With less than a dozen games remaining before the NHL takes a three-week break for the Winter Olympics, the Minnesota Wild find themselves getting younger on defense — and not by choice.

Veteran blue line presence Jonas Brodin — who missed four games in December due to a lower-body injury — is out of the lineup again, and this time the absence could be more lengthy.

Wild coach John Hynes said on Thursday morning that Brodin is once again beset by a lower-body injury, and is considered week to week. Brodin was one of four Wild players selected to skate for Team Sweden in next month’s Olympics. Hynes said he is still awaiting more information on the injury but said it was too early to rule Brodin in or out for the Winter Games.

Brodin played for Team Sweden at the World Championship last May and aggravated an injury that limited him in training camp. Hynes was asked if Wild general manager Bill Guerin would suggest Brodin skip the Olympics to be healthier for the Wild in March, April and a potential playoff run.

“I think we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I think that’s, obviously, something that’d be between Billy and Jonas,” Hynes said. “Right now, I think we’ll just see where he’s at and exactly what it is. I think there needs to be more things looked at in order for us to get to that point. … Maybe he’s ready before the Olympics, maybe he’s not. We don’t know at this point in time.”

The loss of Brodin comes as the Wild headed into Thursday night’s matchup with Winnipeg still missing veteran forward Joel Eriksson Ek — also a potential member of Team Sweden — and veteran defenseman Zach Bogosian.

Hynes said that he expects Eriksson Ek and Bogosian to accompany the Wild on their upcoming three-game road trip to Buffalo, Toronto and Montreal.

With the blue line looking thin, the Wild recalled defensemen David Spacek and Carson Lambos from Iowa on Thursday. Spacek, who was expected to make his NHL debut versus the Jets, said he was on the way to Costco in Des Moines, Iowa, when he got the call-up.

“We went there and turned around, got packed and went up to Minnesota,” said Spacek after the team’s morning skate on Thursday. Thurday’s game will be the NHL debut for David but not his family. His father, Jaroslav, played more than 900 NHL games for a handful of teams before retiring in 2012.

The NHL debut for David comes just days after he was named to Team Czechia for the Olympics.

“It’s just been piling up a little bit, but I’m very glad for both,” he said. “I’ll just go out there and have fun.”

Hynes, who coached Spacek in training camp and in the preseason, said he feels the rookie could contribute right away.

“I think he’s played some solid hockey. He’s a good puck-moving defenseman,” Hynes said. “Talking to the management … he’s played with efficiency, he’s defended well, he’s moved the puck well, positioning has been strong. So, just come in and keep doing what he’s doing.”

A fifth-round pick of the Wild in the 2022 NHL draft, Spacek has 19 points in 35 games for Iowa this season.

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Goaltending, it has been said, is 90% of the equation in hockey. And for top-ranked Michigan, it has been the key to much of the Wolverines’ success this season.

At a program that seemingly always has offensive depth, goaltending has been the missing link there in the past decade. But Michigan seemed to have that problem solved this season. They come to Minnesota this weekend with an 18-4-0 record, having lost just once since Thanksgiving.

And they also have a problem.

Freshman goalie Jack Ivankovic has been the every night puck-stopper for Michigan, and spent the holidays in the Twin Cities, winning a World Juniors bronze medal with Team Canada. Then disaster struck.

In a home win versus Notre Dame last weekend, Ivankovic was injured during a collision in the crease and is expected to miss the next month or more with a lower-body injury. The Wolverines will be playing another freshman, Stephen Peck, going forward.

Peck, who is from New York City, has one college game — a win — under his belt. Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said Ivankovic has been the team’s backbone this season and, despite the injury, they are planning more of the same when they visit a Gophers’ team that is 8-12-1 (4-6 Big Ten) and coming off a pair of road losses at Penn State last weekend.

“We’re not going to change our style of play because a different goalie’s in net,” Naurato said this week. “So, we have trust in Steve and will be good to go. Excited for the weekend.”

Gophers coach Bob Motzko is familiar with being forced to make a mid-season goalie change.

When he met with the media this week, it was four years to the day since Justen Close made his debut as Minnesota’s every night goalie after their mainstay — Jack LaFontaine — left the team in January 2022 to sign a professional contract. Forced to be “the guy” unexpectedly, Close backstopped a pair of trips to the Frozen Four, a pair of Big Ten titles, and a national runner-up finish in 2023.

“How many times have we seen that? A guy goes down, the next guy comes in and he’s just as good,” Motzko said. “The guy that went out had a terrific first half.”

Minnesota has not played a home game since before Thanksgiving and is quickly reaching a point of some desperation.

