Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 6.27.25
Coming to you from beautiful Pinehaven in Baraboo, Wisc., where two retired circus wagon horses and two dogs await my return from the dance competition each night. Definitely a more subdued setting than a waterpark, dance aside, I’ve yet to see a parent or child having a good time at the waterpark…
The U.S. Men’s National team plays Costa Rica at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Concacaf Gold Cup on Sunday; it’s the nightcap at 6 p.m. after Canada takes on Guatemala.
The Lynx is at Atlanta tonight trying to rebound from a second loss this season.
Wolves Take a Couple Long-Term Projects
It seemed unlikely the Wolves would select any players in this week’s NBA Draft who would make an impact this season. That will hold true, as Minnesota selected French center Joan Berenger (who was playing in Slovenia) in the first round, and Australian 7-foot-3 center Rocco Zikarsky in round two. The Zikarsky trade came after the Wolves traded down twice to gain draft capital.
It’s interesting to see the Wolves take two players with very similar size and career projections.
Wild Trades Gaudreau Ahead of Draft
While warning July 1 may not have the same fireworks that it did in 2012 (duh), Bill Guerin traded steady Freddie Gaudreau to the Seattle Kraken for a fourth-round pick. The move will give Guerin an extra $2.1 per million for the next three years. I’ve been hard on Gaudreau, who’s a heck of a guy but not a heck of a player for that paycheck.
In a (much) smaller deal, the Wild traded Brendan Gaunce to Columbus for 23-year-old forward Cameraon Butler, who had just three points in half a season in the AHL in 2024-25.
At this point, the Wild has five picks in this draft, but they won’t pick before No. 52 in round two. We’ll see if Friday brings anything. Unlikely.
Word came out yesterday the NHL and NHLPA are nearing an agreement on a CBA extension that will, among other things, establish actual emergency backup goalies (sorry beer league fellas), limits on contract length and an 84-game regular season and a shortened pre-season. I’m no fan of two extra regular-season games. We already get I’d say a dozen unwatchable games for each team thanks to travel and back-to-backs.
I’ll go on an “old man yelling at clouds” rant about something else in the new CBA - the elimination of a dress code for home and road games. The NHL has tradition. It’s classy. (I know, NFL coaches used to wear suits on the sideline). Some point out that the move will help players show more personality, especially now that player arrivals are photographed and sponsored in just about every market. But I’d say Brent Burns did a pretty good job (still does) showing his personality with a nice suit. We’d often share hotels on the road with other sports teams, and it was easy to tell which players were in the NHL. That’ll be missed.
I digress…
Twins Win Back-to-Back Games
The Twins have won back-to-back games for the first time since the first week of June, getting strong starts from Joe Ryan and Simeon Woods-Richardson on back-to-back days.
Ryan has won seven of his last eight decisions, and Woods-Richardson outwaited a rain delay of almost four hours and 30 minutes. Richardson left the game after five shutout innings with a 2-0 lead, and the Twins broke things open with eight runs in the sixth.
Despite the back-to-back wins, the Twins begin this three-game weekend set against Detroit trailing the Tigers by 11.5 games.
Royce Lewis is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment tonight in St. Paul. He’s trying to return from his second hamstring pull of the season.
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