Vikings fans will get a chance to see some of their favorite players on the field one more time this season. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, linebacker Anthony Barr, safety Harrison Smith and defensive end Everson Griffen were all late addition to the Pro Bowl and join star running back Adrian Peterson in the NFL's version of an all-star game on Sunday.
The state's Division 1 college hockey talent will be on display in the third annual North Star College Cup at Xcel Energy Center. The tournament's inaugural champion and host Gophers face off against last year's champion Bemidji State in the first round on Saturday.
Here are the local sports highlights to watch this weekend:
Friday
Gophers women's hockey at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m., No TV, listen at gophersports.com
Need to know: The No. 3 Gophers travel to No. 7 Bemidji State looking for a second sweep against the Beavers this season.
Timberwolves at Utah, 8 p.m., FSN, 830-AM
Need to know: The Wolves have lost two straight and 13 of their last 15 games, but were competitive against two of the league's top teams — Cleveland and Oklahoma City — this week.
Saturday
North Star College Cup, Minnesota State vs. St. Cloud State at Xcel Energy Center, 1 p.m., FSN
Need to know: No. 3 St. Cloud State is the highest-ranked in-state Division 1 program, while Minnesota State is ranked 19th in the country.
Gophers men's basketball at Indiana, 1:15 p.m., BTN, 1500-AM
Need to know: The Gophers are still looking for their first victory in Big Ten play. They are 0-9 in conference and have lost 10 straight games.
North Star College Cup, Gophers men's hockey vs. Bemidji State at Xcel Energy enter, 4 p.m., FSN, 1500-AM
Need to know: The Gophers have an 18-1-1 all-time record against the Beavers and are hoping to upset the defending North Star College Cup champs in the first-round game.
Gophers women's hockey at Bemidji State, 4:07 p.m., No TV, listen at gophersports.com
Need to know: Hannah Brandt scored a program record five goals in the last series finale between these two teams.
Sunday
Gophers women's basketball at Michigan, 11:30 a.m., BTN, 88.5-FM
Need to know: The Gophers have won four straight games and have moved into the top half of the Big Ten standings. The Wolverines and Gophers are two of the nation's top 10 highest-scoring teams.
North Star College Cup, Gophers men's hockey vs. St. Cloud State or Minnesota State, 1 or 4 p.m., FSN, 1500-AM
Need to know: The Gophers will play in Sunday's 4 p.m. championship game if they win Saturday. If they lose the first-round game against Bemidji State, they'll play in the 1 p.m. consolation game.
NHL All-Star Game, 4 p.m., NBCSN
Need to know: The Wild's only representative in this year's NHL All-Star Game is goaltender Devan Dubnyk. His four shutouts rank third in the league.
NFL Pro Bowl, 6 p.m., ESPN
Need to know: The Vikings will be well-represented in Hawaii with the four recent additions to the Pro Bowl roster. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, linebacker Anthony Barr and safety Harrison Smith will play for Team Irvin. Star running back Adrian Peterson and defensive end Everson Griffen will play for Team Rice.
Timberwolves at Portland, 8 p.m., FSN, 830-AM
Need to know: The Wolves continue a four-game road trip with their first of three stops on the West Coast.
