Never too early for rankings…

[Brodziak Fan Club]

…or maybe I need to seek professional help. This is a rough somewhat educated guess to get me thinking about next year. I know Westy would have a comment or two for me. Miss you, buddy.

1. Moorhead
2. Edina
3. Hill-Murray
4. Holy Angels
5. Shakopee
6. Andover (assuming KJ stays which, who knows)
7. Cretin (many will have them higher but I’m skeptical)
8. Maple Grove
9. Grand Rapids
10. Blaine
11. Stillwater
12. Rogers
13. Rosemount
14. St. Thomas (feels low)
15. Minnetonka (feels low)
16. Elk River
17. White Bear Lake
18. Wayzata
19. Benilde
20. Rock Ridge

[ClassAGuy]

Class A Way too Early Rankings
Hope ok to put way too early A Rankings here as well.

New Sections come out on April 3rd- Sartell, Hastings & Blake Moving into A & Alexandria to AA so far.. Appeals to drop heard this week.

1- Hibbing/Chisholm (7A)
The Blue Jackets will be absolutely loaded next year as they bring nearly everyone back from their State Tourney Team. Up front they return 7 of their top 9 forwards Juniors Tate Swanson, Kelin Elsner, Isaiah Hildenbrand, Benny Galli & 9th grader Cole Swanson will return to lead and they will also return their entire backend as Junior Ethan Sundvall & Sophomores Jackson Strukel & Dylan Vesel and 9th grader Whitaker Rewertz anchor the blueline. In the net Jr. Gavin Lamphere will need to step up but looking at all the elite talent that Hibbng returns they will be heavy favorites in Class A next year as they return elite skill and depth throughout the lineup and they now have the Tourney experience as well.

2- Warroad (8A)
The Warriors had gut wrenching finish to the year as they were upset in the Section Final as the State’s #1 Class A Team. Bur fear not Warrior fans because next year's team looks to be even better than this year’s version and the future is incredibly bright. Up front they return Juniors Ryan Shaugabay & Taylor Humeniuk along with Sophomore Gavin Anderson, Ricky Rogers & Casey Hendrickson are all back. Their strength will be on the backend as their entire D-core is back led by Juniors Broden Hontvet & Sam Hard and Sophomores Wesley Schreiner & Ryan Lee and they return Sophomore Finn Hanson in net. Add in an elite group A Bantams who are #1 state again and Warroad is gonna be good for years.

3- Hermantown (7A)
The Hawks can never not be mentioned at the top of any Class A ranking. Up front they will return Junior Ford Skytta, Bode Madill & Henry Martinsen and a really good core of Sophomores Mick Martalock, Kole Lendzyk, Alex Nicklin & Beau Christy to build the offense around. On the blueline Juniors Cayden Manion & Kyler Berg and Sophomore Gabe Swenson are all back with good experience. In net they will bring back Goaltender Junior Bryce Francisco who was excellent this year. They always reload as another wave of AA Bantams are on the way ready to step in and this will be an angry Hawks group ready to reclaim their spot at the top of 7A and they will be a serious contender as always in Class A.

4- East Grand Forks (8A)
The Greenwave are the defending State Champs and they will now look to build on that as they should have a very strong team again next winter. Up front Juniors Tucker Lovejoy, Nolan Meulebroeck & Braden Overgaard along with Sophomore Jace Panzer return to lead the offense. On the blueline, Juniors Cole Schmiedeberg & Brody Schmaltz and Sophomores Max Bies & Ryan Clauson all are back with experience. In net Sophomore Noah Schindele is back with experience and then add in more good AA Bantams on the way up from the youth ranks and this should be another very good Greenwave team next year that will be top contender in 8A as well as all of Class A and will challenge to repeat.

