Sports

Power 96 Sports for Monday February 16th, 2026.

02/16/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics, The boys hockey section brackets were released over the weekend. The Tigers have the 5th seed and will face Lourdes in the opening round. POWER 96 will bring you that game live from Rochester on Thursday night at 7pm. Tonight, Tiger boys basketball will head to Redwing to take on the Wingers at 7:30.

The Austin Bruins split their home and home series with the North Iowa Bulls. Friday night the Bulls took it to the Bruins on their home ice winning 4-1. The rematch on Saturday night in Austin went the Bruins way as they avenged the night before with a 2-1 win. This weekend bring another home and home series, this time against the St. Cloud Norsemen. Friday night the black and gold will be in St. Cloud before returning home to Riverside Arena for a Saturday night rematch

The Golden Gophers men"s hockey team saw their one-goal lead slip away in the final 10 minutes of the third period during a 3-2 loss at Notre Dame. Cal Thomas and Javon Moore gave Minnesota a 2-1 advantage at the end of two periods before the Fighting Irish got a power-play tally late in the third period to tie the game. The home side scored the winning goal with 51 seconds remaining in regulation.

Anthony Edwards won the Most Valuable Player award while leading his “Stars” team past their fellow Americans on the “Stripes” team 47-21 to win the final of the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday. The Minnesota Timberwolves star claimed his first All-Star MVP award with a tying 3-pointer in the first round-robin game followed by eight points in the final, which was the only chapter without a dramatic late finish in this mini-tournament comprising the main event of All-Star weekend. The NBA"s fourth format in four years matched two teams of American All-Stars against a team representing the World, hoping to stoke nationalistic passion from players and fans during an Olympic year.

Power 96 Sports for Friday February 13th, 2026.

02/13/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics as heard here on POWER 96 the Tiger girls section finals ended in heartbreak for the lady"s. After leading most of the game, Dodge County came back to win the section final 3-2 and advance to the state tournament. Tiger boys hockey took Northfield to overtime before falling to the Raiders 4-3. Tiger Girls basketball fell to Kato East 67-44. Tiger boys basketball on the road were defeated by St. Charles 76-69.

The Austin Bruins find themselves involved in a home and home border battle this weekend starting tonight in Mason City. Saturday, the black and gold will defend their den at Riverside Arena in Austin when they host the North Iowa Bulls. Faceoff Saturday is set for 7:05.

A deal was struck between the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Dodgers, sending pitcher Anthony Banda to Minnesota. The 32-year-old left-hander was acquired by the Twins in exchange for an unspecified amount of international bonus pool money given to the Dodgers. Banda appeared in 71 games for Los Angeles and made one start during the 2025 campaign. Last season, he went 5-1 with a 3.18 ERA and recorded 34 walks, 61 strikeouts and a .197 opponent batting average. Besides Banda, the Twins have signed right-handed pitchers Lian Hendriks and Julian Merryweather to minor league contracts. Both have been given invitations to spring training.

Minnesota revised coach P.J. Fleck"s contract to include an annual raise and additional incentives, a move approved by the university"s board of regents. Fleck, who is entering his 10th season with the Gophers, will get a $700,000 management bonus on top of his existing $6 million salary and $1.2 million retention bonus to bring his total compensation for 2026 to $7.9 million. That ranks 10th among head coaches in the 18-team Big Ten. Fleck is 66-44 at Minnesota, including 7-0 in bowl games. He"s the fifth-longest tenured coach in program history.

The Team USA women's hockey looked overwhelming in group play, most notably when they blew out co-favorite Canada 5-0. The Americans so far are 4-0 entering the knock out round and have scored 20 goals, while allowing just one. The first challenge of the playoffs today will be against the host country, Italy, which isn't seen as a medal threat here.

Power 96 Sports for Thursday February 12th, 2026.

02/12/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics tonight POWER 96 will bring you the Tiger girls section finals against Dodge County at 5 pm. Tiger Wrestling will open up section action tonight at 6 when they host Faribault. Tiger boys hockey will be in Northfield to take on the Raiders at 7:15 Girls basketball will host Kato East at 7:30 while boys basketball will be on the road to take on St. Charles at 7:30.

Julius Randle had 41 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat Portland 133-109. Randall, who also had seven rebounds, capped his night with a windmill dunk that put the crowd at the Target Center on its feet. Jaden McDaniels added 21 points for the Timberwolves, playing their final game before the All-Star break. Minnesota scoring leader Anthony Edwards was listed as questionable going into the game because of an illness but he started and finished with 14 points. The Timberwolves will next host Dallas Feb 20th.

Veteran reliever Liam Hendriks is in agreement with the Minnesota Twins. It"s a minor league contract with an invite to big league spring training. This is a reunion, of sorts. Hendriks was signed by Minnesota as a non-drafted free agent in 2007, made his big league debut Sept. 2011, and appeared in 30 games for the club from 2011-13. He has thrown just 18 2/3 innings over the last three years.

It"s another busy day in Italy, with more medals on the line Thursday. The headliner is two-time gold medalist Chloe Kim looking to add more hardware to Team USA"s haul. NHL players are officially back at the Olympics for the first time since 2014, and Team USA gets started at 2:10 p.m. against Latvia. The Americans enter the Olympic tournament as co-favorites alongside Canada. Going into today the US is 3rd in Medals earned with 12 which includes 4 gold 6 silver and 2 bronze.

Power 96 Sports for Wednesday February 11th, 2026.

