Wild's Harding on IR to make changes to MS medications
The Minnesota Wild placed goaltender Josh Harding, who has multiple sclerosis, on injured reserve Wednesday because he needs to make changes to his medications.
Harding, who leads the NHL with a 1.51 goals-against-average and .939 save percentage, will miss the next three games but is expected to return after the NHL's Christmas break Dec. 27.
"This is not a major situation at all," Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "This didn't come out of the blue. I've been talking to Josh for a while about this. He needs to make an adjustment in his protocols and now is a good time to do it. He feels good. He played well (Tuesday in a 3-2 shootout win over Vancouver), but it's just something that has to be taken care of."
To temporarily replace Harding, who missed time last season because of complications with his medication, the Wild recalled goaltender Johan Gustafsson from the AHL.
Goaltender Niklas Backstrom should start at least two of the next three games. He is 2-5-2 this season with a 2.93 goals-against-average and .900 save percentage.
