There’s a watershed moment that still sticks with Wild general manager Bill Guerin however many years later. He was working for the Pittsburgh Penguins at the time. They were trying to bolster their roster ahead of the stretch run.

That sparked an internal debate about whether it was worth giving up a third-round pick at the trade deadline. The rebuttal from longtime Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford was the stuff of legend.

“That third-round pick better be a pretty good (expletive) player,” he said.

Though it should be noted that Guerin didn’t specify the particulars of the move itself, the Penguins traded a third-round pick to the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 27, 2016 in exchange for defenseman Justin Schultz.

That successfully helped the Penguins shore up their blue line. They won the Stanley Cup a few months later.

That anecdote feels relevant when considering the sticker shock some people felt after the Wild traded a second-round pick to the Nashville Predators this week in exchange for center Michael McCarron.

The rhetoric in the immediate aftermath focused almost solely on what the Wild were giving up rather than what they were getting back. Not that Guerin seemed too concerned. He took a page out of his mentor’s book when asked about the cost of doing business, saying, “That second-round pick is not going to help us right now.”

It’s good to hear Guerin say that because that’s exactly how the Wild should be operating ahead of Friday afternoon’s NHL trade deadline. They shouldn’t be thinking about the future; not when they can accomplish so much in the present.

This is the first time in maybe forever that the Wild are legitimate contenders to win the Stanley Cup. The main objective for Guerin in the short term should be doing everything in his power to maximize the opportunity in front of him.

That logic should apply to any move — big or small — that could potentially help the Wild get over the hump.

Who cares that the Wild just traded a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft? It will be a small price to pay as long as the 6-foot-6, 230-pound McCarron can win some faceoffs and add some sandpaper to the bottom half of the lineup.

Those criticizing Guerin for what he gave up for McCarron probably couldn’t even name who the Wild selected with their second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The answer is winger Ryder Ritchie, who currently plays for Boston University and is still years away from contributing at the highest level.

That underscores a larger issue that spans all sports: an obsession with the future that often blinds fans from enjoying the present.

A good example of that came a few months ago when the Wild acquired superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. There were some people concerned at the time that Guerin had to part with young defenseman Zeev Buium to make it happen. Now that deal is proving to be the best trade in franchise history by a wide margin.

That doesn’t mean Guerin has been perfect. He made a blockbuster deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets a couple of years ago, for instance, that netted defenseman David Jiricek, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft. He’s currently toiling away in the minors.

That didn’t stop Guerin from taking another big swing when he had the chance. That might be his best quality as a decision maker. He puts himself in position to hit home runs because he isn’t afraid to strike out.

The biggest reason the Wild finally seem to be good enough to win the Stanley Cup is because they have trio of superstars in Hughes, winger Kirill Kaprizov, and winger Matt Boldy leading the way.

The next step for the Wild (36-16-10, 82 points) is rounding out the rest of their lineup. That will be of the utmost importance ahead of a silly NHL playoff format that makes likely they’ll have to play Central Division rivals Dallas (38-14-9, 85 points) and Colorado (41-10-9, 91 points) before even reaching the Western Conference Finals.

The addition of McCarron by himself likely isn’t going to be the difference between the Wild winning and losing a Stanley Cup. The fact that Guerin was willing to pull the trigger without fear might be.

Especially if it allows the Wild reel in another big fish.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) plays during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

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By ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI said this week that it is investigating “suspicious activities” on an internal system that contains sensitive information related to surveillance operations and investigations.

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The bureau is working to determine the scope and impact of the problem, according to a notification sent to members of Congress that says the unnamed culprit is using sophisticated techniques to exploit FBI network security controls.

The notification, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, says that the FBI on Feb. 17 began investigating abnormal log information related to a system on its network.

“The affected system is unclassified and contains law enforcement sensitive information, including returns from legal process, such as pen register and trap and trace surveillance returns, and personally identifiable information pertaining to subjects of FBI investigations,” said the notification reviewed by The Associated Press.

A pen register is a common surveillance tool that enables law enforcement to log phone numbers dialed by a particular line.

The FBI confirmed the cyber incident in a statement but did not provide additional details.

“The FBI identified and addressed suspicious activities on FBI networks, and we have leveraged all technical capabilities to respond,” the FBI said. “We have nothing additional to respond.”

Neither the FBI statement nor the notification identified who might be responsible for the incident, but the bureau and other federal agencies have long been targets of foreign hackers seeking to spy on sensitive operations and decision-making.

In this instance, the FBI said, the techniques being used were “sophisticated” and included leveraging a commercial internet service provider vendor’s infrastructure to exploit FBI network security controls.

Gentry Academy’s first trip to the Class 2A boys hockey state tournament was short-lived.

As the No. 8 seed in this week’s tourney, the Stars’ had their season end with a 5-0 loss to No. 1 Minnetonka in Thursday’s first quarterfinal  at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

The Skippers (25-2-2) scored three goals in the span of 5:25 in the middle of the second period, helping Minnetonka grab a stranglehold on the contest. Gentry Academy was outshot 51-12 by the Skippers.

