Prosser honed his game as a kid on the ice of the Handke Pit, a glacial feature carved into the landscape of his hometown of Elk River, Minn. Frequently tagging along with his older brother Luke, Prosser learned early that getting noticed on the ice meant finishing checks, using his stick and chirping at opponents.

Prosser brought that grit to the NHL in his role as a depth defenseman with the Minnesota Wild, a role in which he is more than willing to get in the face, and under the skin, of opposing players.

A self-described "late bloomer" who barely cleared five feet until a growth spurt late in high school, Prosser was always proving himself against bigger and better competition. After he filled out to 6-foot-2, recruiters came calling.

Prosser played two-plus seasons of junior hockey with Sioux Falls of the United States Hockey League and earned a scholarship to Colorado College. Although a concussion interrupted his freshman season, Prosser established himself as a solid defenseman.

Prosser had a four-year career at Colorado where, as a senior, he had four goals and 28 points in 39 games.

Having gone undrafted, he signed with the Wild late in the 2009-10 season. In his NHL debut April 5, 2010, Prosser recorded an assist and a four-minute double minor for high sticking in a 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

Prosser scored back-to-back game-winning goals during the 2013-14 season. After scoring in a 4-1 win against Edmonton on Jan. 16, 2014, Prosser scored the first overtime winner of his career in a 3-2 victory against the Dallas Stars. That it coincided with his home state's annual "Hockey Day in Minnesota" celebration made it more memorable, given that year's festivities were based at the Handke Pit.