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the NHL after suffering an excru- ciating injury last November. Playing against the Colorado Avalanche, Boyd was checked by hard-hitting Avs defenseman Josh Manson and tore his right pectoral muscle. He underwent surgery and missed the rest of last season. It came at an awful time because Boyd was in the last year of his contract. As a free agent, Boyd had to sign a two-way contract, which means that player can be sent to the minors if he passes through waivers and make a lesser salary there than his NHL one. It took a tremendous amount of hard work and determination to rehab his injury, yet Boyd was up for the challenge, signed with the Wild and looked great in training camp. He knows as the NHL gets younger and younger, "this is kind of your last chance to stick around in this league." HOMEGROWN Boyd started his hockey career playing in the Hopkins Youth Hockey Association and eventu- the Wild entered the season healthy, but chances are good that the 31-year-old Boyd, who can play wing and center, will get his chance this season. A fter all, even though he didn't play, he was the first recall of the season Oct. 13 when Joel Eriksson Ek was hurt in the second game of the year. For now, he's in Iowa. But remember, Boyd's one of the few Wild contracted players who attended games during their inaug ura l season in 2000. "I can go back to all the days of (Andrew) Brunette scoring that overtime winner in Colorado (in 2003), first games, when the All- Star Game was here (in 2004)," Boyd said. "I was there for the practice days. I'd always make it down for a few games a year. Getting a chance, hopefully, to now play for the Wild is gonna be a childhood dream. "Even sitting there and hearing the announcer say, 'Here come your Minnesota Wild,' that's stuff that gives me chills just talking about it right now. And being a kid growing up, watching every single Wild game no matter where they were or what time the game was or anything, to have an opportu- nity to hopefully play games here would really be a surreal thing." Just like kids in Minnesota skate around indoor and outdoor rinks pretending they 're Kirill Kaprizov, Boyd used to simulate that Game 7 Brunette goal that ended Patrick Roy 's career over and over and idolize players like Marian Gaborik and Wes Walz. "I used to skate out in my back- yard all the time playing around with myself out there acting and talking to myself about how this Minnesota Wild playoff game was," Boyd remembered. "I'd go out in the backyard and score the winning goal. So to have an opportunity I have right now is certainly one that I'm going to make sure I put 110 percent of my effort and my attitude into and hope for the best." BATTLING BACK A full-time NHLer for the past four seasons with the now-relo- cated-to-Utah Arizona Coyotes, Boyd's trying to make it back to 28 Russo's Rants "It's such a special thing to play hockey in Minnesota as a kid. I mean, I was talking with teammates throughout training camp about it and trying to explain to them that you play for your school district." –Travis Boyd M H J ON L I N E . C O M | N O V / D E C 2 0 2 4 Photos / Boyd Family, Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images LEFT: Boyd celebrates his first NHL goal with a homemade cake from his wife, Kelsey. RIGHT: The versatile forward played a key role for the Arizona Coyotes.