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Minnesota United Sells Oluwaseyi, Shows Need For MLS Calendar Switch

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Minnesota United Sells Oluwaseyi, Shows Need For MLS Calendar Switch


In the end, Minnesota United Sporting Director Khaled El-Ahmad had no good options as Villareal pursued Loons star striker Tani Oluwayesi.

He could either separate his squad from its most productive attcking player just in time for the MLS stretch run and next month’s U.S. Open Cup final. Or he could risk alienating the 25-year-old Oluwaseyi by denying a preciously rare chance to move from MLS directly to a Big Five European league, not to mention leaving a club record transfer fee of reportedly $8.5-$9 million on the table.

In the end, El-Ahmad did what was definitely in Oluwaseyi’s best long-term interest, and probably the club’s as well, officially sending the Canadian international on to an enticing new opportunity in a move announced Friday.

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And in doing so, he also illustrated why so many clubs – even those who experience frigid winters like those in Minnesota – are coming around on a potential MLS calendar switch that feels like an eventuality more than a question.

Dollars Out Require Dollars In

With the close of the league’s incoming window earlier this month, MLS smashed its previous record for outlay on new players, with 30 clubs combining to spend roughly $336 million in deals during the league’s two 2025 windows.

But the long-term sustainability of such an approach depends on MLS also to increase its volume as a player exporter. And the only real way to continue that work is to be willing to sell when most clubs with money are doing most of their buying: the summer season that precedes the beginning of most European seasons.

Minnesota is far from the first MLS club to suffer from this misalignment. And in particular, teams with in-form strikers like Oluwaseyi have repeatedly found the terms of mid-season sales too good to refuse.

In 2022, the New England Revolution sold striker Adam Buksa to RC Lens in early June. Later that year, New York City FC loaned Valentin Castellanos to Girona for the start of their La Liga campaign.

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Last summer, the Philadelphia Union sold Julian Carranza to Feynoord just hours before the calendar turned to July. Not long after Real Salt Lake sold Andres Gomez to Stade Rennais.

All four of those clubs made genuine attempts to reload before the year ended. Only 2022 NYCFC won a playoff match. Neither 2022 New England nor 2024 Philadelphia reached the postseason.

Weathering The Storm

Minnesota’s sale comes even later, meaning the Loons can no longer make incoming transfers and can only add to their rosters via free agent signings. That said, the club were clearly planning on this eventuality when they added forwards Mamadou Diengo from Hartford Athletic and Kenyel Michel from LD Alajuelense.

They were also one of the few MLS teams with two productive center forwards, and Kelvin Yeboah will now perhaps get more chances to add to his haul of nine goals and two assists. But there’s bound to be a drag on the Loons’ performances for the rest of the season with Oluwaseyi’s departure.

Switching the schedule will come with challenges. Playing through the coldest part of the winter in Minnesota is not only inadvisable, it’s more or less impossible, as an infamous World Cup qualifier between the United States and Honduras in early February of 2022 proved.

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But the combination of a winter break, some additional scheduling imbalances to help the league’s coldest markets, and perhaps even the shifting of Leagues Cup on the annual schedule should make those challenges solvable.

In exchange, clubs like this year’s Loons or last year’s RSL wouldn’t have to face the prospect of sandbagging their season for a club-record payday nearly as often. Instead, they could do much of that business at the start of their own campaign, giving sporting directors, managers and even fans a lot more time to adjust to their side’s new reality.

If MLS is serious about becoming a league that rivals some of the world’s most famous, that change needs to come as soon as is reasonably possible.



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Minnesota weather: What to expect with Thursday’s snow, strong winds

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Minnesota weather: What to expect with Thursday’s snow, strong winds


Temperatures dropping, snow and strong winds are set to come through the state Thursday. 

Here’s what to expect for Thursday’s winter weather. 

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What to expect for Thursday’s snow, dropping temps

What to expect:

A winter weather advisory is in place for parts of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities Thursday.

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A warm front overnight Wednesday will bring rain, then a cold front Thursday is expected to bring snow. 

Temperatures are expected to drop significantly, which could cause slippery roads for the morning and evening commute. 

There is also a blizzard warning for the far northwest of Minnesota Thursday. 