02/11/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics last night as heard here on POWER 96, Tiger boys hockey defeated Mankato East in overtime 5-4. Tiger girls basketball fell to Rochester Century 66-32. Tiger teams are off today.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in action tonight taking on the Portland Trailblazers at the Target Center at 7 pm. Portland will try to end its three-game road skid. The teams square off for the second time this season. The Timberwolves won 118-114 in the last meeting on Oct. 23. Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 41 points in that matchup. Coming into tonight, Julius Randle is shooting 48.9% and averaging 22.0 points for the Timberwolves. Donte DiVincenzo is averaging 3.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Day 4 of the 2026 Winter Olympics on Tuesday brought more hardware for Team USA, but no gold. A pair of U.S. contenders, however, looked very much like gold-medal favorites in preliminary action. On the heels of a 3-0 start in group play with a combined score of 15-1, the U.S. women's hockey team was expected to face its first and stiffest test of the Games against fellow gold-medal contender Canada. Instead, it was another USA blowout. USA opened up a 2-0 first-period lead en route to a 5-0 shutout to improve to 4-0. The United States is up to seven total medals so far in Italy, and will have several opportunities to add to that count in Day 5 today. Jordan Stoltz will attempt to continue his dominant run throughout speed skating in the 1,000 meters, and the women's double luge will have its first ever gold medal awarded at the Olympics later Wednesday. Madison Chock and Evan Bates are back in action with their final ice dancing event. Oh, and Chloe Kim will hit the halfpipe for the first time, too.

Power 96 Sports for Tuesday February 10th, 2026.

02/10/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics last night, Tiger girls basketball fell to Randolph 70-26. Tiger boys basketball hosting Owatonna found themselves on the losing side of the scoreboard falling 81-74. Tonight POWER 96 brings you Tiger boys hockey as they take on Mankato East. Sports director Dave Nelson will take to the air at 7 pm. Faceoff is set for 7:15. Also tonight, Tiger girls basketball is on the road for a 7:15 tipoff against Rochester Century.

Anthony Edwards scored 21 of his 30 points in the first half as the Minnesota Timberwolves used a dominant second quarter to cruise to a 138-116 win against the short-handed Atlanta Hawks. Edwards led seven Minnesota players scoring in double figures, pushing the Timberwolves to a commanding win after a pair of disappointing losses to New Orleans and the Los Angeles Clippers. Julius Randle has 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for Minnesota, which had lost three of four. Newcomer Ayo Dosunmu, playing his second game after being acquired in a trade from Chicago, had 21 points off the bench as Minnesota led by as many as 31. The Timberwolves are off today before taking on Portland tomorrow night.

The Minnesota Twins have invited 22 players on minor-league contracts to spring training. The list of invitees features six veterans with MLB service time, including three relief pitchers. 16 Twins prospects will get a chance to participate in spring camp. That list features top prospects like Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Twins camp in Fort Myers on Thursday, with the team"s first full-squad workout set for Feb. 16.

The U.S. has an opportunity for several gold medals on Day 4 of the 2026 Winter Olympics. The mixed doubles curling team could earn gold for the first time, while Breezy Johnson seeks the top of the medal stand in Cortina again. Alex Hall is also chasing Olympic glory for the second consecutive time. The "Quad God" might be officially coronated on the ice rink in men's figure skating. And it's always a good time when the USA and Canada, 2 teams who can not stand each other, face off in women"s hockey.

Power 96 Sports for Monday February 9th, 2026.

02/09/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics Tiger girls hockey defeated Simley Saturday night to punch their ticket to the section finals where they will once again take on Dodge County in a rematch of last years section final. POWER 96 will bring you that game live from Owatonna on Thursday. Tonight, Tiger girls basketball is in action hitting the road to take on Randolph at 7 pm. Tiger boys basketball will host Owatonna tonight at 7:30.

The Austin Bruins had another weekend sweep this time St. Cloud was their victim in a home and home series. Friday night, the Black and Gold left St. Cloud with a 3-1 win and that set the table for Saturday"s Pain the Rink Pink night at Riverside Arena. After trailing 2-1 after 1, the Bruins scored 3 in the second frame for a 4-2 lead before putting the Norsemen away with 2 more in the 3rd for a 6-2 win. This weekend sees another home and home series as the Bruins mix it up with North Iowa in Mason City Friday night before hosting the Bulls on Saturday.

Kawhi Leonard had 41 points and eight rebounds and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the slumping Minnesota Timberwolves 115-96 on Sunday. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 23 points, and Julius Randle had 17. The Timberwolves have lost three of their last four, all to sub-.500 opponents. Minnesota made just 8 of 33 3-point attempts and committed 20 turnovers while being held under 100 points for just the second time this season. Ayo Dosunmu, making his Timberwolves debut after being acquired in a trade with Chicago, had 11 points and two steals. The T-Wolves get right back to work tonight hosting the Atlanta Hawks at the Target Center.

It"s said that defense wins championships, and Defense definitely won this championship. Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Byron Murphy and the rest of Mike Macdonald"s ferocious unit pummeled the Patriots Drake Maye, and the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday to win the franchise"s second Super Bowl. Former Viking QB Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass to AJ Barner, Kenneth Walker III ran for 135 yards and Jason Myers made all five of his field-goal tries.

Power 96 Sports for Friday February 26th, 2026.

02/06/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics Tiger boys hockey shutout Winona 9-0 behind Owen Hanson"s second shutout this week and a solid defensive effort by the Tigers who allowed only 17 shots on goal. Zaden Brua recorded his 100th career point in the affair. Tiger girls basketball facing the Huskies in Owatonna had a difficult night falling to O-Town 78-13. and Tiger Wrestling soundly defeated Rochester Mayo 55-13. Tonight Boys swim and Dive will participate in their section meet at Northfield. Tiger girls basketball back in action on the road to face John Marshall and Boys will have a home game as they take on John Marshall at 7:30. Saturday POWER 96 will bring you Tiger girls hockey as they open up section play against Simley. Sports Director Dave Nelson will take to the air about 6 pm. Faceoff is slotted for 6:15.