5- Delano (2A)
The Tigers look loaded next year and ready to finally win Section 2A. Up front they return tons of talent in Juniors Daniel Halonen, Andrew Bruett, Brody Geislinger & Jacob Parlich and 9th graders Lance Halonen & Grant Bruett all who played good minutes this year and will be back a year older. On Defense Junior Connor Oja & 9th grader Jackson Wollk are back to build around and they have Juniors Evan Geyen & Aidan Janiga back as they split the net and have a ton of experience to build off. Add to that more good A Bantams coming up and great coaching and it adds up to big things ahead for Delano and this group of returners when they were 2nd year Bantams they took 2nd place in State.

6- Sartell (5A/6A)
Has been now confirmed by Sartell hockey that they will indeed be Class A next year as they fell below the new MSHSL cutoff line. This one is a big one as the Sabres are loaded next year with a great Senior and Junior Class Core. Up front Juniors Brayden Klande & Jameson Schmitz and Sophomores Devin Jacobs & Preston Deragisch return and all 4 were in the Top 5 of scoring. On Defense Junior Keaton Landowski & Sophomore Collin Otto are back to lead the blueline and they have a bunch of depth beyond them. They will need a goalie to step up but they will be an immediate contender for their 1st ever trip to State out of wherever MSHSL places them in April.

7- Monticello (5A)
The Moose had another monster year that ended in disappointment at the hands of Cathedral. The good news is that SCC is going to be going through a rebuild and they return a very good core as up front Juniors Ashton Stoll, Liam O'Donnell & Carter Lemke return to lead the offense. They will have an excellent defensive core in Juniors Brady McGriff & Levi Welle along with Sophomore Nicklas Nelson all return to be rock solid in their own end. In net Sophomore Nolan Wurm is ready to step in as he is a very good goaltender and this group placed at A Bantam State when they were 2nd year Bantams and next year 5A would appear to be theirs to win and they should have another big year.

8- Northfield (1A)
The Raiders enrollment should allow them to stay in Class A and they will have a very deep and experienced team down south. Up front Juniors Michael Steward, Christian Whiteman, Oliver Benjamin & Charlie Becker along with Sophomores Wade Gilbertson & Brody Jenson and 9th grader Miles Kennelly are all back 7 of their top 9 forward returns. On the blueline their top 4 defenseman Junior Bridger Riley, Ashton Pumper & Carter Simon and elite Sophomore Ben Geiger all return for fantastic back end. Junior Gavin Winter was good going (8-0-1) in net and they bring up more good A Bantams and they will again be the favorite in 1A to make their 4th straight trip to St Paul.

9- Mahtomedi (4A)
The Zephyrs had a rough year last year but looking at what they return they should be back closer to their normal standards as they return loads of experience and depth and all three phases. Up front Juniors Brayden Fuerst & Cody Blake Loida and Sophomores Devin O'Donnell & Will Seevers along with 9th grader Brock Gutterman are all back to have better offense. On Defense Juniors Cody Loida & Cael Brummel, Sophomores Trevor Rogosheske & Zach Zins and 9th grader Ryker Dunbar are all back. In net Junior Jackson Chesak is back with experience. Then add in some AA Bantams coming up and this should be a strong team.

10- Blake (2A)
Has has been reported by many that Blake is no longer choosing to opt up starting next year and they will be an immediate contender as they return back to Class A. The Bears were (11-1-0) vs Class A teams last year. They return their two leading scorers in Juniors Joe Erickson & Landon Bell along with Juniors Jack Mark & Eli Crosby who had double digit points. Top two Defenseman Junior Max Vinar & Sophomore Axel Bisbee are back as well. They will need goalie Sophomore Jake Iwan to step up in net but there is a really good core of talent returning and they will be an immediate contender back in Section 2A next winter.

