The Bjugun Goaltending Years
The quiet Canadian wall behind Bäckström who kept the Wild's crease honest for four seasons.
The Minnesota Wild's goaltending years from roughly 2012–2016 were defined by the steady presence of starter Niklas Bäckström, but the team's depth between the pipes came from a different netminder: Darcy Kuemper. Drafted by Minnesota in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft (3rd round, 68th overall), Kuemper developed with the Houston Aeros—the Wild's AHL affiliate before the Iowa Wild joined the league in 2013–14—before stepping into a backup role behind Bäckström.
Though his NHL minutes were limited compared to the headline-grabbing starts of his compatriot up front, Kuemper's years with the Wild represent a chapter of quiet, steady goaltending depth during a transitional period for the franchise. He was the goalie fans called on when Bäckström needed a rest—a role that, while unglamorous, kept the Wild's goaltending corps competitive and gave the coaching staff a trusted presence between the pipes.
Quick Facts
- Nationality
- Canadian
- Position
- Goaltender
- Drafted by minnesota
- 2009 NHL Entry Draft, 3rd round (68th overall)
- Primary role with wild
- Backup goaltender behind Niklas Bäckström, primarily starting games when Bäckström was rested
- Ahl affiliate
- Houston Aeros (2009–2013), Iowa Wild (2013–2014)
- Era span (approx.)
- 2012–2016
Lore & Background
When the Minnesota Wild locked in Niklas Bäckström as their starting goaltender in the early 2010s, the question every coaching staff asks becomes immediate: who sits behind him? For the Wild, that answer was Darcy Kuemper, a lanky, technically polished Canadian keeper who had been a mid-round pick in 2009 and spent the intervening seasons sharpening his craft with the Houston Aeros and later the Iowa Wild. Kuemper's game was built on quick reflexes, a low butterfly, and an almost stubborn refusal to let a puck slip past his pads. He was not the flashiest name in the league, but in the games when Bäckström sat out, he delivered.
The Kuemper years overlapped with a Wild team that was competitive but perpetually one or two pieces short of a deep playoff run. Goaltending was never the franchise's defining weakness during that stretch—Bäckström was consistently solid—but depth was a luxury the Wild could not always afford. Kuemper's presence meant the coaching staff did not have to gamble on an untested rookie every time the starter needed a night off. In a league where goaltending depth can make or break an 82-game schedule, that reliability mattered more than any single highlight reel.
For Wild fans of that era, Kuemper is the name that pops up in box scores on the nights the starter was scratched or rested. He is the goalie who made the save that kept a 2-1 lead alive in the third, or the one who absorbed a barrage of shots in an overtime period that ultimately went to a shootout. His story is not one of trophies or All-Star nods, but of showing up, lacing up, and doing the job—season after season, game after game—while the franchise searched for the next goaltending chapter.
Reader's Guide
2012–2013: Bjugun makes his NHL debut with Minnesota, splitting time behind Niklas Bäckström. The Wild are a mid-pack team, and the coaching staff uses Bjugun in second-period stints and occasional full starts. His role is clear: be the reliable Swedish backup who can handle a full 60 if needed.
2013–2015: Bjugun settles into a defined backup role. Bäckström starts the majority of games, and Bjugun handles the relief assignments, the scratch-game starts, and the occasional injury call-up. The Wild remain a solid 80-to-90-point team, and goaltending depth is one of the quiet reasons they stay in the playoff conversation. Bjugun's AHL stints with Iowa are brief and infrequent—his NHL role is established.
2015–2016: The final season of the Bäckström era. Bäckström's contract situation becomes a question mark, and Bjugun's role as the established backup makes him a natural part of the goaltending conversation as the Wild plan for the future. His time in Minnesota closes out as the franchise prepares to transition into the next goaltending chapter, and Bjugun departs to continue his career elsewhere in the league.
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