The Austin Bruins are in St. Cloud tonight to face the Norsemen before returning home for the annual Paint The Rink Pink night where they will once again take on St. Cloud. Faceoff tomorrow is set for 7:05.

Minnesota Timberwolves fans may be hoping for a big trade ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday afternoon, but the club has made another move. On Thursday morning, the Wolves sent guard Rob Dillingham, forward Leonard Miller and four second-round draft picks to the Chicago Bulls for guard Ayo Do sun mu and forward Julian Phillips. Dosunmu, who is 26, is in the final year of his contract and is set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He"s averaging a career-high 15 points to go with 3.6 assists and 3 rebounds per game. He adds much-needed guard depth for the Timberwolves, especially after the team traded Mike Conley on Tuesday. The Wolves are in action tonight as they host New Orleans at the Target Center.

Grace Grocholski scored 21 points, Mara Braun added 16 and Minnesota beat No. 10 Iowa 91-85 on Thursday night for its fifth straight victory. The Gophers now have the program"s longest winning streak in Big Ten play since the 2018-19 season. The Hawkeyes lost their third consecutive game since they lost starting guard Taylor McCabe, the team"s leading 3-point shooter, to a season-ending knee injury. It was Minnesota"s first road win over a top-10 team since 2005. The lady's will hit the road to take on Rutgers on Sunday.

Power 96 Sports for Thursday February 5th, 2026.

02/05/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics back in action today after a couple of off days. Tonight at 7 Tiger wrestling will host Rochester Mayo. Tiger boys hockey hits the road to take on Winona at 7:15 and Tiger girls basketball will head up 35 to Owatonna to face the Huskies at 7:30.

Matt Boldy scored three times in the first 13 minutes and assisted on Jared Spurgeon"s goal with 45.1 seconds left on the clock in overtime to lead the Minnesota Wild over the Nashville Predators 6-5. Yakov Trenin and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored and Filip Gustavsson made 30 saves for the Wild, who have won five straight games. The NHL is now on their Olympic break as players head to Italy.

Anthony Edwards scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, Bones Hyland had 20 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Toronto Raptors 128-126. Jaden McDaniels scored 19 points, Naz Reid and Julius Randle each had 17 and Donte DiVincenzo added 15 as the Timberwolves won for the fifth time in six games. Rudy Gobert had 10 points and 12 rebounds as the Timberwolves improved to 14-5 against Eastern Conference opponents. The T-Wolves are off today before taking on New Orleans on Friday.

Jaylen Crocker-Johnson had 22 points and seven rebounds to help Minnesota fend off a late surge by 10th-ranked Michigan State and secure a 76-73 upset. Cade Tyson scored 17 points and Langston Reynolds added 14 points and eight assists for the Gophers (11-12, 4-8 Big Ten), who broke a seven-game losing streak despite being outscored 22-9 over the final four minutes in the game. The Gophers will next host Maryland on Sunday.

Power 96 Sports for Wednesday February 4th, 2026.

02/04/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics were idle yesterday and today. Tiger teams will return to action Thursday.

The Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons got deeper Tuesday by agreeing to acquire Kevin Huerter from the Chicago Bulls as the centerpiece of a four-player, three-team deal. The Pistons got Huerter and Dario Saric - who was just acquired over the weekend by Chicago. Chicago landed Mike Conley Jr. from Minnesota and Jaden Ivey from the Pistons. The Pistons can also swap first round picks with the Wolves in June. Conley"s departure from Minnesota would come with one benefit for the Timberwolves - their tax bill. Facing an estimated $24 million bill entering Tuesday, the Conley move dropped the anticipated total to somewhere around $4 million and got them below the first apron. That could open the door to other moves for Minnesota.

Austin Bruins Captain Nathan Williams has been named the Bauer Hockey NAHL Defenseman of the Month for January. Williams has been a consistent presence for the Bruins defensively in his three seasons in Austin, and adding an unmatched offensive streak has really helped cement him as one of the top defenseman in the NAHL.

The 6-foot-1 skater is currently riding a 15-game point streak that dates all the way back to December 12th. In the month of January, Williams led blueliners with five goals while also showing up on the scoresheet with ten assists. Williams currently leads NAHL defenseman in several categories including points (49), assists (41), power play assists (30) and plus/minus (+29). The Wisconsin native has spent three seasons in the Bruins organization, playing a total of 151 games in the black and gold. He was recently named a Top Prospect for the Central Division Roster at the 2026 Top Prospects Tournament.

Power 96 Sports for Tuesday February 3rd, 2025.

02/03/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics as heard here on POWER 96 last night, Tiger boys hockey shut out New Ulm 4-0 behind a 25 save effort from Own Hanson. Tiger boys basketball survived double overtime to down the Faribault Falcons 84-79. Tiger girls basketball took a hard loss at the hands of Fairbault losing 77-25. Tiger teams will return to action Thursday.

Kirill Kaprizov scored his second goal of the game on a power play at 3:38 of overtime to give the Minnesota Wild a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Minnesota got the power play when Phillip Danault hooked Kaprizov in front of the goal. Joel Eriksson Ek and Brock Faber also scored, and Quinn Hughes had three assists to reach 50 for the season. Filip Gustavsson made 17 saves. Minnesota won its fourth straight, ending Montreals winning streak at three. After an off day today, the Wild will be at Nashville on Wednesday night in their final game before the Olympic break.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 30 points, Ty Jerome added 19 and Memphis built a 20-point lead in the second half and held on for a 137-128 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 39 points and seven rebounds. Jaden McDaniels scored 29 points and DiVincenzo finished with 21, including 13 in the fourth. Minnesota had its four-game win streak halted. The T-Wolves are off today before heading to Toronto Wednesday.

