ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Jesper Wallstedt let in a goal on a power play against the Minnesota Wild in the first period, looked up at the scoreboard to quickly analyze the replay, and realized something wasn't right.
The name on the back of his green jersey was misspelled: W-a-l-l-s-t-e-a-d.
“An April Fool's joke,” Wallstedt said after beating the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night, “but a little late.”
So he's sure this was a classic rookie prank and not an honest manufacturing mistake?
“Yeah, 100 percent. I don’t know exactly who it is, but obviously I have a feeling of who it could be,” said Wallstedt, suggesting fellow goalie Filip Gustavsson was the culprit.
When Marc-Andre Fleury retired last spring, he left behind quite the legacy as a prankster. Though Fleury turned over the net to Gustavsson and Wallstedt on the ice, the 41-year-old with the second-most wins in NHL history has stayed around the team this season as a practice goalie and with an informal front office role as a player development advisor.
Was it possible Fleury found his way in on the joke too?
“Oh, I didn’t think that Flower could be involved,” Wallstedt said. “Then I definitely think it’s a team job. Well done for them. Yeah, I’d rather take it that way than having my car on cinder blocks or something. I’d rather have my name a little misspelled.”
For the record, Wallstedt had his proper spelling restored for the second period. He had 34 saves in the 3-2 win over the Ducks and finished his rookie season 18-9-6 with the NHL's second-best save percentage (.915).
“I hope they threw that nameplate away," Wallstedt said. "I have no idea where it went.”
Since starting his career 8-0-2 with four shutouts, Wallstedt has continued to give the Wild confidence in their tandem of Swedish Olympians — and a decision to make with the playoffs approaching.
Gustavsson has more experience and enjoyed plenty of strong stretches this season, but he's only 2-4 in his last six starts with 25 goals allowed. Wallstedt might have forced his way into some type of rotation in the first-round series against the Dallas Stars.
“I like the way I’ve been playing lately, especially after the Olympics. I thought I was in a good spot going into the Olympics, too,” Wallstedt said. “Obviously I was a little bit bummed that I didn’t get to play anything there, and maybe that gave some extra motivation for the games after. And ever since, I’ve felt like I’ve been in a good spot and given our team a good chance to win.”
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Anaheim Ducks' Leo Carlsson (91) attempts a goal while Minnesota Wild's Daemon Hunt (48) and Jesper Wallstedt (30) block the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Lily Dozier)
LONDON (AP) — Self-flying fighter jets, uncrewed submarines and drones will be at the center of Britain’s future military under a defense plan announced Tuesday that reflects a world of conflicts transformed by technology.
Like other NATO countries, the U.K. is under pressure to increase defense spending to counter a more aggressive Russia and less reliable United States. But its Defense Investment Plan has been repeatedly delayed as military leaders and Treasury officials wrangled over the cost, and critics said the its pledge of a 15 billion pound ($20 billion) boost to defense spending won't be enough.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the plan will keep Britain safe in “a more dangerous and volatile world than at any time for decades."
“When the world is arming and aggression is rising, the best way to avoid war is to prepare for it," he said.
But the blueprint does not commit to spending 3% of U.K. GDP on defense by 2030, one of the factors that spurred John Healey to resign as U.K. defense secretary on June 11. Healey accused the government of underspending on the military at a time of “rising threats," citing a British intelligence assessment that Russia could attack a NATO member country by 2030.
Starmer said Healey’s successor, Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis, had worked to “sharpen and strengthen" the plan. Its 15 billion pounds in new spending is more than the 13.5 billion pounds ($18 billion) Healey was offered by the Treasury, but far less than the 28 billion pounds ($37 billion) that defense officials had called for.
Under the plan, defense spending will hit 2.7% of GDP by 2029. Starmer said the 3% target will be reached “in the next Parliament,” a period that could extend to 2034. The U.K. remains committed to hitting NATO’s target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035, though it's unclear how it will get there.
The government said the new funding will boost defense spending to almost 300 billion pounds ($400 billion) over the next four years. Big-ticket items include 5 billion pounds ($6.6 billion) for drone technology, 8 billion pounds ($10.6 billion) to build new stealth fighter jets alongside Japan and Italy, and 11 billion pounds ($14.5 billion) to increase weapons stockpiles. The U.K. will also spend 64 billion pounds ($85 billion) modernizing its nuclear weapons.
Starmer said some road and energy projects would be scrapped to help pay for the military.
He said the plan will ensure “our servicemen and women have the cutting-edge capabilities they need to deter evolving threats and keep the British people safe.” The full document is due to be published later Tuesday.
The U.K. military is seeking to reverse years of decline in the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, which invaded its neighbor Ukraine in 2022 and increasingly tests the defenses of European nations with overt and covert activity.
The U.K. has watched how drones have transformed war in Ukraine, which uses 200,000 of them a month to defend against Russian forces. Britain plans to invest billions in drone systems across all branches of the military. Instead of a planned fleet of new destroyers, the Royal Navy will get hybrid vessels that will act as command hubs for drones.
“The very nature of conflict is changing before our eyes,” Starmer said during a speech at a drone manufacturer near London. He said that, armed with cutting-edge technology, Ukrainian forces have destroyed Russia’s Black Sea fleet, “struck deep into Russian territory and stopped the advance of one of the biggest armies in the world.”
Britain and other NATO member nations have faced pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to increase military spending. Trump has long questioned the value of the military alliance and complained that the United States provides security to European countries that don’t pull their weight.
The resignations of Healey and junior Defense Minister Al Carns were among a series of blows that prompted Starmer to announce last week that he will resign. He is likely to attend a NATO summit in Turkey on July 7 and 8 in one of his last acts as prime minister.
His successor, likely the former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, will be under pressure to stick to the commitments in the defense plan.
Opposition Conservative Party defense spokesperson James Cartlidge said the plan was “too little, too late.”
And retired Gen. Richard Barrons, who helped lead a defense review in preparation for the investment plan, said “we have to find more money for defense sooner.”
“We’re not keeping up with our allies, we’re certainly not keeping up with our enemies, and we know that the U.S. is no longer going to come and save European security in the face of a Russian threat,” he told the BBC.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, hugs Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves on the occasion of the announcement of a defense plan, in Berkshire, England, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool Photo via AP)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks on the occasion of the announcement of a defense plan, in Berkshire, England, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool Photo via AP)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces a defense plan, in Berkshire, England, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool Photo via AP)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, followed by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis arrive for the announcement of a defense plan, in Berkshire, England, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool Photo via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomes NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 29, 2026.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, Pool)
Britain's Secretary of State for Defence Dan Jarvis arrives for a cabinet meeting hosted by Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street in London, Tuesday, June 23, 2026.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
