10 things Minnesota sports fans can look forward to in February
February is here and the shortest month of the year is jam-packed with sports that should captivate Minnesota fans. Here are 10 things that Minnesota fans can look forward to:
1. Timberwolves vs. Warriors
This one hits hard and fast because the game is Wednesday, Feb. 1 in Minneapolis. And it's both a barometer game for the Timberwolves see how they stack up against the defending champs, and it matters a lot in the muddied Western Conference playoff race. Entering the game, the Warriors (26-24) are a half-game ahead of Minnesota (27-26).
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2. NFL Scouting Combine
This is a bit of a stretch because the combine doesn't start until the last day of February. Nonetheless, the Feb. 28 through March 4 event will take place in Indianapolis and it is the time of the offseason when a ton of rumors swirl and the Vikings are undoubtedly going to be linked to a lot of them.
3. NBA trade deadline
The deadline strikes at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9. The Timberwolves have big decisions to make regarding D'Angelo Russell, Naz Reid, Jaylen Nowell and Taurean Prince, all of whom are free agents after the season. Will they deal any of them or ride out the rest of the season and risk losing them for nothing?
Related: The trade idea that would shock the Western Conference
4. NHL trade rumors
The NHL trade deadline doesn't hit until March 15 but with the Vancouver Canucks dealing Bo Horvat earlier this week it could jumpstart the market. For the Minnesota Wild, the most obvious trade candidate is veteran defenseman Matt Dumba. His name has been in the rumor mill for years (literally), and because the Wild probably can't afford to sign him to an extension there's a decent chance he's traded.
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5. Vikings' defensive coordinator decision
Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was spotted on Monday chatting with Steelers linebackers coach Brian Flores, who was one of at least four candidates to have interviewed for Minnesota's defensive coordinator job. The others are Seahawks associate head coach Sean Desai, Vikings assistant Mike Pettine, and Ryan Nielsen, who has already been hired to be the defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons.
6. Twins spring training
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Fort Myers, Florida on Feb. 16, with positional players arriving by Feb. 20. The first spring training games are Feb. 25, featuring a split squad between the Twins and Rays and Twins and Orioles.
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7. Karl-Anthony Towns' return
Towns has been out with a serious calf injury since Nov. 28 and while the team has yet to provide a timeline for his return, there's speculation that the 7-footer could be back after the All-Star break. If so, that would put him on track to return around Feb. 24.
8. Wild's critical 7-game homestand
Next week, after the NHL All-Star break, the Wild play a couple of road games and then launch a seven-game homestand that will undoubtedly be critical to their final standing in the Western Conference. They host Vegas, New Jersey, Florida, Colorado, Dallas, Nashville and Los Angeles. Five of those teams are currently in playoff position while the other two, Florida and Nashville, aren't far out of the playoff picture.
9. Gophers hockey
The No. 1-ranked men's team has six games left in the regular season and they are way ahead of the field in the race for the Big Ten championship. At 20-7-1 overall and 14-3-1 in the Big Ten, the Gophers (43 points) are 16 points ahead of second place Ohio State and Penn State. Minnesota is going to march into the Big Ten Tournament March 3-18 and then into the NCAA tourney and maybe all the way to the Frozen Four in April.
The women's team is ranked No. 3 in the nation and carries a 22-3-2 record into this weekend's huge series at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis against No. 2 Ohio State. The two games could decide the WCHA champion and set the stage for the conference tournament later this month.
Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn
10. High school hockey tournament season
Believe it or not, girls hockey teams will start competing in section tournaments next week. The state tournament starts for Class A on Feb. 22 and the Class AA state tournament begins Feb. 23.
Boys hockey section tournaments start ramping up on Feb. 18, with the state tournament happening the week after the girls' tourney. The Class A boys' state tournament starts March 8 and the Class AA games start March 9.