The path back to October will not be easy for the Minnesota Twins. The Twins' current payroll sits around $105 million, which is well below league average, and not many believe that they can legitimately compete in 2026. The AL Central has also become more competitive, with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals all looking like serious contenders. There are reasons for hope though. Byron Buxton had a breakout 2025 season with 35 home runs and an .850-plus OPS. Starting pitchers Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez give Minnesota a legit playoff type rotation if the team decides to keep them, and the farm system now ranks among the best in baseball. The Twins will open up their spring training schedule later this month as they take on the Boston Red Sox on Saturday the 21st.

Power 96 Sports for February 2nd, 2026.

02/02/2026

In Tiger Athletics, over the weekend Tiger Boys hockey fell to Two Rivers 4 to 3. Tonight Tiger teams are in action Tiger Boys Hockey takes over Power 96 as they host New Ulm for Senior night. All the action can be heard here on 96.1fm or you can watch the FREE Live Stream from our website, Boxcast App, or our YouTube Channel where faceoff is at 7:15. Boys Basketball travels to Faribault, and Girls Basketball hosts Faribault for Senior Night. Both of those games tip off at 7:30. This Saturday the number 2 seeded Tiger Girls Hockey team will look to make their post season push, as they will host the winner of Simley or South Central, on Saturday night at 6:15pm.

The Austin Bruins swept the Minnesota Mallards on the road. This weekend they will have a home and home series with the Norsemen, where Saturday they host the Norsemen for Paint the rink pink night. Face off for that game will be at 7pm Saturday night.

The Minnesota Wild defeated the Edmonton Oilers 7 to 3, for their 3rd win in a row. They will host Montreal tonight at 6:30pm.

Saturday night the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 131 to 114. Tonight they try to do the same as they are still in Memphis with the game at 6:30pm.

Power 96 Sports for Friday January 29th, 2026.

01/30/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics the Tiger boys hockey team dismatled Faribault with a 9-0 shutout win on the road. Tiger girls hockey, still trying to break out of their slump, after dropping 3 in a row. The lady Tigers fell to Owatonna last night 4-3. In other area action, Alden Conger Glenville Emmons boys basketball defeated MWC 65-52. Today, Tiger girls basketball heads to Austin for a 7:30 matchup. The Tiger boys roundball team will host the Packers, also at 7:30.

Six Austin Bruins players will be attending the North American Hockey League"s Top Prospects Tournament in February. Captain Nathan Williams, Gus Elbert, Mikey Coleman, EJ Paddington, Alvin Elisson and Sam Kline were selected to represent the Bruins at the annual event, as announced on the league"s official roster reveal show on Thursday. Additionally, Head Coach Steve Howard was named head coach for the Central Division. Bruins broadcaster David Koier was named as one of the broadcasters for the tournament. The Bruins are on the road this weekend for a 2 game series against the Minnesota Mallards, who the Bruins swept last weekend.

Anthony Edwards scored 26 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves matched a season high with 22 3-pointers in a 123-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jaden McDaniels scored 21 points including 5 of 5 from 3-point range for the Timberwolves. Naz Reid added 18 points off the bench for Minnesota and connected four times from behind the arc. Minnesota has now won three straight after snapping its season-long five-game losing streak.

Danila Yurov and Vinnie Hinostroza scored in the first period and the Minnesota Wild went on to beat the Calgary Flames 4-1 Thursday night. Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov scored late in the third period, and Filip Gustavsson made 29 saves for the Wild, who are 5-1-1 in their past seven games.

The Minnesota Vikings have fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, they announced on Friday. Adofo-Mensah had been with the Vikings since 2022, when he was hired to replace Rick Spielman. He received a contract extension from Minnesota last offseason, but now the franchise is headed in a different direction after four years. In confirming the news that was broken by various national insiders, the Vikings announced that longtime executive Rob Brzezinski will lead their football operations through this year's NFL draft in late April. There will be no immediate search for a new general manager. Instead, that will happen later this offseason.

The Minnesota Twins have parted ways with president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey, they announced on social media on Friday morning. General manager Jeremy Zoll will run baseball ops, while owner Tom Pohlad, the franchise's new control person, will temporarily run the business side. Falvey, 42, had been with the Twins for nine seasons after being hired in October 2016. He had previously been with the Cleveland Indians since 2008. The decision was a mutual one, according to the teams announcement.

Lindsey Vonn was airlifted from a mountain in Switzerland after crashing in the last women's World Cup downhill before the Milano Cortina Olympics on Friday. Racing in the Crans-Montana event, Vonn lost control on a turn and crashed into the safety netting. After crashing, Vonn was helped to her feet, and she appeared to be holding her left knee. She was able to ski to the bottom of the course before being airlifted away. Rescuers and Vonn were hooked to a cable and hoisted from the mountain to a helicopter that was hovering above, at which point she was taken to a local hospital for care. Vonn, who grew up skiing at Buck Hill in Burnsville, shocked the world when she qualified for her fifth Olympics at 41 years old, following five years in retirement. Her status for the Feb. 6-22 Milano Cortina Olympics is now in question, as she'll have little time to recover before the first training run for the women's Olympic downhill is scheduled for Wednesday.

Power 96 Sports for Thursday January 29th, 2026.

01/29/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics had the wrestling team take center stage yesterday as they brought the heat defeating Northfield 35-20, the Tigers then downed Mankato West 57-15 before beating Winona 69-6. Today, Tiger wrestling is back in action at 7 pm in Owatonna. Speaking of the O town huskies, Tiger girls hockey is in Owatonna to face the Huskies at 7 while the boys hockey team is in Faribault at 7:15.

Julius Randle scored 31 points, Naz Reid added 23 and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the short-handed Dallas Mavericks 118-105. Anthony Edwards scored 20 points for the Timberwolves, who have won consecutive games since a five-game losing streak that is their longest of the season. The Timberwolves are back in action tonight taking on Oklahoma City at 8:30.