11- Orono (2A)
The Spartans proved again this year that they are a program that can never be counted out in Class A. Next year while they are graduating a ton they do return some high end talent as Juniors Jackson Knight & Rory Kvern will be two of the top forwards in all Class A and 9th grader Ryan De Lange will make a jump. On the blueline they bring back elite Junior Luca Decubellis to lead the way. In the net Junior Maxwell Lewin was good in limited action and they always seem to reload to fill in depth and should be strong again next year

12- Northern Lakes (6A)
The Lightning are fresh off only their second Tourney appearance ever and they should be a tough team again next year. Up front they return good chunks of offense in Junior Jacob Peterson and Sophomores Josiah Reier, Parker Fulton & Griffen Hannah. On the blue line Junior Leyton Cable along with Sophomores Grant Vershey, Bodie Nybakken, Kyler Rikala & Derek Berg are all back with experience. In net Sophomore Sam Suja returns in net but they will be on their 3rd coach in 3 years.

13- Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (7A)
The Lumberjacks lost a very important Senior Class that came so close to getting CEC back to state. They will take a step back next year but they have enough returning to be a Top 15 team. Juniors Conor Sullivan & Lucas Gentilini along with 9th grader Jordan Sewell up front to lead the offense On blueline Junior Cole Painovich & 9th Grader Brahm Snesrud ar back with experience and their starting goalie Junior Jacob Iallonardo returns so their is a nice core to build around that should make CEC very tough again next year.

14- Detroit Lakes (8A)
The Lakers are a team that will be very good next year as they have a ton of talent returning next year. Offensively, Juniors Easton Kennedy, Will Cymbaluk, Carter Whitworth & Sophomore Mason Deraney all return for what should be a much better offense. On the blue line Junior Hudson Pettit is back and to add to that Sophomore Griffin Lindberg back in net after a big sophomore year and there is a lot to like about Detroit Lake next winter as they continue to fight to break up the Big Three in Section 8A.

15- St Cloud Cathedral (5A)
It's weird to see the Crusaders this low in the ranking for Class A but looking at what they return this may be even a bit generous. Up front they will look to 9th Graders Bo Schmidt & Talen Ruprecht to build the offense around. If Junior Griffin Sturm returns he will be Class A’s top defenseman but they will have to totally rebuild besides those three. In net they do return Junior Keaton LeGrande but after that its loads of question marks as it looks like a big fall for the Crusaders but you never know who they may be bringing in.

16- Little Falls (5A)
The Flyers always have a good tough nosed squad but they lost a ton of scoring and they will need big years from Junior Beau Majerle & Sophomore Mason Oothoudt up front. On the blueline they do return Junior Remi Chisholm & Sophomore Kyler Schmidgall who have lots of varsity experience to build around. The reason though to keep them in the Top 20 looking at the rebuild next year is in net in goaltender Junior Izaak Kalis will be back for his 4th year and he will steal some games and make the Flyers tough to beat nightly.

17- Waseca (1A)
The Bluejays had their amazing year ended suddenly when they were upset in the 1A Semis but next year they return nearly everyone a year older and they should make another jump. Up front Juniors Jude Gehring & Jayden Gehring and Sophomores Griffin Storey, Henry Huttemier, Cash Lynch & Otto Schoenrock all return for loaded offsenset and Sophomore Beckett Srp return to lead the blueline. Sophomore Josiah Schmidtke is back in net and this Waseca team should be a serious contender all season a year older.

18- Luverne (3A)
Roll Cards Roll should be very good again next year and the favorites to repeat in Section 3A. They return their top line of Juniors Landyn Lais, Maddux Domagala & Blake Sauer and they have their top defensive pair back on the blueline of Junior Jaxon Lais & Sophomore Ben Hartquist and they also return their starting goalie Junior Gavin Hoven is back in net. They have all the key frontline pieces for one more really good year. The key will be if they can get enough depth from the Bantams as they should be back at State next year.

19- Rochester Lourdes (1A)
Lourdes could be a bit low here looking at all they bring back next year. They will return 9 of their top 10 scorers from the Section 1A Runner Up. Up front Juniors Owen Hoehn, Jack Phillips & Dom Troutman and Sophomores Nolan DuBois & Jaxson Keefe all return and they have Junior Vinny Harens & Sophomores Charlie Kor back to lead the blueline. In net Junior Anton Ackley is back and they have a deep group of talent returning and they will be a serious contender down south next year.

