Adam Beckman takes circuitous route to his NHL debut with the Wild

DENVER – Adam Beckman progressed from minor hockey to the junior ranks and then the minor leagues to reach the NHL.

But to physically step on the ice Saturday night inside Ball Arena to make his Wild debut against the Avalanche, Beckman went from a practice in Fargo to a shopping mall before finally making it to Denver.

"We were just hanging out," Beckman said, "and then I got pulled aside."

The winger and defenseman Calen Addison were beckoned by the Wild on Friday while in Fargo with the team's American Hockey League affiliate.

After practicing there, the Iowa squad waited at a mall to hear who would be leaving to join the NHL roster. About an hour later, the news arrived. The Iowa team traveled to Winnipeg, where it played on Saturday, while Beckman and Addison caught a flight to Denver.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," said Beckman, who was drafted in the third round in 2019 by the Wild and had his parents, Janet and Dale, in attendance for his first NHL game. "It's something I've worked for for a long time. To be here, I feel very fortunate and very thankful."

Although he had an impressive training camp that included four goals in four preseason games, Beckman was ultimately assigned to Iowa.

Wild brass felt that was the best place for him to start after three successful seasons with Spokane in the Western Hockey League, where Beckman was crowned the league's Player of the Year after leading the WHL in goals (48) and points (107) in 2019-20. But management also believed players like Beckman would eventually get a look with the Wild.

That chance came now with the team's forward group depleted.

Mats Zuccarello and Rem Pitlick are in the NHL's COVID protocols, and Jordan Greenway is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

"Anytime a young player gets his first opportunity, it's exciting obviously for him but for the organization as well," coach Dean Evason said.

Beckman started on a line with Connor Dewar and Kyle Rau, who were recalled from the AHL earlier in the week. In four games with Iowa this season, Beckman had a goal and two assists while registering a team-high 16 shots.

He's the fourth player to make his NHL debut with the Wild this season.

"I just try to be confident no matter what," said the 20-year-old, who's from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. "Obviously having a little bit of success definitely helps. But for myself I just try to forget about the past and focus on the present. That's kind of my focus, just try to be confident and try to do what I can and see what happens."

Back on the blue line

At one point this summer, Addison looked like a lock to open the season on the Wild roster.

But the 21-year-old slid down the depth chart after the team signed veterans like Jon Merrill and Jordie Benn.

"Everyone's got to come in and earn their job every day," said Addison, who made his season debut in Colorado alongside Merrill on the Wild's third pairing. "Things change. You just come in and do your best every day, and that's all you can do. I'm just happy to be here and whenever the opportunity's there, I'm just going to take the most of it."

Last season, Addison appeared in three regular-season games with the Wild before getting ushered into action for Game 5 of the playoffs against Vegas after Carson Soucy was injured. Addison went on to play the rest of the series and even notched an assist.

"Having experience from last year, I think I'm a little less nervous," he said, "and I'm just going to have fun with it."

COVID update

Zuccarello and Pitlick will be returning to Minnesota via a medical jet after testing positive for COVID-19 in Seattle.

The players couldn't fly with the team to Colorado and will be away from the Wild for at least 10 days.

Kulikov plays

After sitting out Thursday with a lower-body injury, defenseman Dmitry Kulikov was back in action Saturday — lining up on the top pairing next to captain Jared Spurgeon.

Defenseman Alex Goligoski remained idle with an upper-body injury that's expected to sideline him for a week or two, but Goligoski did skate with the team Saturday morning at Ball Arena.

Benn, who played his first game with the Wild in Seattle, and center Victor Rask were also scratched.