Minnesota Scene: Ex-Twin Rod Carew faring well month after heart, kidney transplant

Twins great Rod Carew passed the one-month mark since a heart and kidney transplant with no signs of rejection.

The Hall of Famer told the American Heart Association News he was "doing great" since the 13-hour operation on Dec. 16. He has spent the last week in a rehabilitation center and is expected to return home soon.

Carew, 71, said he wants to remind people to get their hearts checked. His donor was a 29-year-old man.

The No. 4 Gophers women's hockey team (16-5-2, 12-4-2-2 WCHA) will play host to Ohio State (11-11-2, 5-11-2) this weekend after getting swept by Minnesota Duluth on the road. The first game is 7 p.m. Friday at Ridder Arena, the second game 2 p.m. Saturday.

The Gophers had a 21-game unbeaten streak (20-0-1) against UMD broken. And the Gophers have a twice as long unbeaten streak — 42 games (40-0-2) going back to February 2008. They won two one-goal games over the Buckeyes, 3-2 and 2-1, Oct. 21-22 in Columbus.

Canterbury Park announced it will host 13 quarter horse stakes races worth a total of $600,000 in purses during this summer's 67-day racing season.

The track's richest race for quarter horses will be the Mystic Lake Northlands Futurity on July 2, which is expected to offer a purse of more than $160,000. The 350-yard race for 2-year-olds will be run for a 30th year. Two other races, the Canterbury Quarter Horse Derby on July 16 and the BOA Canterbury Park Challenge Championship on July 4, will have purses of more than $60,000.

Minnesota cross-country skiers Jessie Diggins (Afton), Caitlin Gregg (Minneapolis) and Kyle Bratrud (Eden Prairie) have been named to the U.S. team that will compete in the Nordic World Ski Championships from Feb. 22 to March 5 in Lahti, Finland.

Diggins and Gregg are among only four Americans who have medaled at the event. Diggins won gold in the team sprint in 2013, and she and Gregg — an eight-time U.S. champion — were the silver and bronze medalists, respectively, in the 10-kilometer freestyle in 2015. Bratrud won a U.S. championship earlier this month in the men's 15K freestyle.

RACHEL BLOUNT

• The No. 12 Gophers wrestling team (4-2, 3-1 Big Ten) will play host to No. 5 Nebraska (9-1, 2-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at the Sports Pavilion.