Liam Ohgren scored the first goal of his NHL career last season shortly after making his debut with the Wild. He recently had the puck framed, and while he thought about sending it back to his native Sweden for safe keeping, there’s a good chance it finds a permanent home at his apartment in Minneapolis.

“It’ll stay if I make the team,” Ohgren said. “Just so I can look at it all the time.”

Think of it as motivation as Ohgren, 20, tries to find his place with the Wild. He arrived at development camp this week with a clear motivation. After a cup of coffee in the NHL towards the end of last season, he’s eager to prove he belongs.

“I’m here to take a spot,” he said. “I want to play in the NHL.”

Listening to general manager Bill Guerin talk about the current roster, it sounds as if Ohgren will be given every opportunity to make the team out of training camp. That said, Ohgren isn’t taking anything for granted.

“I don’t feel like I’m on the team,” he said. “I hope that will change.”

It certainly helps that Ohgren has spent much of the past month around the Twin Cities working out with some of his teammates on and off the ice. That has allowed him to build chemistry with a handful of players he hopes to be playing alongside sooner rather than later.

“This is a good first step to get to know everybody,” Ohgren said. “I’m happy to have done it.”

That put him in position to thrive at development camp this week. To say Ohgren has stood out at at TRIA Rink in St. Paul would be putting it lightly. He has looked extremely sharp in all areas while also looking like a natural while stepping into a leadership role among his peers.

After he finishes up at development camp, Ohgren said he plans to go back to his native Sweden for awhile. He will continue to work out there before returning to Minnesota shortly before training camp. Asked what he think he needs to work on in that span, Ohgren replied, “I have to work on everything,”

That mentality is going to serve Ohgren well as he continues to chase his childhood dream of being a mainstay in the NHL. He already feels like he’s improved since last season when he got a taste of the action. The sky could be the limit this season as he works himself into a role as a regular.

“It was really good for me to get those games last season to kind of see how it feels and to know that I’m actually capable of playing in the NHL,” Ohgren said. “I want to make an impact so we can go on and win a Stanley Cup. That’s my main goal. I’m going to do everything I can to first make the team and then go on from that.”

Briefly

Wild winger Sammy Walker has agree to a 1-year, 2-way contract that will pay him $775,000 in the NHL and $125,000 in the American Hockey Leaue next season.

Related Articles

Most intriguing player at Wild development camp? The prolific Riley Heidt

Rosemount native Charlie Stramel determined to prove Wild were right about him

Wild re-sign defenseman Declan Chisholm on 1-year, $1 million contract

Five prospects to watch at this week’s Wild development camp

Wild think offseason additions can help improve decrepit penalty kill

This is one of the more intriguing Timberwolves’ Summer League rosters in recent memory, for a couple of reasons.

At the top of the list are the rookies, especially Rob Dillingham, whom the Wolves traded up to No. 8 in last month’s NBA Draft to nab; he is expected to play a legitimate role in the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season. But Terrence Shannon Jr. is also a capable scorer with whom local basketball fans are familiar.

And then there are the Timberwolves’ two-way and end-of-roster players from year’s past — guys like Leonard Miller, Josh Minott, Jaylen Clark and Daishen Nix, who also have avenues to NBA minutes next season if they can prove themselves worthy, a process that begins in earnest on Friday, when the Summer League squad opens competition in Las Vegas against New Orleans at 4 p.m. CT.

Here’s what to watch for from Minnesota’s most prominent names:

Rob Dillingham

Not only is Dillingham the biggest name on the list for obvious reasons, but he’s also the most important. Both Tim Connelly and Chris Finch have stated Dillingham will have a role for the Timberwolves next season, meaning the 19-year-old scoring guard will have an impact — positive or negative — on Minnesota’s title pursuit.

Generally, how many points a player scores in Summer League games isn’t a huge deal, but Dillingham is supposed to provide a needed scoring burst off the bench for the Timberwolves next season. So it would be a positive sign for potential future success if the guard can continue to fill it up with a similar efficiency to what he achieved in college while in Las Vegas.

