ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter has been the latest player on the team to come down with the mumps.
Suter's streak of 153 straight games played plus 18 in the playoffs ended Wednesday with his absence against Montreal, his first since joining the Wild in 2012.
Suter was held out of practice Thursday, and coach Mike Yeo confirmed afterward to reporters that the NHL's leader in ice time for three straight seasons has been diagnosed with the virus.
Yeo, however, declined to rule out Suter for the game Friday against Anaheim.
Suter is the fifth Wild player, all defensemen, believed to have been stricken by the mumps this season. The virus has caused absences ranging from two to eight games for Keith Ballard, Jonas Brodin, Christian Folin and Marco Scandella.