They’re sitting fifth in the seven-team conference and will likely have to win the conference tournament to get a NCAA tournament invite. As much as he believes veterans drive success, Motzko said one key to finishing strong will be getting his younger players to keep contributing.

“We don’t have a choice. That group is going to play in key roles,” Motzko said of his freshmen. “And we’re watching them grow up in front of us.”

Minnesota-Michigan is one of college hockey’s oldest rivalries, and there is a traveling trophy at stake, in addition to the host Gophers getting a shot at the team that sits atop the national polls. Motzko said rankings are of little importance anytime his team faces a foe wearing maize and blue.

“It wouldn’t matter what number you put by Michigan. They’re a really talented hockey team,” Motzko said. “Something we’ve gotten used to seeing around here. They’ve got offense out of all four lines and they’re feeling it.”

The games, at 3M Arena at Mariucci, face off at 7 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday.

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Officials at the Basic Needs food pantry in Cottage Grove on Thursday were still trying to determine the location of a volunteer who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Wednesday afternoon in the organization’s parking lot.

“We don’t know where he is. We don’t know how he’s doing,” said Opey Peñaloga, the organization’s executive director. “We’ve been trying to reach his family. ICE showed up Monday, came back on Tuesday and then arrested him on Wednesday. We knew that they were there, we could see them, and so we were preparing ourselves.”

The man, whom Peñaloga described as “middle-aged and Latino,” has been volunteering at Basic Needs Food Market, located at 8475 E. Point Douglas Road, several times a week since October. The volunteer, a pastor who leads a Spanish-speaking congregation, helps shoppers at Basic Needs and provides translation services for Spanish-speaking customers, Peñaloga said.

The volunteer went on a break around 1 p.m. Wednesday, and “as he was coming back in the doors, they just pulled up out of nowhere,” he said. “They asked him for his documents, and he supplied them with whatever ID he had. … Whatever it was that he did show them wasn’t enough, you know, to satisfy them. They arrested him on the spot, just at the doors of our food market.”

Peñaloga declined to share the volunteer’s name. He said he does not know his immigration status, although he does not believe he is a citizen.

The arrest, which was captured on video, shows the man being loaded in the back of a black SUV in the parking lot.

“It is deeply upsetting,” Peñaloga said. “It has had our volunteers and shoppers on edge, and we have seen a noticeable decrease in shoppers of color. People, as you know, they’re keeping themselves safe at home, which poses the next problem: If they were using our services, they already had food insecurity, and so we’re working with other organizations that are local that can help us do food drops to their homes.”

City officials troubled

Basic Needs shared the news in a statement posted on social media on Wednesday night.

“Basic Needs is deeply troubled by the arrest and detention of one of our valued volunteers by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today,” the statement reads. “We stand firmly with our community during this challenging time. Our commitment to serving all members of our community remains unwavering. We believe in the dignity and worth of every individual, and we will continue to provide support and resources to those who need them. Our doors remain open, and our mission continues. We will not be deterred from serving our community with the same dedication and care that you all expect and deserve.”

The arrest shows that ICE agents are everywhere in the Twin Cities, Peñaloga said, including in the suburbs. “I think people are under this false illusion that the suburbs are safe, but there are just too many ICE agents here,” he said. “They’re just all across the Twin Cities.”

City officials in Cottage Grove said they have heard reports from residents of apparent ICE activity within city limits, but said Cottage Grove police officers “are not notified of federal operations and do not participate in federal immigration enforcement activity.”

Mayor Myron Bailey said Thursday that he was “troubled” to hear about the arrest of the volunteer.

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“While I am unaware of the details surrounding this, I want to vocalize my support for Basic Needs and the incredible work they do as an organization in our community,” Bailey said. “Our staff and I are committed to continuing our communication with Basic Needs and their doors remain open as they continue to serve this community. I am deeply grateful for all that they do.”

Washington County Board Chair Karla Bigham, who represents Cottage Grove, decried the actions of ICE.

Basic Needs “is a community organization where people go to get food,” she said. “He was a volunteer. This is completely unacceptable and egregious. These actions are not making our community safer. They will prohibit residents and citizens from getting essential services, like food, due to fear of being wrongfully detained by ICE. Our community will step up and help our neighbors because that is who we are.”

Volunteers, donations needed

The Basic Needs Food Market is stocked daily with food rescues from local grocers and the South Washington County School District and donations from the public. It is open from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

Many clients are seniors, and many are Hispanic, Hmong and East African, according to Peñaloga.

Basic Needs is in need of additional volunteers “to help us keep the food market open,” he said. “We have volunteers who are conflicted about coming in. Some people maybe don’t share that same level of fear, and if they’d like to volunteer, and come on in, that’s what we need.”

