 assists in 53 games. He spent part of the 2025-26 season in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes and had four assists in 18 contests.

Jaaska was preparing for this season when he was shut down and had to undergo surgery. Now, he’s taking his time to make sure he’s 100 percent healthy so he can contribute at a high level.

“I’m going to play when I feel I can play,” Jaaska said. “Let’s hope that it will be good in January. It’s definitely a different kind of injury than I have had before so I have to listen to my body carefully and not push it too much because then it won’t get better.”

In the meantime, Jaaska will continue to watch his Wolves teammates—something that he has found to be very difficult.

“I hate to watch it—there’s nothing worse than watching,” Jaaska said. “You just want to play. I try to keep myself as busy as possible so I don’t think about it.”

ROBIDAS’ SCORING SPREE

Wolves forward Justin Robidas isn’t quite sure why his goals tend to come in bunches.

After finding the back of the net four times in his first 17 games this season—including scores in three consecutive contests from Nov. 6-9—Robidas has six goals in his past six contests.

“It’s weird, right?” said Robidas, who had his five-game goals streak snapped during the Wolves’ 1-0 shootout loss to the Iowa Wild on Saturday at Allstate Arena. “I guess that’s how it goes. Sometimes when I just put shots on goal, I can kind of feel it coming.”

After potting 20 goals in 70 games with the Wolves during his rookie campaign in 2024-25, Robidas paces the team with 10 tallies in 23 contests this season. The Plano, Texas, native ranks third on the Wolves with 64 shots behind Domenick Fensore (71) and Nikita Pavlychev (65) and sports a 15.6 shooting percentage.

Robidas, 22, said the key to weathering any scoring drought is to remain in a good frame of mind.

“It’s a long season and it’s not always going to go your way so you just have to try and stay positive,” he said. “Eventually, things will go well.”

IMPACT NETWORKING PLAY OF THE WEEK

During Saturday night’s game against Iowa at Allstate Arena, Wolves goaltender Cayden Primeau flashed the leather off a shorthanded breakaway by the Wild’s Hunter Haight for a highlight-reel stop.

 

C.D.E. COLLISION CENTERS’ COLLISIONS OF THE WEEK

During the second period of Saturday’s tilt against Iowa at Allstate Arena, Wolves forward Yanick Turcotte delivered a crunching hit to the Wild’s Carson Lambos.

Weekly rewind (0-0-0-1)

SATURDAY, DEC. 20

Wild 1, Wolves 0 (SO): The Wolves were unable to solve Wild goaltender Riley Mercer, who made 26 saves in his American Hockey League debut. Caedan Bankier scored the winner in the shootout for Iowa, which snapped a two-game losing skid. The Wolves did extend their points streak to six contests with the shootout defeat.

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First Star of the Week

Where we stand

13-7-3-3, third in the Central Division.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE