Noting and quoting from hockey to horse racing, from football to music:
Minneapolis-born Zach Parise, the much praised captain and left wing with the Devils, enters unrestricted free agency in July and the New York Post website speculated today that up to 12 NHL teams, presumably the Wild included, are expected to make “serious inquiries.”
The Devils, down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Kings, could see their season end tonight and that game might be the last for Parise with New Jersey, the only team he has played with in the NHL. Larry Brooks, writing for the Post, speculated that Parise’s new deal will be for more than $60 million, plus bonus money, and if Parise doesn’t stay with the Devils he could play next season for the Rangers or Red Wings, two franchises with a lot of salary flexibility.
“The Wild will be in, though Parise might want to think more than twice about going home to join a team in which he would be the best player by leaps and bounds,” Brooks wrote.
Former Timberwolves forward Mark Madsen was announced this week as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Stanford. In an email to Sports Headliners Madsen wrote that in two weeks he will graduate from Stanford with his MBA degree. He ranks with the most personable Timberwolves ever to play in Minnesota.
ESPN.go.com reported that the ESPN telecast of Sunday night’s Celtics-Heat game in Boston drew the largest national rating ever (7.9) for an NBA playoff game on cable TV.
Duluth East’s 7-foot Alkoda Manyang, a senior next school year, is an intriguing college prospect who will be watched closely by high profile basketball programs this summer.
It was 45 years ago yesterday, June 5, 1967, that a group of local investors was awarded an NHL franchise, the Minnesota North Stars.
Barbara Williams emailed that her husband John Williams and also Steve Nestor are “fine” following surgeries yesterday. Williams, the former Gophers All-American tackle, was the recipient of a kidney from Nestor. Both Williams and Nestor are expected to be walking today. https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/johnbjwilliams
Pete Najarian, the Minneapolis native who has gained fame for options trading and appearing on CNBC, will vacation with former Gophers teammates in August. The families of Najarian, Ray Hitchcock, Darrell Thompson and others gather each summer at a Wisconsin Dells resort. “I think the adults have more fun than the kids,” Hitchcock told Sports Headliners. “We tell the same stories over and over.”
Coach Jerry Kill will be part of the Gopher Gallop promotion at Canterbury Park on Friday night, according to an email sent to Gophers fans. The Gophers and the Goal Line Club encourage fans to wear their “Gopher gear” and receive free admission to the race track. Prize giveaways include a trip for two to Minnesota’s opening game at UNLV on August 30.
Canterbury Park’s new 10-year agreement with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux, pending approval by the Minnesota Racing Commission, will provide millions in additional revenue for larger horse racing purses and enable the local track to compete for better horses against regional facilities like Iowa’s Prairie Meadows. Spectators here will see better racing and the Minnesota horse breeding industry will receive a much needed incentive to produce more foals. The larger purses are expected to begin this year.
Mike Max said a permanent replacement for the late Dark Star on The Sports Show is undecided but hockey legend Lou Nanne will fill in this Sunday. Star, who passed away last Friday, was a regular on the TV show for 16 years, along with Max, Patrick Reusse and Sid Hartman.
The inaugural Tapemark Women’s Pro-Am started yesterday at Southview Country Club in West St. Paul. The championship will be played on Sunday. The men’s Pro-Am begins Friday and also concludes on Sunday. Tom Lehman won the tournament in 1990. Last year’s winner was Ben Freeman while six-time tournament champion Don Berry finished second. Check the Tapemark website for updates during the week. www.tapemarkgolf.org
This will be the 41st year of Tapemark charity golf. The Klas family, including Bob Sr. and Bob Jr., have helped raise about $7 million for local charities benefitting the developmentally and learning disabled.
More than 225 people attended the awards banquet on Sunday announcing Jake Heppner (Eastview) and Christine Easton (Eden Prairie) as the Mr. Lacrosse and Ms. Lacrosse winners. The Mr. and Ms. Lacrosse Goalie winners are Thomas Gilligan (Benilde-St. Margaret’s) and Bailey Dunning (The Blake School). The third annual awards banquet, held at the Crowne Plaza Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul, was presented by the Minnesota Swarm and hosted by The Minute Men. www.minnesotaminutemen.com
Dave and Linda Mona have award winning singer Suzy Bogguss booked for the third annual Camden’s Concert on July 25 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Bogguss was at the Dakota Jazz Club last year when the Monas saw her perform and asked the country music star about entertaining at Camden’s Concert III. The Monas liked her music, stage presence and personality. “She’s the biggest name (performer) we’ve had,” Dave said.
Camden’s Concert raises money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The two previous concerts have raised $26,000 and $32,000.
The Mona’s grandson Camden Mona is 4½ years old. He takes many medications because of Cystic Fibrosis but is feeling fine and looks like any normal pre-schooler. Last year the Monas staged a contest and invited concert goes to guess the number of M&M’s in a jar, telling them if they doubled their total it would be closer to the number of pills Camden takes in a year.
“He took 10,570 pills last year including enzymes,” Dave said. “A woman who has Cystic Fibrosis guessed 10,300.”
The benefit event on July 25 includes a silent auction with sports offerings and other items, plus food from Pinstripes restaurant. Tickets are available by calling the Hopkins Center for the Arts, 952-979-1111, or via the organization’s website. www.hopkinsartscenter.com/
