From Minnesota way to Desert Dog, Matt Dumba on leaving the Wild and a ‘fun’ new challenge
TEMPE, Ariz. — Matt Dumba and his girlfriend, Blair, were at a wedding in downtown Minneapolis in mid-July when the Arizona Coyotes’ recruitment hit a, well, weird pitch.
The long-time Wild defenseman knew he’d be playing for a new NHL team in 2023-24 for the first time in his career. He just didn’t know where. There was no cap space available in Minnesota, which he still calls his “second home.” Teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars were sniffing around.
Dumba’s good friend and former teammate Nick Bjugstad and his wife, Jackie, had been pushing the couple to make the move to Arizona since free agency opened. Bjugstad, a former Gopher and Wild player, signed a two-year deal with the Coyotes on July 1. He was pitching the idea of an exciting young team, a beautiful place to live and the chance for Dumba — nearing age 30 — to increase his value.
Then, after a few beers, the Bjugstads got creative.
“They were putting it on us pretty hard, and Jackie was howling like a Coyote by the end of the night,” Dumba said, laughing. “Everyone was howling for the Desert Dogs.”
“I don’t know if that made the deciding factor,” Bjugstad said. “But I’d like to think I played a part in it.”
It worked, eventually, with Dumba signing a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Coyotes on Aug. 6.
It hasn’t taken long for Dumba to become for Arizona what he was previously for the Wild: a top-four defenseman, key penalty killer and minutes-eater, averaging 21 minutes, 30 seconds, of ice time per game. He’s also been a heartbeat in the room, bringing energy and a needed voice in a younger group.
With the Wild’s struggles defensively and on the PK to start the season — their depth tested with the injury to captain Jared Spurgeon — it’s hard not to think about the void Dumba left. They might miss him more than fans realized when he left.
“He’s such a fun-loving, easy-going guy,” said fellow Coyotes defenseman Juuso Valimaki. “He brings that positive energy, brings some laughs. He’s not afraid to open his mouth in a negative sense if the team needs it. If you lose a game that you shouldn’t, he’s usually the guy that says something during or after the game. He’s got some wise words. It’s in his DNA.”
Wild teammates have lauded Dumba’s presence and personality, the impact he had with the core group.