Mason Shaw has been through so much to get back to the NHL that it’s a little hard to remember he’s only 25 years old. A big part of that is local lore surrounding his backstory.

Shaw finally earned a secure spot with the Wild, the team that picked him in the fourth round of the 2017 entry draft, in 2022-23 after recovering from three torn anterior cruciate ligaments, only to blow out his right knee toward the end of the regular season.

It was a crusher for Shaw, and because he is so well-liked in the organization, a real downer for teammates and staff, from the dressing room to the front office. Veteran defenseman Zach Bogosian, for instance, heard teammates talk about Shaw well before meeting him in February.

“You heard guys talk about him quite a bit, which is kind of rare — you’re kind of focused on the guys in the room,” said Bogosian, who joined the Wild on Nov. 18 in a trade with Tampa Bay. “But it seemed like Shawsie’s name was always popping up in conversations.”

But Bogosian gets it now, having shared the room with the young winger since he was recalled Feb. 16 from AHL Iowa. On Tuesday, Bogosian’s cross-ice pass on a rush landed on Shaw’s stick at the crease, resulting in Shaw’s first NHL goal since March 21, 2023, 11 days before he tore up his knee in a 4-1 loss at Vegas.

“That one felt really good, not gonna lie. It felt like a big relief, personally,” Shaw said after the Wild’s 3-2 victory over Ottawa at Xcel Energy Center. “I think I would have liked that to come a little sooner but nonetheless, anytime you can help the team on the scoresheet this time of year it feels good.

“That’s probably one I’ll remember for sure. That was special.”

And not just for Shaw, who signed a one-year, two-way contract the day before being recalled. He did all of his rehabbing at Wild facilities in Minnesota, and was part of the team’s bonding retreat in Two Harbors, Minn., during fall camp — before Bogosian and head coach John Hynes came aboard.

Before coaching him, Hynes had heard plenty about Shaw, specifically that he’s “a heart-and-soul player.”

“Getting the opportunity to coach him now, and get to know him and see him every day, that’s exactly what he is,” Hynes said. “He’s just a guy that loves the game, a tremendous competitor. He’s done it the hard way, and you can see everything he does from a hockey perspective is reflective of that.”

Shaw was becoming a valuable member of the team last season when he was felled a fourth time by knee injury. He quickly developed an identity as a hard-nosed checker, not afraid to mix it up with opponents despite his 5-foot-10, 185-pound frame — but also had seven goals and 17 points in 59 games.

He now has a goal and assist in 13 games this season, and while he wishes he had scored sooner, he has the perspective to simply enjoy what he’s doing, playing at the highest level in a room that he loves — and playing meaningful games in April on a team that has struggled to overcome a 5-10-4 start that cost Dean Evason his job in November.

“I think it’s appropriate to be grateful for what you’ve gone through, and I know that this group — and I haven’t been here the whole time — has been through a lot, as well,” Shaw said. “So, you know, adversity builds character. We’ve got (eight) games left. We’re gonna do everything we can to put heat on and force pressure on those teams above us.”

The Wild complete a six-game homestand this week with games against Colorado on Thursday and Winnipeg on Saturday. On Wednesday, they were six points behind Los Angeles for the Western Conference’s last playoff spot pending the Kings’ 9:30 drop against Seattle.

It’s a longshot. Alternate captain Marcus Foligno had season-ending surgery to repair core muscles on Tuesday, and veteran forward Ryan Hartman won’t be available against the Avalanche and Jets because of a three-game suspension.

But the Kings have lost three straight, and the teams meet head-to-head on April 15 in L.A. And in Tuesday’s win, the fourth line of Shaw, Jake Lucchini and Vinni Lettieri accounted for two goals, three points and was a combined plus-2. It would have been more had Shaw been given an assist on Lettieri’s game-winner. He dug the puck off the boards, but the NHL noted that defender Drake Batherson played the puck with his hand before it bounced to Lettieri.

“A lot of noise comes from seasons when it’s maybe not going your best,” said Shaw, a restricted free agent at season’s end. “There’s a lot of character in this room, a lot of good people that really care about each other. So, we’re not gonna go down without swinging these last eight games.”

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