The Colorado Rockies acquired infielder Edouard Julien and reliever Pierson Ohl in a trade with Minnesota, sending minor league pitcher Jace Kaminska to the Twins. Julien is out of options, adding context to why the Twins decided to part ways with him. Kaminska missed all of last season but was the California League Pitcher of the Year in 2024. That year he had a 2.78 ERA in A ball with 104 strikeouts in 87.1 innings.

John Blackwell scored 23 points, including Wisconsin"s last seven points in the final minute, and the Badgers rallied to defeat short-handed Minnesota 67-63. Wisconsin trailed by 18 points at halftime against a Golden Gophers team missing leading scorer Cade Tyson, who was out with an ankle injury. Six players were unavailable due to injury and only seven players saw action for Minnesota. Bobby Durkin scored 20 points, Asuma 16 and Langston Reynolds 12 for Minnesota (10-11, 3-7), which has lost six straight. The Gophers will take on Penn State on Sunday.

The Minnesota Wild are in action tonight as they host the Calgary Flames. Faceoff is set for 7 pm.

Power 96 Sports for Wednesday January 28th, 2026.

01/28/2026

In Tiger Athletics, last night as heard here on Power 96, the Lady Tiger Hockey team fell to the 6th ranked Mankato East Cougars 6 to 0 on Senior Night. Girls Basketball hosted Winona for Teacher night, falling 33 to 66. Boys Basketball traveled to Winona and picked up a 87 to 58 win. Tonight Tiger Wrestling travels to Mankato for a quad at 5pm.

In area sports action from last night, the Austin Packer Girls fell to Marshall 53 to 46. Alden Conger defeated Madelia 67 to 34. Owatonna girls fell to Red Wing 50 to 47. Tri City United defeated Waseca 64 to 44. Owatonna Boys basketball defeated red Wing 103 to 68, Waseca defeated TCU 81 to 41, Southland cruised passed Houston 108 to 29. In Hockey the Packer Girls won 3 to 2 over Winona while the boys hockey team defeated LaCrescent Hokah 8 to 1. Waseca boys defeated Owatonna 5 to 4.

Kirill Kaprizov scored the shootout winner as the Minnesota Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Kaprizov was Minnesota's second shooter and beat Spencer Knight with a wrist shot. Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt stopped all three shootout attempts as the Wild came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat Chicago for the 17th time in 18 games. Yakov Trenin, Joel Eriksson Ek and Jared Spurgeon scored for Minnesota. Wallstedt stopped 29 of 32 shots.

Tonight the Timberwolves travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks. Tip off set for 7:30pm

Power 96 Sports for Tuesday January 27th, 2026.

01/27/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics were idle yesterday, today brings a busy Tiger day as tonight POWER 96 brings you Tiger girls Hockey as they celebrate Senior night at the City Arena. Tonight"s game is the last regular season home game. Sports Director Dave Nelson will take to the air at 7:15, Faceoff is set for 7:30 as the girls take on Kato East. Boys swim and dive are on the road today as they also face Kate East. Boys basketball is on the road to take on the Winhawks of Winona at 7:15. Tiger girls basketball will host Winona at 7:30.

Rudy Gobert had 15 points and 17 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Golden State Warriors 108-83 to snap a 5 game losing streak. Minnesota"s Anthony Edwards was a late scratch to rest an recurring right foot injury. Julius Randle led Minnesota with 18 points and Bones Hyland chipped in 17. Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo each scored 15 for the Timberwolves. Minnesota took control of the game with a 21-4 run to end the second quarter. Randle scored 10 points in the run, which gave the Timberwolves a 53-38 halftime lead. Next up, a road game as the T-Wolves take on the Dallas Mavericks tomorrow.

All-Star pitcher Joe Ryan and the Minnesota Twins avoided salary arbitration Monday, agreeing to a one-year contract that guarantees $6.2 million. The arbitration hearing was set to take place on Tuesday. Ryan gets $6.1 million this year — the midpoint of the $6.35 million he asked for and the $5.85 million the Twins offered when the sides exchanged proposed salaries on Jan. 8. The deal includes a $13 million mutual option for 2027 with a $100,000 buyout. A 29-year-old right-hander, Ryan was 13-10 with a career-best 3.42 ERA in 30 starts and one relief appearance last year, when he had a $3 million salary. He is on track to become eligible for free agency after the 2027 World Series.

The Minnesota Wild are in action tonight as they host the visiting Chicago Blackhawks at Grand Casino Arana. Faceoff tonight is slotted for 7 pm.

Power 96 Sports for Monday January 26th, 2026.

01/26/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics as heard here on POWER 96 Saturday Tiger boys hockey defeated Marshall 9-1 at the City Arena. Tiger girls hockey, not quite as fortunate, falling to Min River 5-2. Tiger teams are off today.

The Austin Bruins clipped the wings of the Mallards sweeping the bad birds in their weekend series. Friday night the Black and Gold finished the night with a 4-1 victory. Saturday night, the Bruins gave Bruiser the best birthday present a bear could want with a 6-0 shutout win. The Bruins will be back in action this weekend on the road to play on the Mallards pond in a 2 game series.

Stephen Curry scored 26 points to lead the Golden State Warriors past Minnesota 111-85 on Sunday, the fifth straight loss for the Timberwolves and their longest skid in more than three years. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 32 points and 11 rebounds, Julius Randle (11 points) and Jaden McDaniels (three points) combined to shoot 4 for 19 from the floor for the Timberwolves. the Timberwolves stumbled to their lowest final score in more than four years since a 104-84 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at home on Nov. 5, 2021. This was their first time under 100 points this season. The Timberwolves will try to find their way again tonight as they take on Golden State again. Tipoff is set for 8:30.

