You’d be hard pressed to find somebody who loved football as much the iconic Paul Wiggin. He continued to work late into his life to make sure he could stay around the game. He did so until until the very end.

After spending more than 40 years with the Vikings, serving in a variety of different roles, Wiggin died on Friday at age 91.

“We had the honor of meeting Paul when we purchased the team in 2005,” co owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a joint statement. “It quickly became clear how much he loved the Minnesota Vikings. He captivated staff members and us with his stories about the history of the franchise and the NFL. He cared about players, coaches and staff, and he wanted nothing more than to win a Super Bowl for Vikings fans.”

After wrapping up his playing career with the Cleveland Browns, Wiggin started his coaching career, working for the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and New Orleans Saints before legendary head coach Bud Grant eventually hired him with the Vikings in 1985.

In his role as the defensive line coach, Wiggin worked closely with some top talent for the Vikings, including Hall of Famer defensive end Chris Doleman, and Hall of Fame defensive tackle John Randle.

“The original guru,” Randle said in a release. “He had a quiet way of imparting his knowledge and wisdom in a way that changed the game. He never raised his voice or spoke in harsh words. His humble leadership pushed you to be a better player and a better man.”

After working as the defensive line coach for the better part of a decade, Wiggin eventually transitioned to the front office for the Vikings, where he continued to be a mainstay within the organization.

“A legend as a person, player, coach, and personnel executive,” executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski said in a release. “For 40 years, he demonstrated an incredible dedication to the Vikings, a team he truly loved.”

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By KIMBERLEE KRUESI

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — At least 2 people have been killed and several others injured in a shooting at Brown University, a law enforcement source told the Associated Press.

The official could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

University officials initially told students and staff that a suspect was in custody, before later saying that was not the case and that police were still searching for a suspect or suspects, according to alerts issued through Brown’s emergency notification system.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Multiple people were shot Saturday in the area of Brown University, police said, as the Ivy League school issued an active shooter alert and urged students and staff to take shelter during the second day of final exams.

Police did not immediately release details about the number of victims, their conditions or the circumstances of the shooting.

University officials initially told students and staff that a suspect was in custody, before later saying that was not the case and that police were still searching for a suspect or suspects, according to alerts issued through Brown’s emergency notification system.

“We’re still getting information about what’s going on, but we’re just telling people to lock their doors and to stay vigilant,” said Providence Councilmember John Goncalves, whose ward includes the Brown campus. “As a Brown alum, someone who loves the Brown community and represents this area, I’m heartbroken. My heart goes out to all the family members and the folks who’ve been impacted.”

The reported shooting occurred near the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the university’s School of Engineering and physics department. According to the university’s website, the building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices.

Engineering design exams were underway in the building when the shooting occurred.

President Donald Trump said late in the afternoon that he has been briefed on the shooting.

“God bless the victims and the families of the victims!” he said on his social media site.

Students were urged to shelter in place as police responded to the scene, and people were told to avoid the area. A police officer warned media to take cover in vehicles because the area was still an active scene.

Officials cautioned that information remained preliminary as investigators worked to determine what had occurred.

Police were actively investigating and still gathering information from the scene, said Kristy DosReis, the chief public information officer for the city of Providence. The FBI said it was assisting in the response.

Brown is a private institution with roughly 7,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate students. Saturday was the second day of final exams for the fall semester.

A fan base that has been clamoring for a splashy move finally got what it wanted on Friday night when the Wild acquired superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in what might go down as the biggest trade in franchise history.

It’s blockbuster deal that establishes the Wild as legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. The thought of adding Hughes to an already talented core should have everybody salivating at the potential damage this group can do once the playoffs roll around.

So why was it met with so much backlash on social media?

It seems like a large portion of the fan base is less concerned with the Wild getting Hughes, perhaps the second best defenseman in the world, and more concerned with they had to give up to get him.

The package that general manager Bill Guerin put together was substantial. He knew he couldn’t get cute if he wanted a chance at Hughes, so he offered up up center Marco Rossi, defenseman Zeev Buium, winger Liam Ohgren, and a 2026 first round pick.

The massive haul the Wild had to give up for Hughes was a small price to pay. He’s arguably a Top 10 player in the NHL right now, a former Norris Trophy winner, who brings a dynamic element to the blue line that the Wild have frankly never had in their existence.

To get a great player the Wild had to be willing to give up some good players. It’s as simple as that.

Most of the apprehension from the fan base seems to be rooted in moving on Buium before getting to see him as a finished product. Those worries should disappear when considering that even if Buium were to reach his full potential, which is far from a guarantee, he almost certainly won’t be better than Hughes in his current form.

That’s how good Hughes is for those who might not be familiar with his game. He’s a smooth skater with the ability to start a breakout all by himself. He’s also incredibly gifted in the offensive zone without sacrificing anything in the defensive zone.

The production that Hughes has put up since reaching the NHL speaks for itself. He has amassed 432 points (61 goals, 371 assists) across 459 games in his career. The only blue liner with more points than Hughes since he entered the NHL is fellow superstar defenseman Cale Makar, the straw that stirs the drink for the Colorado Avalanche on the backend, who has a chance to go down as the best to ever do it.

