According to a team announcement, the Minnesota Wild have recalled eight players to serve as Black Aces for the team’s playoff run. The players are forwards Travis Boyd, Brendan Gaunce, Hunter Haight, Ben Jones, and Liam Ohgren, defensemen Cameron Crotty and Carson Lambos, and goaltender Samuel Hlavaj.
Minnesota’s AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, didn’t qualify for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, giving them plenty of flexibility to recall so many players. It is unlikely that any of the eight will appear in a playoff game this postseason. The Wild will want to prioritize experience in their opening round matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights, and Haight, Lambos, and Hlavaj have yet to debut in the NHL, let alone in the playoffs.
Boyd is the only member of the group with postseason experience. From 2017 to 2020, he appeared in six playoff games with the Washington Capitals, scoring one goal and averaging 10:46 of ice time per game. Unfortunately, since Boyd didn’t feature in at least 41 games that season, and didn’t play in the Stanley Cup Final, he doesn’t have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup with the Capitals.
Meanwhile, the quartet of Gaunce, Jones, Ohgren, and Crotty combined for two goals and six points in 63 games for Minnesota this season, with Ohgren scoring both goals and tallying three of the assists. Given the lack of usage throughout the regular season, an unexpected injury during their series against the Golden Knights would be the only feasible reason for any of them to get inserted into the lineup.