The Stars took the ice for the first time in the Class 2A tournament since making the move up from Class A. They made the jump after an undefeated (19-0-0) season and winning the Class A state title in 2021.

Gentry Academy head coach Kyle Follmer said the second half of the year is when things clicked for the Stars, and the hope is that it is a springboard into next season.

“We hope so, we hope we can get back here next year,” Follmer said. “That’s the plan is to build off this. I think this is what the program needed. We knew this would help us take the next step as a program if we could get down here, and something the school has wanted since we joined Class 2A.”

Follmer said this was always going to be the group that helped little Gentry make it to the big school tournament.

The Stars’ senior forward and co-captain Braden Korba said this opportunity does not come around every day, and it was a goal of his from a young age.

“It’s a dream come true,” Korba said. “Rarely do people get to do this, and it’s amazing that we made it. Love this team, love everybody. Just proud of everyone.”

The Stars boys’ hockey program debuted in the 2018-19 season and has finished over .500 every season since its inception. Even as a smaller school, there has been a ton of support for this team, according to Follmer.

Stars sophomore forward Jaxon Cook said it has been awesome to see all of the support they have gotten this season.

“Our community, even though we’re a small school, is really tight,” Cook said. “Everyone loves the team. They’ve gotten behind the team. I think that’s really cool.”

Gentry Academy’s student section filled up two full sections at Grand Casino Arena, one of the largest of the tournament so far.

Skippers’ sophomore forward Cash Hardie opened the scoring 10 minutes into the first. Mason Schemenauer’s shot caromed into the middle of the slot, where Hardie slammed home the rebound.

Minnetonka junior forward Liam Schultz found the back of the net seconds after Gentry Academy killed off a roughing penalty on Colby MaCoskey with 12:30 to play in the second. Hardie scored his second with a dazzling solo effort, swerving through the Stars and beating goalie Gavin Grose, making it 3-0 for the Skippers three minutes later.

Minnetonka senior forward Cooper Rannow’s quick reflexes on a rebound made it 4-0 with 7:01 left in the period. Schultz got his second of the game just 90 seconds into the third.

Gentry Academy made a change in goal following Minnetonka’s fifth goal as Grose left with the trainer, and Raef Roeller took his place between the pipes.

The Stars captain, MaCoskey, had to be helped off the ice after being cross-checked by Rannow with 1:17 left in the game. The final horn sounded on Gentry Academy’s season but not on the belief within the squad that the best is yet to come.

“We’re just getting started,” Follmer said as he and his players walked off the podium.

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The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts’ newly announced 2026-2027 Broadway at the Ordway series includes a big surprise in “Oh, Mary!”

The dark comedy won two Tony Awards and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Subscriptions for the six-show season start at $195 and are on sale now via ordway.org. Individual tickets for “Dirty Dancing: The Musical” are on sale now, with single tickets for the other shows going on sale later this spring.

The season includes:

“Dirty Dancing: The Musical” (Aug. 12-Sept. 6): The first of four shows in the season based on movies, “Dirty Dancing” transports the 1987 Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey smash to the stage. Set in the summer of 1963, it follows a young woman who falls in love with her dance instructor. St. Paul will be the debut for a new North American tour of the musical.

“Mystic Pizza” (Oct. 6-11): The 1988 rom-com flopped but also managed to launch the career of Julia Roberts. A musical adaptation of the film was a gag in the second season of “30 Rock” in 2007 and became a reality when the show debuted in 2021 in Maine. It includes a series of ’80s pop hits, including “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “The Power of Love,” “Manic Monday” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”

“The Music Man” (Dec. 8-27): Meredith Willson’s six-time Tony Award-winning musical follows traveling salesman Harold Hill and his attempt to swindle the small town of River City, Iowa. Hugh Jackman starred in a 2022 Broadway revival that broke records and ran for nearly a year.

“Oh, Mary!” (Jan. 6-17): Best known for his roles in cult streaming hits like “Difficult People,” “Search Party” and “At Home with Amy Sedaris,” actor Cole Escola wrote this spoof about the lives of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. It portrays the latter as an alcoholic stuck in an unhappy marriage with the deeply closeted president. It debuted off-Broadway in February 2024 for what was to be a six-week run. It was such a hit, it moved to Broadway that summer and has remained a fixture ever since. Escola, who won an acting Tony, originally portrayed Mary Todd Lincoln, a role that has since been played by a series of stars including Tituss Burgess, Jinkx Monsoon, Jane Krakowski and John Cameron Mitchell.

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“Legally Blonde” (Feb. 19-21): Based on Amanda Brown’s novel and the 2001 film, the show follows a sorority girl who enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. Along the way, she ends up defending a woman in a murder trial. In a review of the original Broadway production, the New York Times called it a “high-energy, empty-calories and expensive-looking hymn to the glories of girlishness.”

“Waitress” (June 15-20, 2027): Jenna is a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and rocky marriage in this musical based on the 2007 film. An all-female creative team brought it to Broadway where it ran for nearly four years. It features original music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Sara Bareilles (“Brave,” “Love Song”).