State Championship Playoffs

- Neal Broten had an incredible career as a hockey player: Roseau High School star, NCAA Champion, Hobey Baker winner as the best collegiate player, 1980 Olympic Gold Medalist, 16+ year NHL star, Stanley Cup winner, wearing the USA jersey again in 1998 with his brother Aaron.

- But the most cherished prize of the bunch for most young hockey players growing up in Minnesota, a state high school championship, eluded even him.

- I quote Neal from the foreword to Ross Bernstein's new book 'Frozen Memories - Celebrating a Century of Minnesota Hockey': "Growing up, my heroes weren't the NHL guys though, they were the Roseau High School hockey players. I feel really lucky to have grown up in such a wonderful hockey town, where the tradition runs so deep in the community. I mean hockey is what that town is all about for basically eight months out of the year - it's pretty amazing, and to be a part of that is something special. In small towns like that, you start playing with the same group of guys from when you first get on skates, all the way through pee wees and finally through high school. So when it's over, it's like saying goodbye to family. I was lucky though. We got to play in the state tournament..."

- In fact, Neal led the Rams to three state tournaments but came away with only a third place medal in 1978 for his efforts.

- I don't think Neal would admit it, but I'd bet that he would trade the NCAA title, or the 1980 Gold Medal, or the Hobey Baker, or the Stanley Cup ring, for having skated around the rink as a high school senior with his childhood friends holding the state high school championship trophy high in the air for the whole Roseau community (yes, they'd all be there, 300 miles south, in St. Paul) to see and take pride in.

SPECIAL

Community Teams

- Victory is much sweeter when accomplished with those you grew up with and shared with the entire community.

Fan Interest

- Regularly draws about 100,000 fans to the 4 days of games, 14 of which are televised live throughout the state. Tournament earns more for the State High School League than the football and boys and girls basketball tournaments combined. Two weeks ago, the Minnesota Girls High School Hockey Championship game drew the highest ratings of any sports program that Saturday in the twin cities, drawing almost two and a half times the viewers that the big Indiana v. Michigan State basketball showdown drew that day.

"Hoosiers"

- David can still beat Goliath, as the Roseau Rams proved again last year. Roseau, population 2,396 , (with a hockey arena that seats considerably more than that!) , chooses to play in the large school tournament and won it all in 1999.

Tradition

- This is the 56th annual state sanctioned tournament, but the history of high school hockey in Minnesota goes back to at least 1899.

Competition

- All 8 AA teams have a legitimate shot at the title this year and it is rare for more than 1 or 2 teams to ever be considered a complete longshot to win it all. The two teams that were rated #1 and #2 all season were both beaten in sectionals this year.