Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson will be sticking around in Minnesota for the foreseeable future after agreeing to a restructured contract.

A source confirmed the move to the Pioneer Press. It will save the Vikings more than $5 million in cap space.

It had been widely speculated that Hockenson, 28, would have to agree to some sort of pay cut on the heels of an underwhelming campaign. He was set to carry a $21.3 million cap hit before agreeing to a new deal.

This follows a trend of acting general manager Rob Brzezinski freeing up cap space ahead of free agency. He recently negotiated signing bonus conversions with receiver Justin Jefferson, left tackle Christian Darrisaw, and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.

It’s also been reported that the Vikings plan to release running back Aaron Jones, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.

The combination of those moves should help the Vikings get under the cap by the start of free agency. They were previously more than $40 million over the cap

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MIDDLETON, Wis. – The St. Croix Valley Fusion ran out of comebacks, or maybe they just ran out of time.

The Fusion, who overcame a three-goal deficit in the semifinals, scored three times over the final 4:21 but came up one goal short in a 5-4 loss to the top-seeded Bay Area Ice Bears on Saturday in the title game of the Wisconsin girls state hockey tournament.

“It was kind of the same game plan, just get a goal, settle down and we kind of did,” said Fusion coach Matt Cranston. “They were just so tough and they didn’t give up. We did it two nights ago and we figured, well, we can do it again. And they did, almost.”

The Fusion trailed 3-0 after one period and were down 5-1 late in the third period before staging a furious rally.

Freshman Emma Larson scored on a rebound for the Fusion to make it 5-2 with 4:21 remaining and Jane Volgren scored on a power play goal from the left circle with just over three minutes left.

The Fusion pulled goalie Emma Gustafson and the extra attacker paid off when Oaklie Holldorf found the net from the left point with 47.4 seconds remaining.

After a faceoff in the Bay Area end with 18 seconds left, the Ice Bears were able to tie the puck up in the corner in the closing seconds for their third title in four seasons.

“I think the switch really flipped at the end,” Volgren said. “We all came together as a team, as we do. Just a strong bond really got us to the end.”

The Ice Bears (26-2) withstood a strong early effort by the Fusion and then answered with three consecutive goals for 3-0 lead after one period. Volgren, who had four goals in St. Croix Valley’s semifinal comeback win over Superior/Northwestern, brought the Fusion within 3-1 with a second-period goal.

The Ice Bears appeared in control with a power play goal by Faye Brunke just 32 seconds into the third period and Brunke capped a hat trick on a rebound from the left side with 8:19 remaining for a 5-1 lead.

“When Faye went out at the beginning of the third and buried that fourth goal, we were in good shape. We felt good,” Bay Area coach Mike Buchan said. “It’s a no-quit team over there. They’re skilled and they’re strong and they can skate well and they proved it. They just kept coming.”

The second-seeded Fusion (24-5) controlled play early with a 6-1 advantage in shots, but failed to capitalize on two power play opportunities and at least one shot off the pipe. Bay Area outshot the Fusion 10-1 the rest of the period.

“What’d we have, a pipe or two? I think we outplayed them that first seven or eight minutes,” Cranston said. “It could have been a different game, maybe, if one of those would have went in.”

The Ice Bears, a De Pere co-op of Green Bay area teams, flipped the momentum and gained control behind a pair of power play goals by Addison Dahl a little over a minute apart.

Volgren was called for slashing and Dahl connected from the top of the left circle 1:01 into the penalty to put the Ice Bears up 1-0 with 6:10 left in the period. The Fusion were whistled again and Dahl connected from the high slot to make it 2-0.

Brunke put the Ice Bears up 3-0 with 43 seconds left in the opening period, capping a rush with a backhander through the five hole.

Volgren, who had four consecutive goals in the semifinal comeback from a 4-1 deficit, got the Fusion on the board with 5:26 left in the second period. Gustafson, who finished with 23 saves, stopped all 11 Ice Bears shots in the period.

“Powerful thing, momentum is. We talked about that two nights ago. It went in our favor, kind of did today, too,” Cranston said. “Too bad the game wasn’t five more minutes.”

The current configuration of the Fusion is a co-op with River Falls/Baldwin-Woodville/St. Croix Central. A previous version of the River Falls co-op that also included other area schools with the current three won three consecutive state titles from 2009-11.

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By MIKE COOK

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Desmond Bane scored 30 points, Paolo Banchero added 25 points and 15 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic won their third straight game by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-92 on Saturday.

Jalen Suggs added 14 points and Tristan da Silva had 11 points for the Magic, who moved atop the Southeast Division.

Anthony Edwards scored 34 points, including 13 of 14 from the free-throw line, but Minnesota had it’s five-game winning streak snapped.

Julius Randle scored 14 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds for the Timberwolves, Naz Reid added 13 points off the bench, and Rudy Gobert added 12 points.

Minnesota shot just 35.7% in scoring its second-fewest points of the season. Starters Donte DiVincenzo and Jaden McDaniels were a combined 0 for 15.

Bane was 10 of 17 from the field and made all 10 free throws for his 11th 30-plus point game of the season. Banchero made 10 of 18 shots.

