Wild's Brock Faber back on the practice rink

On Wednesday morning at TRIA Rink, there was a sight many Minnesota Wild fans have been eager to see. The team was officially off following Tuesday night s 4-2 win in Philadelphia, but the Wild social media folks posted video of defenseman Brock Faber, in full practice uniform, on the ice at the team s downtown St. Paul practice facility. Faber, who has not played since suffering a skull fracture in the Wild s exhibition finale in late September, was shown skating, shooting and, perhaps most importantly, smiling with a few other players currently rehabbing injuries. While the team has not announced an official timeline for the standout blueliner s return, coach John Hynes has offered encouraging updates on Faber s progress. Last week, Hynes noted that Faber had been cleared by doctors to begin skating. In a 2-1 exhibition loss to Dallas in St. Paul on Sept. 25, a deflected puck hit Faber near the left ear, where there is no helmet protection. He left the game a few