The firepower that Hughes brings to the Wild will be on display for the first time when makes his team debut against the Boston Bruins on Sunday afternoon at Grand Casino Arena.

He will join an extremely talented core that features superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov and star winger Matt Boldy leading the charge, to go along with a number of players, such as center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Brock Faber, who are perfectly cast in their roles. That doesn’t even take into account the stellar tandem of goaltender Filip Gustavsson and fellow goaltender Jesper Wallstedt between the pipes.

The fact that the Wild were able to add somebody like Hughes to the mix can’t be overstated. It has opened the Stanley Cup window for the first time in what feels like forever. That in and of itself makes this trade worth doing 100 times out of 100.

Though it’s been widely speculated that Hughes eventually wants to sign the New Jersey Devils so he can play with his brothers, the Wild now have a chance to prove themselves to him that as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, not to mention the power to offer him more money than anybody else.

In the current collective bargaining agreement, which is still in order this season, Hughes can sign an eight-year max contract this summer. In the future collective bargaining agreement, which kicks in ahead of next season, Hughes can only sign a six-year max contract next summer.

A common refrain among those within the fan base that aren’t sold on the trade is the hypothetical question, “What if he leaves?” A counterpoint that has to be considered is the hypothetical question, “What if he stays?

Not only do the Wild have a chance to prove to Hughes that it’s worth sticking around for the foreseeable future, they have a chance to do so while also getting to chase a Stanley Cup in the process.

That wouldn’t have been possible if Guerin didn’t have the guts to pull the trigger on a trade that will define the rest of his career.

He did so with an understanding that it’s impossible to overpay when a generational talent is on the table. He deserves credit for that, regardless of it ends with him getting to hoist the hardware.

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Before Quinn Hughes had even played a game in a Wild uniform, the team’s general manager was already promoting Minnesota as a place the star defenseman might want to stay long-term.

“I think Quinn will really like it here. He’s a hockey nut. He watches every game. He knows what’s going on in the league. … He just loves hockey,” Bill Guerin said. “And I think there’s obviously no better market than Minnesota to be a hockey player.”

Originally from Florida, Hughes – who will make his debut Sunday evening versus Boston – arrived in his new hockey home on a prototypical deep winter Minnesota day, with the sun shining and a minus symbol in front of the day’s high temperature. Asked about the first impression the bone-chilling weather would offer, Guerin said perhaps their first stop would be an immersion in real Minnesota hockey culture.

“He’s gonna skate on one of the lakes tonight, just to loosen up,” Guerin said, with a sarcastic grin.

Hughes, 26, can hit the free agent market in July 2027, and Guerin can offer an extension starting next summer.

The trade, which is already considered the biggest in-season move in franchise history, came together quickly over the past week.

Guerin and Vancouver hockey operations president Jim Rutherford were in discussions. Guerin made a sizable offer, proposing three former first round picks and one future one in exchange for Hughes, who was named the NHL’s top defenseman two seasons ago. On Friday, while Guerin was making Italian food from a family recipe in preparation for their coming Christmas Eve dinner, Rutherford called to say the Wild’s first offer got it done.

“So I had to take my latex gloves off. I was rolling meatballs and he told me we had a deal,” Guerin recalled. “There was fist pumping involved.”

The next calls Guerin made weren’t as much fun. Forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, and up-and-coming defenseman Zeev Buium all learned from their now-former boss they were due in New Jersey to join their new team, the Canucks. Guerin said all three “handled it like men” as he made it clear that he was not looking to shop any of them, had it not been for Hughes.

“Vancouver got three really good young, quality guys,” Guerin said. “If Quinn Hughes wasn’t available, they’d still be here, and I was totally fine with that. But like I said before, you have to give something to get something.”

In Hughes, the Wild got a game-changing player whose advanced numbers in terms of controlling play from the blue line and advancing the puck out of the defensive zone are the best in the NHL. For a team that began the day in third place in the Central Division, but within striking distance of both Colorado and Dallas, Hughes was seen as a key addition for a team with designs on winning a playoff series for the first time in a decade, and making a deep playoff run for the second time in the franchise’s 25 year existence.

After locking down players like Brock Faber, Filip Gustavsson, Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov to long-term deals, Guerin and the Wild ownership clearly feel like the core is in place. And as the team has salary cap space and many good assets still in hand, Guerin hinted that the Wild are not necessarily done talking trades. But in the near term, when Hughes makes his Wild debut on Sunday, they want him to do what he has done since entering the NHL in 2019 and not feel like he needs to be a savior.

Guerin also admitted patience is not one of his strongest traits. That made the past few years tough, with the Wild lacking the salary cap space to make any trades or free agent signings of note. They were relatively quiet in free agency in July, but Guerin reiterated then that the additional salary cap space freed up by Zach Parise and Ryan Suter coming off the books meant that in-season moves of note were more likely.

Even with the general manager’s hands full of meatball mix, when the call from Vancouver came, the timing was perfect.

“I don’t know what the right moment is, but if you wait for it, you’re gonna miss it,” Guerin said. “I don’t know if the weather had to be warmer or something, but when it’s a player of this caliber, the right time’s always now.”

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