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Kaprizov, Spurgeon returns bolster Wild lineup

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Kaprizov, Spurgeon returns bolster Wild lineup


ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have managed to hold together a highly competitive team all season despite a series of injuries that have sidelined several of their most important players.

Their lineup got a big boost Thursday when star Kirill Kaprizov and captain Jared Spurgeon were activated from injured reserve before their game against Utah.

“They had a long road to get back and put in a lot of hard work, so it’s nice that they’re getting an opportunity to play,” coach John Hynes said after the team’s morning skate.

Still missing are defenseman Jonas Brodin (lower body) for the seventh straight game and left winger Marcus Johansson (concussion) for the third game in a row.

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Kaprizov last played Dec. 23 against the Chicago Blackhawks. He missed 12 games with a lower body injury that lingered longer than the Wild initially believed it would, and they took a cautious midseason approach to the return of their leading scorer and first-line left winger.

Kaprizov was among the NHL leaders in goals and points and was legitimately in the mix of MVP candidates before he was hurt. He has 23 goals and 27 assists in 34 games, still ranking 11th in the league in goals despite the absence.

“I just try don’t think about this. Now I am just happy to come back,” Kaprizov said. “I don’t play one month. I don’t think about points or something like that. I just want to feel good in the game.”

His biggest challenge might be learning how to take it easy when he needs to between games, a workhorse skater who frequently stays on the ice well past the end of practice.

“He’s got to do what he needs to do to get himself ready and prepared, but then as the season goes on, sometimes you need to maybe tweak some of those things like that,” Hynes said. “That’s not necessarily my department. It’s him with the trainers and the strength coach and things like that. Nothing major, just make sure he’s feeling good and prepared to play but also making sure that he’s managing himself.”

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Spurgeon missed nine games with a lower body injury that he said Thursday included his ankle and knee. The 15th-year veteran defenseman was taken down Dec. 31 by a slew foot move that got Nashville Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux a three-game suspension.

In his first interview since the injury, Spurgeon declined to comment specifically about the play. After being limited to 16 games last season because of hip and back injuries, Spurgeon was healthy and thriving until this latest setback.

“That was the most frustrating part, just having to go back in the gym and doing the same stuff all over again. It brings back some bad memories,” Spurgeon said.

Spurgeon and the Wild were pleasantly surprised by the relatively brief absence after his awkward and frightening crash into the boards caused them to immediately fear a season-ending injury.

“His work ethic was unbelievable. I thought he might’ve been back like a week earlier just watching him off the ice and in the gym with the work he put in,” Hynes said, adding: “All those leadership things that he brings are great to have and missed when he’s not in the lineup, then obviously what he brings on the ice, the way that he can play and what he means to our team in those situations. It’s great to have him back.”

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Here’s who will lead Utah Valley University as its next president

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Here’s who will lead Utah Valley University as its next president


Jon Anderson will be charged with moving the Orem school forward following the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on campus last year.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Incoming UVU President Jon Anderson poses for a photo with his family after an event announcing his selection at Utah Valley University in Orem on Friday, July 17, 2026.



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Beaver County residents set up thousands of sandbags ahead of flashfloods

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Beaver County residents set up thousands of sandbags ahead of flashfloods


BEAVER COUNTY, Utah — A massive community effort is underway as volunteers and Beaver County crews distribute thousands of sandbags to protect homes from the potential path of floodwaters.

After the Cottonwood Fires, residents have been waiting for weeks for relief to come in the form of rain, though officials now warn it may come all at once with an increased risk of flooding and debris flow.

Emergency Service Director Les Whitney believes that the fire has left plenty of debris to bring trouble for residents.

“We got a lot of water. We’re bringing debris with it, so tree branches, tree limbs, logs, lots of different size firewood, and that’s all in the creeks. We’re worried about that plugging up our bridges and stuff, so we have heavy equipment and excavators located in strategic places so that we can keep those bridges open,” said Whitney.

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An estimated 140 homes and condominiums were spared from the flames, but remain in the paths of floodwaters.

Residents can also pick up sandbags at the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office or at the Beaver County Rodeo Fairgrounds.





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Utah man arrested again for allegedly abusing dog twice in three months

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Utah man arrested again for allegedly abusing dog twice in three months


EAGLE MOUNTAIN — An Eagle Mountain man currently on pretrial release in 4th District Court who is accused of abusing his dog has been arrested again for allegedly punching the same animal.

Keith Reaves Davis, 43, was booked into the Utah County Jail on Wednesday for investigation of aggravated cruelty to an animal.

Utah County sheriff’s deputies were called Wednesday afternoon to a grocery store on a report that a man was beating his dog after it had gotten off its leash and was stopped by a bystander, according to a police booking affidavit.

“I reviewed security camera footage from the grocery store, and an individual matching the description of the suspect was seen holding the dog in the air by one paw and repeatedly striking the dog on the right hind leg area. I observed the male strike the dog several times before dropping the dog from approximately 1-2 feet. The strikes appeared to be as hard as the male could hit,” the arresting deputy wrote in the affidavit. “The dog did not cry out or whimper as if the dog was accustomed to the abuse.”

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When questioned, Davis “admitted to striking the dog because it was not behaving,” the affidavit states.

An animal control officer who responded to the scene to take custody of the dog noted it was the same dog he had taken from Davis exactly three months earlier during another animal abuse investigation.

In that case, Davis was charged in 4th District Court with aggravated cruelty to an animal, a class A misdemeanor; and public intoxication, a class C misdemeanor, after deputies received a tip from a neighbor that a dog was being abused at Davis’ home, according to charging documents. When questioned, Davis “acknowledged hitting his dog as punishment,” the charges state.

Deputies also reviewed videos that the neighbor had filmed. The neighbor told investigators “there was blood from the dog on the ground of the garage and (the neighbor) can hear the dog screaming as if it’s being hurt. Deputies got the videos from the (neighbor) and you can hear very loudly the dog screaming and crying with a lot of loud banging noises. In one of the videos, you can hear the dog sounding like it is being choked by a collar and is grasping for air,” a police booking affidavit states.

Davis’ next court hearing in the April case is scheduled for July 28.

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In their latest booking report, sheriff’s deputies note that they “believe further harm will be inflicted on this dog if it is released back to the male a second time,” and have recommended the dog not be returned to Davis.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.



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