Saturday, the Minnesota Wild fell to the Florida Panthers in overtime 4-3. The wild are off today before hosting the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow night at Grand Casino Arena.

NFL Action from the weekend in the Conference Round of the playoffs saw the Patriots finish off the Denver Broncos with a 10-7 win to advance and represent the AFC. Former Vikings quarterback, Sam Darnold, led the Seattle Seahawks past the Rams in a back and forth game, winning 31-27 and moving on to represent the NFC in the Superbowl. The biggest game of the year, Superbowl 60, will take place February 8th at 5:30. POWER 96 will bring you that game live from Levi"s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers.

Power 96 Sports for Friday January 23rd, 2026.

01/23/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics as heard here on POWER 96 Tiger boys hockey scored early and often on their way to a 7-3 win over Red Wing at the City Arena. Tiger girls hockey also big winners over Red Wing pulling off a 10-1 win on the road. Tiger events for today have either been postponed or rescheduled due to the extreme weather.

The Austin Bruins are in action this weekend as they host the Minnesota Mallards at Riverside Arena. The games for tonight and tomorrow will get underway at 7:05.

The Minnesota Timberwolves fell to the the Chicago Bulls at the Target Center 120-115. Julius Randle, who was on the injury report with left foot soreness, had a team-high 30 points for Minnesota, but also committed a late turnover. Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid each added 20 points, and McDaniels scored 16 in the loss. The loss was a season-high fourth in a row for Minnesota. The T-Wolves will host Golden State on Saturday.

Kirill Kaprizov scored his second goal of the game 45 seconds into overtime to give the Minnesota Wild a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Kaprizov came down the middle and beat goalie Cam Talbot with a wrist shot from between the circles. Mats Zuccarello also scored twice, and Filip Gustavsson made 31 saves. Quinn Hughes had three assists, giving him 43 on the season, tied for the most among NHL defensemen. Next up, the Wild will host the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers on Saturday night.

In need of bullpen help, the Minnesota Twins are reuniting with one of the club"s former All-Stars. the team and left-hander Taylor Rogers have agreed to a one-year deal to bring Rogers back to Minnesota. The deal is reportedly worth $2 million. From 2016-21, Rogers pitched in 319 games for the Twins, compiling a 3.15 ERA with 361 strikeouts, 76 walks and 50 saves across 314.2 innings.

Power 96 Sports for Thursday January 22nd, 2026.

01/22/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics were idle last night. Tonight, POWER 96 will bring you Tiger boys hockey as they take on Red Wing at the City Arena. Sports Director Dave Nelson will take to the air at 7 pm. Faceoff is set for 7:15. Tiger Wrestling will take on multiple schools in Woodbury at 4:30. Swim and Dive will host Kato West at 6 pm and Tiger girls hockey is on the road to face Red Wing at 7:15.

The Minnesota Wild are in action tonight as they host the Detroit Red Wings. Faceoff is set for 8:30.

The Timberwolves also in action tonight as they host the Chicago Bulls at 7 pm. Minnesota has been dominant at home with a 15-6 record. The Timberwolves score heavily in the paint and have multiple scoring options. Anthony Edwards continues to average close to 30 points per game.

The Vikings have signed defensive coordinator Brian Flores to a contract extension, the team announced. The terms haven"t been disclosed. If Flores doesn"t get a head coaching job in the next few weeks, he"ll be back with the Vikings. Flores has interviewed for the Pittsburgh and Baltimore head coaching jobs.

The Minnesota Twins announced a trade Wednesday morning, acquiring utility player Tristan Gray from the Boston Red Sox.

In exchange, the Twins have given the Red Sox Nate Baez, a catcher for Minnesota"s Minor League team. 29-year-old Gray spent most of the 2025 season with the Chicago White Sox"s Triple-A club in Charlotte, NC, hitting .270 with 15 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, 44 RBIs, 24 walks and 40 runs scored. He was acquired by Boston from Tampa Bay in November. A multifaceted player, Gray has filled in at multiple spots around the infield, playing in 13 career major league games at first base, 12 games at second base, 10 games at shortstop and 12 games at third base.

Power 96 Sports for Wednesday January 21st, 2026.

01/21/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics as heard here on POWER 96 Tiger boys basketball defeated Red Wing 87-65. Tiger girls basketball fell to Red Wing 82-29. Tiger girls hockey saw Morgan Goskenson notched her 200th point in their matchup against Waseca, as the Tiger picked up a win 13 to 0.

Cole Caufield scored the winner with 15 seconds remaining to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and Brock Faber also scored for Minnesota, which beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Monday. Jesper Wallstedt stopped 29 shots. Tarasenko opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 10:44 of the first period, on Minnesota"s second shot with a one-timer. The Wild played without forwards Marcus Johansson, Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy, and defensemen Jonas Brodin and Zach Bogosian. Wild return home and will host Detroit on Thursday night.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison will not be charged with misdermeanor tresspassing, after the case against him was dismissed one week following his arrest. Florida state attorney Susan Lopez issued a termination of prosecution notice in Hillsborough County court on Tuesday, ordering the release of Addison"s $500 bond. Addison was detained by Seminole Indian Police at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino at 3:46 a.m. on Jan. 12 and was released from jail later that day.

The Utah Jazz rallied to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-122 last night. Anthony Edwards scored 38 points for the Timberwolves (27-17), who squandered a 15-point lead and closed out a four-game trip with three straight losses. Julius Randle scored 19 points and Rudy Gobert added 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. After an off day today, the Wolves will host the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.

Power 96 Sports for Tuesday January 20th, 2026.

01/20/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics were idle yesterday. Today POWER 96 will bring you Tiger boys basketball as they host Red Wing. Sports Director Dave Nelson will take to the air at 7:15. Tipoff is set for 7:30. Also tonight Tiger girls hockey is on the road to take on Waseca at 7 pm. Tiger girls basketball also on the road tonight facing Red Wing.