Ideally, Dillingham will consistently lead Minnesota in scoring in Las Vegas and prove difficult for any defender to stay in front of while asserting himself as one of the top talents in Summer League.

Terrence Shannon Jr.

So much of what’s true for Dillingham is true for the Wolves’ other first-round pick in 2024. Shannon Jr. likely won’t be a prominent member of the Timberwolves’ NBA rotation if everyone is healthy next season. But he could be a fill-in option whether injury or situation requires it.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch would likely love to have another scoring option at his disposal to insert if things bog down offensively. Shannon Jr. needs to show he can do what he did his senior year at Illinois — relentlessly attack the rim, execute in transition and be a hounding on-ball defender — in Las Vegas. If he maintains all of those traits, he could prove himself to at least be a situational option for the Timberwolves next year.

Jaylen Clark

The second-round pick from a year ago spent the past year rehabbing his Achilles injury. But Clark has been cleared for the past month, and the 2022-23 national defensive player of the year will be a full-go in Las Vegas.

This one is simple — health. If Clark is able to harass opposing ball handlers at a high level in numerous games over the course of a week-plus and come away looking relatively fit and injury-free, Minnesota will gladly sign up for it.

As for the offense, Summer League assistant coach Max Lefevre said this to reporters this week: “He’s strong, so playing off the catch, one-two dribble, hitting you with his shoulder and going to finish. Getting in the paint and kick out,” Lefevre said. “Really just playing off the catch from the wings, from the corners, getting him downhill, using his physicality to create for other people. That’s how he’s going to play early, at least, in his career, then we’re going to try to add some ball skill where he can handle the ball in other situations. But that’s the start.”

Leonard Miller and Josh Minott

Lefevre noted Minott and Miller both have clear opportunities to earn playing time this next season, likely a nod to the departure of Kyle Anderson.

Anderson’s absence will likely mean more minutes for Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and some of Anderson’s minutes will be swallowed up by recent signee Joe Ingles and perhaps even P.J. Dozier and Dillingham.

But there is an opportunity for a role — even if small — to be a backup forward who could log minutes if one of the Timberwolves’ three big men goes down or the opponent’s lineup construction calls for even more size in the second unit to combat it.

Both are still unfinished products with much polishing left to endure. Consistency in knowing what either would contribute on a night-to-night basis would likely grow Finch’s confidence in Minott or Miller exponentially.

Miller can continue to show himself to be a force on the glass. Wolves Summer League head coach Chris Hines noted Minott’s growth must come on the defensive end.

“Can he defend 1 on 1 on ball? He’s a great off-ball defender. He’s a great help-side defender,” Hines said. “Can he do that consistently, defending on-ball with bigger wings and switching 1 through 4?”

If that can be a constant, then perhaps Minott can earn more court time and, thus, provide more of his wowing athleticism that can send a jolt through a team.

Daishen Nix

The 23-year-old is best known currently in Minnesota as an excellent energy guy at the end of the bench. Often in street clothes as an inactive player, Nix started the trend of highlighting poster dunks by teammates via pointing a finger as play moved back to the opposite end of the floor.

But a more on-court role could be available this upcoming season in the form of a third point guard. Gone are Monte Morris, Jordan McLaughlin and even Anderson. And veteran starter Mike Conley will be 37 next season.

Behind him are Dillingham, who may eventually be the point guard of the future, but can likely only tote so many responsibilities as a rookie, as well as Alexander-Walker and Anthony Edwards, wings with growing playmaking abilities.

But should Conley miss time, it would be valuable for Minnesota to have more of a pure point guard available to stabilize the offense for stretches. That could be Nix. He’ll have a chance in Las Vegas to show his strengths as a floor general who can amplify the play of those around him.

