The Curse of the Iowa Wild Captain

Mason Shaw skates during a game with the Minnesota Wild last season against the Seattle Kraken.
Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports.

If I had a nickel for every time the Captain’s Curse struck the Iowa Wild, I’d have two nickels which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice. Thankfully, this curse comes with a good side as well. Both last season and this season, the Iowa Wild have seemingly lost their captain to the Minnesota Wild.

Mason Shaw

During the 2022-23 season, Shaw was named the Captain of the Iowa Wild. He was absolutely deserving of that honor and seemed to take great pride in it. He managed to play two games with the C on his chest before Minnesota recalled him to the big club. No one knew that the captain would not be coming back that season.

Shaw jumped in and made an immediate impact with Minnesota and eventually his recall became permanent. The Iowa Wild were without their captain, but until his injury in April ended his season early, Shaw was making an impact on the fourth line. Teamed up with the Deweys for most of the season, Shaw had 17 points in 59 games. He was practically a one-man penalty killer.

In an odd twist of events, Shaw is back in Iowa with the Wild as he works his way back from his fourth ACL surgery. However, Iowa had named a new captain for the 2023-24 season.

Dakota Mermis

Mermis was a natural choice for Captain of the Iowa Wild. He’s old enough to be considered a veteran, but young enough to still have a good career ahead of him in hockey. Going into this season, Mermis had skated in 27 NHL games over the course of 6 seasons. Unfortunately, with all of the injuries on Minnesota’s blue line, Mermis was called up from Iowa before even making his way down there. Right out of training camp, Mermis stayed in Minnesota because Jared Spurgeon was coming into the season with an injury. Other than a 10-day stint with Iowa, Mermis has spent the entire season in Minnesota.

Once again, the Iowa Wild have lost their captain to the big club. On the good side, this season has been amazing for Mermis as he’s more than doubled the amount of games he’s played in the NHL. During the 2023-24 season, he has played in 36 games and has 7 points (2 goals and 5 assists). Over the other 5 seasons that he has played games in the NHL, he only collected 4 points, so he is on his way to doubling his career point total.

What Does the Future Look Like for Mermis and Shaw?

Mason Shaw is in Iowa mostly to get himself back up to NHL speed. After recovering from surgery and spending the summer rehabbing, Shaw was able to sign an AHL deal and start playing with Iowa. He’s played with them for 9 games and has put up 7 points (3 goals and 4 assists). There is a good chance that the Minnesota Wild will sign him to an NHL deal if a playoff run comes into focus for them.

Dakota Mermis is finally getting a good shot at an NHL career. While he is mostly playing third-pairing time, he has put up a good performance the past few games and shown why he shouldn’t be returned to Iowa anytime soon.

For more Minnesota Wild hockey news and fun, make sure to listen to Her Wild Side Hockey Podcast, updated multiple times a week.

Throwing Walleye and Dented Jock Straps Her Wild Side Hockey Podcast

The pod is back! The hockey world has been all a tizzy the past 24 hours, so Mikki is back to discuss. From the fish-tossing debate with the Seattle Kraken and Auston Matthews's mysterious trip to Germany to Nashville's bench minor and Zuccarello's unfortunate injury, there is plenty to talk about.Links:Her Wild Side Merch Shop!Ticketmaster Affiliate LinkSocial Media:TwitterInstagramFacebookFor more from us, visit Inside The RinkHow to support us and our sponsors:Columbia Sports ApparelESPN+ SubscriptionFanaticsDraft Kings – CODE ITR  
  1. Throwing Walleye and Dented Jock Straps
  2. Zuccarello's All-Star Game and the McDavid Wedding
  3. Let's Talk About Brock Faber's Contract Extension
  4. Summer Hockey and Why Minnesota Is the State of Hockey
  5. PWHL Minnesota is a Mess. Can It Be Saved?

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply

Vegas Golden Knights

NHL Game Preview: Vegas Golden Knights at Chicago Blackhawks with Line Combinations 3/28/2025

Vegas Golden Knights at Chicago Blackhawks Venue: United CenterDate: Friday, March 28Time: 7:30 pm CST TV: ESPN+ / SN360 / CHSN / SCRIPPSRadio:Vegas Golden Knights – Fox Sports Radio 98.9 FM / 1340 AMChicago Blackhawks – WGN Radio 720 AM DraftKings Sportsbook Betting Lines:Vegas Golden -1.5 ML +1Chicago +1.5 ML -1O/U 5.5 Purchase tickets via […]

Read More

Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Ville Koivunen And Rutger McGroarty

With only eight games left in a fading season and the playoff picture growing increasingly distant amidst a frustrating cycle of wins and losses, punctuated by a current three-game skid, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in a move signaling a potential shift towards evaluating their future, recalled a few of their top prospects from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton […]

Read More
Carolina Hurricanes

NHL Game Preview: Montreal Canadiens at Carolina Hurricanes with Line Combinations 3/28/2025

Carolina Hurricanes (43-24-4, 90 Pts) at Montreal Canadiens (33-29-9, 75 Pts)Venue: Bell CentreDate: Tonight – Friday, March 28Time: 7:00 pm EST TV: ESPN+, FDSSORadio:Montreal – TSN 690Carolina – 99.9 The Fan DraftKings Sportsbook Betting Lines:Montreal +1.5 ML +260Carolina -1.5 ML -325O/U 5.5 Purchase tickets via Ticketmaster Montreal Canadiens News & Notes: The Canadiens have lost […]

Read More