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The organization also is putting out a call for donations because “we’ve doubled our food orders, and we have to buy culturally specific food, especially for our East African neighbors,” said Peñaloga, who joined the organization, formerly known as Stone Soup, in 2024. “That’s much more expensive than just general food.”

In addition to the food market, Basic Needs, based in St. Paul Park, runs the Basic Needs Thrift Shop in St. Paul Park.

Peñaloga said organization staff and volunteers are committed to continuing their “important work.”

“We’re continuing to ground our work in the belief that every person deserves access to basic needs and to be treated with humanity regardless of their circumstances,” Peñaloga said. “We all have a job to do, and our job is to get food out to our neighbors in need, and we’re going to keep doing that.”

Uncle Sam wants you. And now he wants your voting data, too.

The law — and long-standing policy — say he shouldn’t get it.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed lawsuits in 23 states and the District of Columbia seeking access to detailed voter information for the purpose of building a national database. The department’s demand sets a dangerous precedent and could expose millions of Americans to fraud, abuse and other nefarious activity.

In an amicus brief filed in late December, several former DOJ voting-rights lawyers argued that the suit filed in California should be dismissed because the demand, like those filed in other states, violates federal law. As the amici note, although the federal government is entitled to certain voter information under various statutes, the Department of Justice has exceeded its authority by requesting sweeping access to all data for all voters nationwide, including “registration method, participation history, party affiliation, partial Social Security Numbers (SSNs), and driver’s license numbers,” without demonstrating a sufficient legal or factual basis.

Some critics argue that the Justice Department is collecting this data to bolster a false narrative that noncitizens are voting illegally. While preventing ineligible voters from casting ballots is a valid goal, the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act assign the responsibility for maintaining voter rolls to states, not the federal government.

One of the things I learned in my work as a national security prosecutor is the importance of keeping information “compartmented.” That means that data should be segregated so that only those with a legitimate need to know can access it. For example, classified information is compartmented into categories so that those who need access to confidential human sources in a terrorism case cannot also learn the location of nuclear weapons. Such separations are essential to operational security, ensuring that unauthorized individuals cannot access highly sensitive information. The same principle should apply to the private data of American citizens.

A comprehensive national repository of personal information poses serious dangers to the public. First, a centralized federal database would create a significant vulnerability to cyber intrusions. A single breach of a database that contains both driver’s license and Social Security numbers could enable identity theft on a massive scale. In 2015, for example, I was one of the 22 million current and former federal employees victimized in a cyberattack on the Office of Personnel Management. Hackers stole highly sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers, fingerprints and answers to background-investigation questions, some of which included data pertaining to our parents, siblings and children. That information is now in the hands of identity thieves and potentially hostile foreign adversaries, patiently waiting for the right moment to strike. We voluntarily provided that information as a condition of working for the federal government. Other Americans should not be required to expose their personal data to such risk.

Second, data compiled for a laudable purpose can later be abused for a nefarious one. During World War II, Nazis in Germany used census data to round up Jewish citizens. And lest we think the U.S. is immune from such conduct, our own government relied on similar data to identify and locate Japanese Americans for internment. In the 1960s and 1970s, the FBI ran a program called COINTEL PRO — the Counterintelligence Program — using personal data to surveil Vietnam War protesters and civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr.

We should be free to speak out against our government without fear that our data will later be used to target us for retaliation. Knowing that the government maintains a comprehensive database of personal information could lead to self-censorship and chill free speech, particularly under an administration that at times appears motivated by retribution.

Third, the creation of a national database is contrary to our foundational commitment to a limited federal government. The Constitution gives states the power to decide the time, place and manner of elections. While Congress is permitted to enact laws to protect the right to vote, the executive branch should not be permitted to engage in mission creep by developing a comprehensive federal voter database without clear and specific legislative authorization.

Fourth, mistakes are inevitable. Voter rolls are dynamic documents, constantly changing as citizens reach voting age, become naturalized, die or move between states, making it likely that any federal database would be inaccurate almost immediately. Identifying and correcting errors in federal databases can be difficult, and those errors can have harmful consequences. When I served as a federal prosecutor in Detroit, I encountered instances in which people were incorrectly placed on no-fly lists. Although the lists served an important public safety function, I saw firsthand how someone could be flagged simply because they shared a name with a suspect or due to human error. According to a letter submitted by a dozen secretaries of state to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a massive federal voting database is particularly dangerous because it “is likely to misidentify eligible voters as non-citizens and to chill participation by eligible voters.”

Given the Trump administration’s willingness to push legal boundaries, the last thing we should entrust it with is a centralized trove of our sensitive personal data.

Barbara McQuade is a professor at the University of Michigan Law school, a former U.S. attorney and author of “Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America.”

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