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A wind advisory is in place for the southwest portion of the state on Thursday, which could bring wind speeds of up to 50 mph. 

An inch or two of snow is expected, but road conditions will deteriorate throughout the day Thursday. As the cold front moves through the state late Thursday morning, winds could be 40–50 mph.

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Due to strong winds, any snow that falls could reduce viability when driving Thursday. Temperatures are expected to fall into single digits by the evening. 

Extended forecast

What’s next:

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Friday could see a few flurries with temperatures in the low 20s. Saturday will have occasional passing clouds and highs in the upper 20s, while Sunday is cooler, but comes with more sunshine. 

Temperatures warm back into the 30s for the start of next week. 

Weather ForecastMinnesota
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Inver Grove Heights chosen as official location of Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame

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Inver Grove Heights chosen as official location of Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame


The future location of the Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame (MNHHOF) will be in the city of Inver Grove Heights.

The future location of the Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame (MNHHOF) will be in the city of Inver Grove Heights.

In the announcement made on Wednesday, the MNHHOF said the new site will be a 120,000-plus-square-foot, multi-purpose facility located adjacent to Interstate 494 and just east of Vikings Lakes and the Minnesota Vikings training complex.

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“Since announcing this legacy project in August, the outpouring of support from players past and present, Minnesota-based companies, and hockey fans statewide has been overwhelming,” said MNHHOF CEO Natalie Darwitz. “We’re truly excited to build our permanent home in Inver Grove Heights, honoring the past and inspiring the future of Minnesota hockey.”

The current plans for the facility are to build it on a 40-acre section of land, featuring an ice rink, a 20,000-square-foot performance venue, a 30,000-square-foot museum, a hockey-themed restaurant and taproom and multiple event and community spaces.

“The City is thrilled that the Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame has selected Inver Grove Heights as its home, and we look forward to welcoming them to our community,” said Inver Grove Heights Mayor Brenda Dietrich. “The site is in our Northwest Area, which has long been envisioned for major development, and the Hall of Fame offers the opportunity for new amenities and attractions that will benefit Inver Grove Heights for years to come.”

MNHHOF plans to break ground in 2026, with a planned opening in late 2028.

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KSTP/SurveyUSA poll results: Trump, Walz both below 50% approval in Minnesota

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KSTP/SurveyUSA poll results: Trump, Walz both below 50% approval in Minnesota


KSTP/SurveyUSA poll results: Trump, Walz both below 50% approval in Minnesota

The political feud between President Donald Trump and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is frequently documented.

While both try to score political points with their criticism of each other, neither has much in the way of bragging rights when it comes to approval ratings in Minnesota.

According to our exclusive KSTP/SurveyUSA poll, the president has a 42% approval rating in Minnesota with 55% disapproval. That 13-point difference is six points worse than our last survey three months ago.

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Trump retains the approval of 89% of Republicans but just 35% of independents.

“Trump is always running a bit below the national average in job approval in Minnesota and that is the case here,” says Carleton College political analyst Steven Schier. However, the newest Associated Press/Reuters poll showed the president with a 39% approval rating and 59% disapproval, slightly better than his Minnesota results.

The president’s approval is bogged down by a 43% approval of his handling of the economy.

Gov. Walz doesn’t fare much better in our survey. For the second survey in a row, Walz is at 48% approval and 48% disapproval. Those ratings are his lowest in the 20 times we’ve surveyed his approval in the past four years. He’s seeking an unprecedented third four-year term as governor of Minnesota.

“Gov. Walz’s approval puts him in sort of a flashing yellow light zone,” says Schier. “There’s some danger ahead. He’s below 50% approval.”

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The Walz approval numbers are weighed down by just 14% who say he’s done enough to stop state government fraud.

Our survey included 35% Democrats, 31% Republicans and 29% independents.

SurveyUSA interviewed 650 adults from the state of Minnesota 12/09/25 through 12/12/25. Of the adults, 578 were identified as being registered to vote and were asked the questions which follow. This research was conducted online, using nonprobability sample of online adult panelists chosen randomly by Cint USA. The combined pool of survey respondents was weighted to US Census ACS targets for gender, age, race, education, and home ownership.



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