2020-21 Early Rankings: SWEET SIXTEEN

[O-townClown]

1. EDEN PRAIRIE - They lose a lot, but a lot returns...kind of like last year. I won't be surprised to see them in another championship game.
2. HILL-MURRAY - This year's team is YOUNG! Even if you were to net out Pierre they return another very deep team.
3. BENILDE-ST. MARGARET'S - Very deep, so the losses to graduation aren't enough to derail the Red Knights.
4. MAPLE GROVE - Shame their top scorer went down with an injury. A few losses, easily replaced in this community.
5. CHASKA - I sure didn't see their success this season, but it was fueled by a very young group that's fun to watch.
6. PRIOR LAKE - B-SM is to H-M what PL is to Chaska. Bantam success tracks to HS in 2-3 years. These kids are ready.
7. GRAND RAPIDS - Finally our first northern team. No pressure!
8. LAKEVILLE SOUTH - Reached the state tournament again and suffer few losses to graduation.
9. EDINA - This year's squad didn't rely too heavily on seniors, which might set the stage for next year?
10. ROSEMOUNT - Actually should be higher if Stramel, Levandowski & Ratzlaff all return.
11. WAYZATA - Chugged along to a .500 record against a brutal schedule and don't lose much to graduation.
12. HERMANTOWN - I'll save them a spot if they opt up because they decide they don't want to go back to the kids' table.
13. ROSEAU - Appear to have an inside track back to the state tournament.
14. STILLWATER - This year's team was decent and won't lose much. Tussey & Murr is a good starting point.
15. MINNETONKA - Losses are heavy, which isn't a deal breaker considering the large youth association.
16. BLAKE - This was their year, but there's still plenty to work with as the underclassmen assume larger roles.

I'll keep an eye on: ST. THOMAS, HOLY FAMILY, TOTINO-GRACE, ST. LOUIS PARK.

Last year I was dead wrong on Cretin thinking they lost too much to graduation. Next year's teams that need to show me: ANDOVER, WHITE BEAR LAKE, BLAINE, MOORHEAD, LAKEVILLE NORTH.

[Usthockey13]

Just take H town out. They can’t opt up next year. It will be year 2 of this opt up. So at best they can opt up for the 21-22 season.

[O-townClown]

Just take H town out. They can’t opt up next year. It will be year 2 of this opt up. So at best they can opt up for the 21-22 season.

Thanks! My apologies. I thought the cycle was for redoing sections this year.

Look at it as an all-class then and add ST. CLOUD CATHEDRAL to the list affected by graduation losses!

[Usthockey13]

Sounds good. Yea no worries. Well if they lose today they’ll use that as an excuse to stay A anyways

[SpreadOut!]

FYI: Maple Grove’s top scorer, Kukkonen, will be back next year. Just junior this season. Broke leg in 7th game of season against Andover. Also, first time in I think past 3 seasons that there are no MG NTDP invites. That’s actually a good thing if you’re a MG high school fan. Youth program playing for its 3rd straight AA Bantam state championship next weekend. Even with all losses to NTDP, juniors, etc, over past handful of years, program is loaded and very deep.

[Brodziak Fan Club]

I don't have my finger on the pulse of early departures, so can someone tell me if there is buzz about whether or not Joe Miller comes back to Blake? If he comes back I think they'll be really good again. They have some quality young players who were role players this year but have the talent to be more. Also, Reid was a Junior this year if I'm not mistaken? Thanks for posting this thread. Even though it's way too early, it's always fun to speculate about the future.

[Brodziak Fan Club]

I also think Cretin has a chance to be good. They will be young and fast. Maybe not top-5 but I'd guess top-15. Somewhat reminiscent of Hill-Murray two years ago.

[StanleyCup55]

Just take H town out. They can’t opt up next year. It will be year 2 of this opt up. So at best they can opt up for the 21-22 season.

Thanks! My apologies. I thought the cycle was for redoing sections this year.

Look at it as an all-class then and add ST. CLOUD CATHEDRAL to the list affected by graduation losses!

I’m pretty sure you can opt up or down each year. They look at section re-alignment every 2 years. Am I wrong?

[BlueLineSpecial]

Hill should be good next year. But they’re losing a lot of key contributors. Keopple is gone. Strobel is gone. Pierre is apparently and according to many....gone. They’ve got others too that were important cogs this year as seniors. If Pierre stays I feel much more optimistic about next year.