Jett Howard had five points and Bane, Wendell Carter Jr. and Suggs each added four during a 17-4 Magic run for an 81-61 lead midway through the third quarter.

Edwards had seven points in a 68-second span and Randle followed with a steal and dunk to key a surge to get Minnesota within 90-78 entering the final quarter, but Orlando scored seven of the first eight fourth-quarter points to push the lead back to 18.

Orlando, 5-2 in its past seven games, finished the first half on a 19-2 run, including 14 straight points, for a 60-50 lead.

Magic starting guard Anthony Black, averaging 15.5 points per game, played just two minutes in the first quarter before leaving with a lower back strain. He missed two games with a right quad contusion before returning Thursday.

Up next

Magic: At Milwaukee Sunday.

Timberwolves: Begin a four-game road trip on Tuesday at the Los Angeles Lakers.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Warroad’s Rodrick Jackson played a one-two with Gavin Andersen before slamming a shot off Hibbing/Chisholm’s goalie Gavin Lamphere. The rebound bounced to Mooney Shaugabay on the backside for the overtime winner.

Gloves flew, sticks soared, and the Warriors faithful reached a fever pitch inside Grand Casino Arena. Third-seeded Warroad upset No. 1 Hibbing/Chisholm 5-4 to snag its first Class A state championship since 2005 in an all-time classic.

Warroad head coach Jay Hardwick said overtime goals do not tend to be as well-worked as Shaugabay’s title-winning goal.

“It’s just a mess around the net or hits somebody’s skate and goes in,” Hardwick said. “It’s not always pretty like that. But we got it up the ice, and you put the puck in those guys’ hands, and they’re going to make plays.”

Shaugabay said this win is dedicated to all those who came before this team and “fell short” of winning a state championship.

“There’s no way to describe it,” Shaugabay said. “This community has been so good to us for all the years of struggling, and to finally get it done for them is absolutely surreal.”

Someone’s Class A title drought was bound to end in St. Paul. The last championship for the Warriors (25-5-1) came in 2005, with a roster that included Stanley Cup champion T.J. Oshie. The Bluejackets (26-3-2) topped the mountain last in 1973.

The foes met in the 1994 Class A championship game, when Warroad topped Hibbing, 5-3, and that was also the last time the Bluejackets were in the title game.

Warroad sophomore Conner Lund fired a shot from the top of the right circle, pinging off the post and in to give the Warriors the lead 74 seconds into the game. Lund’s father, Tom, was on the 1994 state championship Warroad team and scored in the title game.

Hibbing/Chisholm could not find a breakthrough against the Warriors’ senior goaltender Patrick Kennedy despite leading the period with 12 shots on net.

The Bluejackets received their reward for their offensive pressure with 8:36 left in the second period. Sophomore defender Whitaker Rewertz got the puck from his goaltender and made a sweeping solo move the length of the ice, beating Kennedy to tie it.

Warroad’s Ayven Hontvet provided an immediate response, 45 seconds later, to re-establish the Warriors’ lead. With just over a minute to play in the period, Shaugabay slid a perfect pass from the right-side corner across the crease where Andersen tapped it home to hand Warroad its first multi-goal advantage.

Kennedy became a brick wall in the second period following Hibbing/Chisholm’s goal, making 21 saves, including seven in the final minute.

The Warriors lost their starting goaltender, Finn Hanson, due to an injury in the section final. Hardwick said Kennedy is a “Cinderella story,” with the way he performed to not only get his team to the championship but in the biggest game of his life.

“He played unbelievable the whole tournament,” Hardwick said. “Today, especially the second period, I don’t even know how he made some of those saves.”

The middle period produced a track meet with end-to-end action, finishing with 34 shots on goal and three goals combined.

Bluejackets senior forward Isaiah Hildenbrand ditched his defender and drove to the front of the net. Kennedy repelled his first effort, but Hildenbrand recovered the rebound in a scrum around the crease and backhanded it in, making it 3-2 with 14:13 to play.

Rewertz, trailing the play, skated into the slot and went against the grain with a snipe to the top right corner, tying the game for the second time with 4:36 left in regulation.

Hibbing/Chisholm senior forward Benny Galli, 51 seconds later, had his first shot blocked. But his follow-up found the back of the net.

The Warriors pulled Kennedy with 1:13 left, Broden Hontvet made a brilliant setup pass to the front of the crease, where Andersen redirected it past Lamphere, tying it again with 46 seconds left in regulation time.

Warroad snapped its championship drought exactly 1 minute into overtime as Shaugabay put home a backside rebound.

Andersen said it will be the “best bus ride ever,” as the Warriors make the trek back to the top of Minnesota on top of the state of hockey.

Warroad’s Broden Hontvet carries the first place trophy to their fans after defeating Hibbing/Chisholm/VCA 5-4 in overtime to win the Class A championship game of the State Boys Hockey Tournament at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)
Hibbing/Chisholm/VCA’s Aven Nickila, left, and Isaiah Hildenbrand take a moment together on the ice after losing to Warroad 5-4 in overtime during the Class A championship game of the State Boys Hockey Tournament at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)

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