20- Chisago Lakes (4A)
The Wildcats will look to build off their strong year and they do return some nice talent to have another strong year next winter. Offensively, Juniors Jacob Kletti, Austin Slettom & Landon Kerkow will return to lead the way up front. On the back end Junior Max Koch is an elite defender to log lots of minutes and they also bring back their starting netminder in Junior Shandley Corbin who will keep them in every game and Chisago Lakes should be tough again and compete with the Zephs for Section 4A next winter.

Teams Just Outside the Top 20- Providence Academy (2A), Thief River Falls (8A), Minneapolis (2A), Mankato West (3A), Sauk Rapids (5A), Crookston (8A) & International Falls (7A)

[ryguyMN]

I'm not sold on placing Cretin super high up either. They do bring back Chorlton and Anderson if they don't leave early. They lose Dodig to graduation, which hurts their physical game a bit. Putting them top 3 feels like Shakopee or Rogers from this past season...not sure they are going to live up to the expectation. That 7 to 10 range in the rankings feels more right.

[headsupsticksdown]

I can see why folks are high on CDH. They should be loaded next year. Matyas will only be a junior and the sophomore tandem of Bloedow and Ruprecht will be a problem as well.

[CrimsonCakeEater]

Feels like Edina should be #1 considering they’re returning their top 11 scorers and starting goalie from a team that finished third and had the eventual champions on the ropes for 50 minutes.

[Brodziak Fan Club]

Feels like Edina should be #1 considering they’re returning their top 11 scorers and starting goalie from a team that finished third and had the eventual champions on the ropes for 50 minutes.

That’s a fair argument, Crimson. Moorhead has enough coming back (and coming in from bantams) that I’m giving them the “#1 until until proven otherwise” treatment. Plus, I had Edina #1 last year and don’t want to do that again

[Doc Holliday]

Don't have any first hand knowledge, but judging from what some talk has been over the year(s) & even the post tourney Rink of Fire podcast, chance that Freddie Schneider is a flight risk. Edina certainly is a reload, not rebuild program, but he's a high end player that would obviously hurt losing.

Moorhead may have some as well so who knows how rosters will look next November. But still fun to speculate & enjoy the back & forth.

I anticipate Edina/Moorhead/Hill Murray in some order being the top 3 heading in to next year.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Don't have any first hand knowledge, but judging from what some talk has been over the year(s) & even the post tourney Rink of Fire podcast, chance that Freddie Schneider is a flight risk. Edina certainly is a reload, not rebuild program, but he's a high end player that would obviously hurt losing.

Moorhead may have some as well so who knows how rosters will look next November. But still fun to speculate & enjoy the back & forth.

I anticipate Edina/Moorhead/Hill Murray in some order being the top 3 heading in to next year.

Given the new Conway By-Law, we don't how rosters will look from one month to the next

[Rich Clarke]

Rich Clarke’s Way Too Early 2026 Rankings

Edina—The Hornets skated six defensemen this year and return four, although at state Giles generally played just four, two of whom graduate. Other than the ever present possibility of early departures, replacing these two players is Edina’s biggest challenge for next year—and that’s not much compared to what nearly every team faces every fall. From their top three lines they should return all but one third line forward. Finally, Edina struggled a bit most of the year with its primary goalie injured. He is slated to return and should be healthy the entire 2026 season. And if he needs a rest, his highly capable back up returns as well having gained the experience of starting half the 2025 season.

Moorhead—It’s typical to give the no. 1 to the returning champion if they have anything coming back, but especially in a case like Moorhead where their youth program seems to generate the top bantam AA team every year (I realize that next year’s seniors lost in the final to Edina, but as I recall they were the top ranked team before the loss). People say that Edina reloads, but no program seems to have the wealth of talent coming up each year as Moorhead. I ranked them no. 2 to start this season and would have had them no. 1 ahead of Edina but for their perplexing 2024 finish. Losing Kraft and Cullen when Edina essentially returns everyone is just enough to drop the defending champs to second, but in nearly every other year they’d be the clear no. 1. And by this time next March they may well be.