[ryguyMN]

EP will probably slide down a bit next year. They lose Steeves and J. Mittelstadt, who had 99 regular season points between them. That’s tough to replace.

[cigar]

cretin will be in top 5.

[Blue Line]

cretin will be in top 5.

Cretin will be good, but not top 5. Awfully hard to replace the production created by Gleason and the minutes he played, not to mention that he always had the other team’s top D going against him. Big step up for someone who hasn’t had those responsibilities yet at the high school level. Also, Gleason’s tenacity got Cretin some wins that will be harder to come by next year.

[Usthockey13]

Just take H town out. They can’t opt up next year. It will be year 2 of this opt up. So at best they can opt up for the 21-22 season.

Thanks! My apologies. I thought the cycle was for redoing sections this year.

Look at it as an all-class then and add ST. CLOUD CATHEDRAL to the list affected by graduation losses!

I’m pretty sure you can opt up or down each year. They look at section re-alignment every 2 years. Am I wrong?

I believe you can move up or down every two years when they do the re-alignment. That’s why most teams when they schedule usually sign a 2 year agreement to play each other for that reason.

[O-townClown]

EP will probably slide down a bit next year. They lose Steeves and J. Mittelstadt, who had 99 regular season points between them. That’s tough to replace.

Jensen, Langefels, Wilhite, Jones, Rudrud…

They return: Batchelder, Holt, Mittelstadt, Langenbrunner, Blake, Brown, Luloff, Langefels. That's a lot.

[chester1991]

#1 Hill Murray
#2 Eden Prairie
#3 Rosemount
#4 Chaska
#5 Prior Lake
#6 Grand Rapids
#7 Maple Grove
#8 Benidle St Margerts
#9 Lakeville South
#10 St Thomas Academy
#11 Wayzata
#12 Edina
#13 Cretin Derham Hall
#14 Minnetonka
#15 Roseau
#16 Moorhead

[Usthockey13]

I heard since EP didn’t win it all. JL needs to move even closer to MSP for work so they’ll be at STA.

[Reg77]

#1 Hill Murray
#2 Eden Prairie
#3 Rosemount
#4 Chaska
#5 Prior Lake
#6 Grand Rapids
#7 Maple Grove
#8 Benidle St Margerts
#9 Lakeville South
#10 St Thomas Academy
#11 Wayzata
#12 Edina
#13 Cretin Derham Hall
#14 Minnetonka
#15 Roseau
#16 Moorhead

I’d go

1. Eden Prairie
2. Hill Murray
3. Grand Rapids
4. Maple Grove
5. Benilde
6. Prior Lake
7. Chaska
8. Cretin
9. Lakeville South
10. St. Thomas
11. Roseau
12. Centennial
13. Wayzata
14. Minnetonka
15. Champlin Park
16. Rosemount

[Brodziak Fan Club]

I'm not sure I'm with everyone on the Chaska train next year. Outside of their playoff run they had a pretty pedestrian season. They lose some senior leadership and will still be pretty young next year. Not to mention Jimmy Snuggerud could very well be gone. Prove me wrong, Hawks.

[Eastgreaser]

Good lord you guys need to get a life....tourney hasn’t even been over 24 hours yet and you are beating your meat about next season.

[kniven]

Good lord you guys need to get a life....tourney hasn’t even been over 24 hours yet and you are beating your meat about next season.

Absolutely not! Greaser - you need to stop peeping in windows and get a real girlfriend

[mnpuckster]

Good lord you guys need to get a life....tourney hasn’t even been over 24 hours yet and you are beating your meat about next season.

Says the guy scrolling through the HS hockey board. Good grief.

[Eastgreaser]

Good one...I am not the one fantasizing about boys aged 15-18 lol

[goldy313]

I was on the South bandwagon all year......until I saw them in the playoffs. They made the goldy313 list of top 5 worst teams to make the state tournament out of 1AA since the two class split. They can’t score, they struggled in 1AA after the 1 vs 8 game and needed outside help at that to score. Hastings having to kill 7 power plays led to the shot disparity more than skill. South was shut out twice in St Paul, even a #6 seed in Austin could score and win a game. I can say with pretty much certainty Hastings would have scored a goal.

Hastings returns their goalie and top player along with some depth, hopefully they will play next season.

[WestMetro]

Chester, I’ve got a Lotta good friends at Rosemont, but I rode that train off the cliff this year. Unless they shake things up like very quickly , I see them possibly losing a couple three key players

[WestMetro]

OTC - thinking Snuggerud is 90% gone , so that’s big blow for Chaska .