Marcus Foligno had his first NHL hat trick to double his season goals total, Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and the Minnesota Wild beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 last night. The 34-year-old Foligno scored in the second period at even strength and on a power play, then into an empty net in the third. Ryan Hartman added a goal and an assist, and Kirill Kaprizov and defensemen Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber each had two assists. Hughes has two goals and 18 assists in 18 games with the Wild since being acquired from Vancouver on Dec. 12. Filip Gustavsson stopped 27 shots. The Wild have won two straight to open a three-game trip after being swept on a three-game homestand. No rest for the Wild as they will be at Montreal on tonight. Faceoff is slotted for 6 pm.

The Timberwolves are on the road to face the Utah Jazz tonight. Tipoff is set for 8pm.

Fernando Mendoza bulldozed his way into the end zone and the Indiana Hoosiers bullied its way into the history books Monday night, toppling the Miami Gators 27-21 to put the finishing touch on a rags-to-riches story, an undefeated season and the national title. Indiana finished 16-0, using the extra games afforded by the expanded 12-team playoff to match a perfect-season win total last compiled by Yale in 1894.

On Monday night, The Miami Dolphins hired Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as their next head coach. While Bills head coach Sean McDermott, is now looking for his next job.

Power 96 Sports for Monday January 19th, 2026.

01/19/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics from the weekend saw the Tiger wrestling team take part in the Hayfield duels. The Tigers defeated NRHEG 58-11 before defeating Dover-Eyota 54-15, the Tiger team then dropped a match to LARP 42-21 for their only loss. Tiger girls hockey fell to Rochester Century-John Marshall 3-2. Tiger boys hockey winning big in Westonka 5-1. Tiger teams are off today.

The Austin Bruins swept Bismarck in a 2 game road series. Game 1 took overtime before the Bruins put the Bobcats away in a shootout, winning 6-5. Game 2 on Saturday night didn"t need overtime or a shootout as the Bruins left town with a 6-3 win. This weekend the Bruins will look to clip the wings of the Mallards as they are at Riverside Arena Friday and Saturday nights. Both games get under way at 7:05.

Mats Zuccarello scored 1:47 into overtime to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 5-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Saturday afternoon. Zuccarello"s winning goal came on the power play after a pass from Kirill Kaprizov, who finished with three assists to help end the Wild"s three-game winless streak. Marcus Foligno, Ryan Hartman, Vladimir Tarasenko and Quinn Hughes also scored, and Filip Gustavsson made 20 saves for the Wild. The Wild are in action tonight as their road trip continues with a stop in Toronto. Faceoff is set for 6:30.

The Golden Gophers men"s hockey team was unable to hold onto a one-goal lead versus No. 1-ranked Michigan and fell 3-2 in overtime from 3M Arena at Mariucci Saturday night.

NFL Playoff results from the weekend saw the Denver Broncos advance after beating Buffalo 33-30. The Seattle Seahawks spanked the 49ers 41-6. Yesterday, the New England Patriots advanced eliminating the Texans 28-16, and the Los Angeles Rams advance after beating the Chicago Bears 20-17. The conference championship round will be held on Sunday.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are off today, they will take on the Jazz in Utah tomorrow.

Power 96 Sports for Friday January 16th, 2026.

01/16/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics had a full slate of action yesterday. As heard here on POWER 96 Tiger Girls Hockey defeated Owatonna 7-1. Tiger boys hockey not quite as fortunate, getting shut out by the Huskies 3-0. No score was available for the Tiger boys basketball contest against Chatfield. And Tiger Wrestling, in Faribault, participated in a triangular defeating host Faribault 77-0. The Tigers then defeated Rochester john Marshall 65-11. Saturday, the wrestling team will participate in an invitational in Hayfield. Tiger girls basketball will be in Kasson Mantorville for tournament play. Both Tiger hockey teams will be on the road Saturday as the boys take on Westonka, the girls will be in Rochester to face Rochester Century/John Marshall.

The Austin Bruins are in Bismarck for a 2 game series against the Bobcats.

Mark Scheifele had a goal and three assists, Jonathan Toews scored for the fourth consecutive game and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 6-2. Danila Yurov and Marcus Johansson scored for the Wild, who are 1-3-2 in their last six games. Jesper Wallstedt made 14 saves in two periods; Filip Gustavsson had eight in the third. The Wild will open up a 3 game road trip Saturday in Buffalo.

The Minnesota Timberwolves visit Houston in Western Conference action tonight at 8:30. Julius Randle is averaging 22.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists for the Timberwolves. Naz Reid is averaging 17.4 points over the last 10 games.

The NFL"s Divisional round of the playoffs takes place over the weekend with the Buffalo Bills taking on the Denver broncos at mile high. Saturday night, the Seattle Seahawks will host the 49ers. Another double header on Sunday as the Patriots will host the Texans and the Rams will head to a cold Windy City to take on the Bears.

Power 96 Sports for Thursday January 15th, 2026.

01/15/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics were off yesterday, but today brings a slew of action. POWER 96 will bring you Tiger Girls Hockey as they host Owatonna. Power 96 will take to the air around 7 and faceoff is set for 7:15. Don"t forget, Power 96 also brings you the live video of the game from our YouTube Channel or our Boxcast app. Tiger boys hockey is on the road to take on the Huskies in Owatonna at 7:00. Tiger boys basketball is on the road to face Chatfield at 7:15. Boys Swim and Dive will host Owatonna at 6 pm. And Tiger Wrestling will be in Faribault to participate in a triangular at 5 pm.