“He’s going to get an opportunity. He’s got to take full advantage of his opportunity,” Hines said. “I think the kid is very skilled. I think he can pass the ball very well, but what can he do consistently? That’s what we want to see.”

Related Articles

Lakeville’s Tyler Wahl excited for opportunity with Timberwolves’ Summer League team

Timberwolves promote Matt Lloyd to general manager

Now former Timberwolves guard Jordan McLaughlin signs with Kings

Timberwolves rookies know they can win big now if they buy into roles

Timberwolves agree to one-year deal with veteran Joe Ingles

The Gophers football team’s internal media day is a prime opportunity for players to look good. After countless workouts to get into their best shape, each one dressed in their Saturday best — new maroon jersey and pants, striped in gold and white — to pose for an array of photos and videos for in-season use.

Preseason All-America left tackle Aireontae Ersery had a black comb in hand to better place his hair just right, while all-Big Ten linebacker Cody Lindenberg had three small white wristbands ready to hug his muscled arms when the cameras flashed.

But a handful of veteran players didn’t feel good on Thursday — at least not when discussing the Gophers’ what-could-have-been 5-7 regular season in 2023. They added a sixth win over Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl.

“It didn’t sit well,” defensive back Jack Henderson said. “I don’t think it sat well with anybody. But we completely flipped the script when December happened and what we have been doing from January to now is night-and-day difference. We are looking for different results this year. We are working really hard and looking at turning it up this fall.”

However, ESPN and a handful of betting sites don’t foresee an uptick in wins this fall. Six prognosticators peg the Gophers’ over/under win total between 4.5 and 5.5 this fall. ESPN’s model has the U at 5.3 wins.

“Ignore it,” Ersery said about his reaction to those projections. “Focus on the now. Focus on our team. Focus on the (offensive) line. Focus on continuing to get better every day.”

Defensive end Danny Striggow said in an ideal world a positive thing motivates players. But when it was negative, no one is needed to push buttons or light a fire, he said.

“Sometimes you need a kick in the butt,” Striggow said. “Hey, what we did last year didn’t work. We are going to use that to change how we work this year to be able to say, ‘I don’t want to go through another season like that.’ ”

Striggow lamented the 37-34 loss to Northwestern in September and the 49-30 loss to Purdue in November. The 27-26 defeat to Illinois in early November can also be thrown in the mix as winnable games that got away.

“At the end of the day, you look back at the season (and) we left so much (meat) on the bone, we left a lot of things out there,” Striggow said. “It spoke for itself for a lot of guys on the team.”

Defensive tackle Jalen Logan-Redding offered: “I feel like a lot of people are underestimating us as a team.”

Why? “Because they look at that schedule and see we don’t have any talented players — and that is truly not it,” he replied.

Another tough schedule awaits the Gophers, starting in less than 50 days with the opener against North Carolina at Huntington Bank Stadium on Aug. 29. After Rhode Island and Nevada visit Minneapolis, the Gophers host rival Iowa and travel to defending national champion Michigan to end September.

October starts with Big Ten newcomers: Southern Cal at home on Oct. 5, followed by UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 12.  Maryland, Illinois and Rutgers are next up, with Penn State at home and a road trip to rival Wisconsin to close November.

The Gophers’ depth was stretched in 2023, primary at linebacker but also receiver, where contributor Le’Meke Brockington missed the majority of the season with a broken leg.

“I kind of feel like we have something to prove, especially with a lot of guys going down last year,” Brokington said. “Our depth started getting low, just a bunch of injuries and some freshman guys who had to step in way earlier than they thought. I feel like we got more to prove.”

Fellow receiver Daniel Jackson said he’s grown used to outside naysayers during his five years in Dinkytown.

“Overlooked or under-looked, I don’t think it really matters,” he said. “I don’t typically have an opinion on that because a lot of people know we are Minnesota football. We are never going to be the most highly touted team ever, so that comes with the territory (and it’s about) using that to hunger you.”

