The Vikings don’t need comfort. They need a general manager who understands that this roster is not one tweak away. It is several foundational players away. Anyone who doesn’t see that immediately is lying — or worse, believes otherwise.
The firing comes nearly four weeks after the Vikings finished the 2025 season with a 9-8 record, missing the playoffs. Minnesota’s front office and coaching staff have faced scrutiny over roster decisions, including the team’s quarterback situation and free-agency moves.
The question wasn’t how they’re handling adversity. The real question is whether they can turn good hockey into points — starting now. Because in the NCHC, effort keeps you competitive. Execution keeps you home in the first round of the playoffs.
A veteran emphasis may define the Monsters’ identity more than anything else. Clark said he deliberately avoided inexperienced arena players, opting instead to load camp with proven winners. At least 16 players on the current roster, he said, have won arena championships.
1. Hermantown 15-2-3 2. Hibbing/Chisholm 15-2-2 3. Warroad 13-5-1 4. Delano 11-4-1 5. Sartell/St. Stephen 15-3 6. Blake 13-5-2 7. Cloquet/Esko/Carlton 10-9 8. Mahtomedi 10-8-2 9. Northfield 14-2 10. Breck 13-5-1 Teams to Watch: Chisago Lakes, East Grand Forks, International Falls, Luverne, Minneapolis, Northern Lakes, and
Home ice is there for the taking. The Bulldogs will either take points from Denver, survive North Dakota, and handle their business against Miami and Colorado College — or they’ll finish fifth, look back at a missed weekend or two, and tell themselves they were close.
Seventh-ranked Minnesota Duluth opened a key NCHC stretch with a 4-3 loss to No. 3 Western Michigan on Friday night at Amsoil Arena. Ty Hanson scored in the first period for the Bulldogs (17-8, 8-7 NCHC). Jayson Shaugabay and Callum Arnott added goals in the final two minutes. Western Michigan
For Hermantown, the impact is already unmistakable. A high school program in northern Minnesota placed three of its own among the nation’s best college hockey players — simultaneously, on the sport’s biggest individual stage — reinforcing a legacy that now stretches far beyond state lines.
I’m not handing Hermantown a boys hockey state trophy in January. I’ve been around too long for that. But when the Section 7A tournament begins and the pressure turns real, I know who I’m riding with. I’ve seen this movie before. It usually ends with everyone else wondering how they missed it.
Howie Hanson is editor & publisher of 50-Yard Football, which covers arena/indoor football leagues. While every arena football team operates with slightly different resources, league officials and front-office executives say the financial pressures are largely the same across the sport. Travel, payroll and arena expenses consume most of the
Howie's daily online column is powered by Lyric Kitchen · Bar Hermantown’s boys basketball team is about to find out who it really is. Grand Rapids comes to Hermantown High School on Friday night, the start of a stretch that will define whether the Hawks can turn a
Top-ranked Hermantown is 12-1-3 and No. 2 Hibbing-Chisholm 13-1-1 in boys hockey; super-sophomore Chloe Johnson scores career-high 45 points at Stevens Point
The Detroit Red Wings are watching to see if the Bulldogs sophomore forward is ready to step into a much harsher world. Judging by the way he played this weekend, that question is starting to answer itself.
National Scouting Combine has released its player roster for 2026. Draft-eligible athletes and free agents from across the country will compete Tuesday through Friday at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples, Florida. The world-class event will provide players the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of professional football
The Hermantown girls basketball team has found its rhythm — and its confidence — heading into January. After navigating an early stretch that tested the Hawks against quality competition, Hermantown has posted seven straight victories and enters the week at 8-2 overall and 3-1 in the Lake Superior Conference. “After a tough
McCarthy didn’t just remove himself from a game. He removed himself from a moment. And moments like that don’t come back. Not in January. Not in training camp. Not with a clean injury report.