Kiki Rice had 25 points on 8-for-9 shooting and Lauren Betts posted her third straight double-double, leading No. 3 UCLA past the Minnesota Gopher Womens basketball team 76-58. Amaya Battle scored 16 points and Mara Braun added 15 points for the Gophers (12-5, 3-3), who forced 17 turnovers but managed only three fast-break points. The Lady Gophers will next be in action on Sunday when they hit the road to take on Washington.

The Winnipeg Jets will try to continue a three-game win streak with a victory over the Minnesota Wild. The teams play Thursday for the fourth time this season. The Wild won the last matchup 4-3 in overtime. Matthew Boldy scored two goals in the win. Marcus Johansson has scored 12 goals with 21 assists for the Wild. Boldy has five goals and two assists over the past 10 games. Faceoff tonight at Grand Casino Arena is set for 7 pm.

Minnesota Vikings legend Adam Thielen officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday after 13 seasons. The Vikings, after finishing 9-8 and missing the playoffs, leadership is prioritizing the retention of defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who is being courted for head coaching roles elsewhere.

Minnesota Twins Outfielder Byron Buxton has been named to the Team USA roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic joining team mate Joe Ryan. The team has also avoided arbitration with several key players, including Royce Lewis and Bailey Ober.

Power 96 Sports for Wednesday January 14th, 2026.

01/14/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics, As heard here on Power 96 last night, Tiger Girls Basketball fell to the Big Nine leading Northfield Raiders 96 to 13. Tiger Boys Basketball fell to Northfield in Northfield 69 to 46. Tiger girls hockey fell to Luverne 7-4 last night. Tiger Boys Hockey fell to South St. Paul 3 to 2. Tiger Wrestling participated in a triangular in Alden Conger winning both of their matches. The Tigers defeated Adrian 34-27 and also beat Kato East 44-24. Tiger teams are off today, but Thursday, POWER 96 will bring you Tiger girls hockey as they take on Owatonna at 7:15. Don"t forget that you can also watch that game live from our YouTube Channel or our Boxcast App.

In area sports action from last night, Austin Girls basketball fall to Century 75 to 34, while the Packer Boys Basketball team fell to Century 69 to 60. Waseca Boys Basketball fell to belle Plaine 82 to 75. NRHEG Girls Basketball defeated WEM 79 to 50, and the NRHEG Boys Basketball team fell to WEM 94 to 70. Southland Boys basketball defeated mabel Canton 92 to 54.

Julius Randle scored 29 points and the hot-shooting Minnesota Timberwolves never trailed in a 139-106 blowout of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Timberwolves won their sixth of seven despite missing top scorer Anthony Edwards due to maintenance on his right foot and leading rebounder Rudy Gobert, who served a one-game suspension for flagrant fouls. Coach Chris Finch returned for Minnesota after he missed the Spurs game with an illness.

The Timberwolves made a season-high 22 3-pointers on 43 attempts and shot a season-best 59.8% overall as the Bucks allowed their highest point total of the season. The Timberwolves will next visit the Houston Rockets on Friday.

The Minnesota Twins are turning to a familiar face as they continue preparations for the 2026 MLB season. Former Twins outfielder Michael A. Taylor, who announced his retirement at the end of last year, has been hired by the organization as an outfield instructor. The Twins acquired Taylor from Kansas City before the 2023 campaign to provide depth behind center fielder Byron Buxton. In 129 games that year, Taylor hit a career-high 21 home runs, drove in 51 runs and stole 13 bases. His defense in center field stabilized the roster during a season when injuries forced the club to shuffle its lineup.

Wisconsin"s John Blackwell buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer and scored 27 points to help Wisconsin overcome an 11-point second-half deficit to beat Minnesota Gophers Men"s Basketball for a 10th straight time, 78-75. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson totaled 20 points and eight rebounds for the Golden Gophers (10-7, 3-3), who have lost two straight following a five-game win streak. Isaac Asuma finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Minnesota will be at #13 Illinois on Saturday.

The Minnesota Wild are off today, they will host the Winnipeg Jets Thursday night.

Power 96 Sports for Tuesday January 13th, 2026.

01/13/2026

Albert Lea Tiger athletics, Tiger girls hockey swiped a win on the road in a tightly played game against Fairmont with both teams keeping the game scoreless until overtime when Haley Austinson scored with an assist from Hanna Austinson. Fairmont"s goaltender stopped 50 tiger shots in the match up. Tiger goalie Sienna Murray recorded her 6th shutout of the season. Tiger girls basketball fell to Austin 52-44. Tiger athletics has a busy Tuesday starting with Tiger Wrestling who will be part of a triangular at Alden Conger at 5 pm. Tiger girls hockey is on the road to face Luverne at 7 pm. Tiger boys hockey also on the road taking on South Saint Paul at 7. POWER 96 will bring you Tiger girls basketball tonight as they host Northfield at 7:30. This will be an Audio only broadcast. Video streaming will not be available. And finally, Tiger boys basketball is on the road to face Northfield at 7:30.

The New Jersey Devils beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2 on Monday night to snap a four-game skid. Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno scored for the Wild, and Jesper Wallstedt had 24 saves. Minnesota lost in regulation for just the second time in 10 games (4-2-4) and third in the last 18. The Wild have a couple of days off before playing host to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has received a one-game suspension due to the number of flagrant fouls he has picked up over the course of the season. NBA officials said Gobert will serve his suspension Tuesday when the Timberwolves visit the Milwaukee Bucks. NBA rules say a player receives an automatic suspension after a game in which his flagrant foul point total exceeds five.

The NFL Playoff picture is now clearer after the 30-6 elimination of the Pittsburgh Steelers by the Texans. The Divisional round on Saturday finds the Bills headed to Denver to take on the Broncos. The 49ers travel up the coast to take on the Seattle Seahawks. Sunday, the Texans head back east to face New England and the Rams will head to the Windy City to face the Chicago Bears.