Setting the line

A sampling of over/under predictions for the Gophers football team’s win total this fall:

5.5 — Fan Duel, Covers.com, BetMGM

5 — DraftKings

4.5 — Vegas Insider

Related Articles

Breakdown of Gophers football’s 2025 recruiting class: main focus, the QB, the prospect who got away, local sleeper

Texas offensive lineman leaves Gophers recruiting class

Forest Lake 2026 defensive lineman Howie Johnson commits to Gophers

Badgers flip defensive lineman commitment from Gophers

Gophers football: Six recruits from across the country commit to the U

In “Teen Torture, Inc.,” the three-part documentary on Max about abuses children and adolescents have survived at various boarding schools, boot camps and religious programs intended to curb rebellious behavior, a phrase comes up again and again: The troubled teen industry. It’s an industry.

That’s a chilling reality describing what author Evan Wright calls a “grab bag of all these different programs based on the idea that no matter what it takes, we’re gonna make these kids follow the rules because what they’re doing is so dangerous, it will destroy their lives.”

In many cases, the abuse is the treatment.

Director Tara Malone talks to a handful of now-adult survivors who recall, in detail, their harrowing experiences. Alas, the seriousness of their stories is continually undermined by Malone’s stylistic choices, from the use of what appear to be grainy dramatic recreations to a score that seems intended to emulate a horror movie. It’s entirely misjudged and suggests the documentary isn’t a Max (HBO) original, but something made for Discovery’s more sensationalist programming, which also (not incidentally) streams on Max. This blurring might be intentional. Either way, it detracts from the overall quality of the work.

The survivors deserve better than a documentary this shameless and crass.

Even so, they tell their stories with clear-headed disgust. The pain is still very close to the surface. One survivor says she was forcibly injected with Haldol when she refused to get out of bed one morning. Another survivor talks about being waterboarded as a 10-year-old. “What does that do to somebody?” he asks. “What does it do to everybody that watched that?”

Allen Knoll and Dave Bowsher standing outside the City of Refuge hoping to get answers in the documentary “Teen Torture, Inc.” (Talos Films/Max/TNS)

Malone interviews experts besides Wright, but his insights are strongest, perhaps because he also had first-hand experience with these programs, which he details in “The Seed: A Memoir.” (As a journalist, Wright has written for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair, and he is probably best known as the author of the 2004 non-fiction book “Generation Kill.”)

There are a thousand known troubled-teen programs operating across the country, he says. Some are run by large corporations. Some are small businesses that exist under the radar as far as state regulators are concerned. Employees are not necessarily licensed mental health or medical professionals. “You’re basically signing away custody (and therefore) that program has the right to make medical decisions for your kid,” says Maia Szalavitz, author of “Help at Any Cost.” But it’s not therapeutic, she adds: “‘Troubled teen’ is not a diagnosis.”

In many cases, when kids act out, they are working through untreated mental health issues, or are coming from homes where they are being abused or neglected. Behavior modification becomes the focus. If that sounds like an innocuous term, Wright pushes back: “The only difference between brainwashing and behavior modification is that if it’s done in a Chinese prison camp, we call it brainwashing. If it’s done in a rehab for teens, it’s called behavior modification. But it’s the same thing.”

All told, these programs affect somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred thousand young people a year, at a cost of $30,000 to $60,000 per person. According to Wright, the programs are more profitable if they “fail” because “the longer the child is held there, the more money they make.”

The documentary allows survivors to recount their experiences with dignity, but it doesn’t go deeper. It doesn’t tell us about what relationships exist, if any, between the survivors and their parents. Or — with the exception of one woman seen briefly at home with her young child and partner — what their lives are like now.

They are, of course, entitled to privacy. But from a filmmaking perspective, Malone’s approach is so limiting that each person is reduced to the worst moment in their lives.

“Teen Torture, Inc.” — 2 stars (out of 4)

Where to watch: Max

Nina Metz is a Tribune critic.