Minnesota native Brock Faber was named a finalist for the 2024 Calder Trophy given to the NHL rookie of the year after finishing tied for second among rookies with 47 points (eight goals, 39 assists) in 82 games while leading first-year players in average (24:58) and total (2,047:53) time on ice. He signed an eight-year, $68 million contract with the Minnesota Wild on July 29, 2024, which begins in the 2025-26 season.
Among 2023-24 rookies, Faber ranked first in blocked shots (150), tied for first in assists (39), third in power-play assists (13), third in power-play points (16), tied for sixth in power-play goals (three) and eighth in shots on goal (136). He set single-season Wild records for assists by a rookie (ahead of Calen Addison’s 26 in 2022-23) and points by a rookie defenseman (besting Filip Kuba’s 30 in 2000-01), and a team mark for the longest point steak by a rookie at the position (six games from Jan. 15-25).
Faber was chosen by the Kings in the second round (No. 45) of the 2020 NHL Draft. He played three seasons at the University of Minnesota and as team captain helped the Golden Gophers to the 2023 NCAA championship game, a 3-2 overtime loss to Quinnipiac.
Faber’s sister, Paige, a star athlete and member of Minnesota Special Hockey, shares her younger brother’s love for the game. She is one of the main reasons the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games is supported by Faber.
Career Awards
- Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2021)
- Big Ten First All-Star Team (2022, 2023)
- NCAA (West) First All-American Team (2023)
- NHL All-Rookie Team (2024)