Maple Grove—after a disappointing year, the Crimson return the bulk of strong junior and senior classes and have a solid bantam corps to contribute as sophomores. Their goalies graduate, but with most of their scoring returning the Crimson should join the Lake with a bang and be a strong section five favorite.

Shakopee—With the low hanging fruit chosen it gets harder. losing over half of their goal production including Mr. Hockey finalist Cooper Simpson is painful, but with all of their defense and goaltending returning, they could be a more balanced and experienced team.

Minnetonka—The Skippers had a young team that was close to the top ten all year despite losing it’s best two seniors to early departures. With strong bantam teams providing talent for each of of next year’s classes, they be Edina’s biggest Lake Conference rival and a favorite to win section six.

Hill Murray—Hill Murray is a traditionally strong program upset two straight years and aching for revenge on its section four rivals. Losing Boden Sampair would be a blow to any team, but they should return two of their top three scorers and their starting goalie. Despite high end losses they return over half their goal production an annual influx of young talent.

Cretin—Nate Charlton and Max Anderson should lead the Raiders back to state as one of the few who could upset the top two, assuming they can replace their graduating goalies.

White Bear Lake—returns a lot of depth and is bolstered by a youth program that annually provides strong bantam teams. The team had a solid year despite having to contend with two of the top three teams in the state. Next year they should be Hill Murray’s biggest threat.

Andover—returns much of a team that went from 0-9 to a state tournament appearance, and should be the section seven favorite in 2026. It’s unclear whether they have the high end talent to pose a significant challenge to the top teams, but they are well coached and should be one of the top teams in their conference.

St. Thomas—The Cadets lose a lot and should be a step behind Cretin. But assuming Cole Braunshausen returns, the Cadets’ influx of new talent should have them poised to return another solid team.

Rosemount—Yes, it’s a bit of a weenie move to have a tie for ten, but I see a drop off after the top eleven so I’m adding an Irish team that could be even better in 2026 than they have been the past two. They do lose some star power, which keeps me from ranking them higher, but they have had three years of strong youth teams and after two years of contending that experience should help the Irish make the most of their talent.

[O-townClown]

Edina—The Hornets skated six defensemen this year and return four, although at state Giles generally played just four, two of whom graduate. Other than the ever present possibility of early departures, replacing these two players is Edina’s biggest challenge for next year—and that’s not much compared to what nearly every team faces every fall. From their top three lines they should return all but one third line forward. Finally, Edina struggled a bit most of the year with its primary goalie injured. He is slated to return and should be healthy the entire 2026 season. And if he needs a rest, his highly capable back up returns as well having gained the experience of starting half the 2025 season.

Wenkus, Mullman, Dubuc & Peckham don't graduate. Botts is a sophomore on JV after playing on the Bantam AA state champs as an 8th grader. Him not playing Varsity is a sign of Edina's strength; he's excellent. Add in Miller Wenkus and Edina has six.

Even if the Wenki leave (rumored), Edina is very strong across the blue line. Dubuc will have a great season as he's been caught in a logjam and then unfortunately the odd man out when Becker Wenkus - a future NHL defenseman? - impressed Giles & Staff enough to play major minutes...eventually being named to the All-Tournament Team.

Everything you said about the forwards is true. In fact, it's rare to have a Top 5 team return so much. Moorhead & Hill-Murray obvious factors as well.

[Lino Lakes Hockey]

Word is Matayas is leaving CDH early to go to the WHL.

[O-townClown]

Word is Matayas is leaving CDH early to go to the WHL.

Wow. CHL is really good at identifying the best players in the world, and better at chewing up the rest. Seems like a race to nowhere. What's the rush.

[CakeScout17]

perfect follow-up

[Lino Lakes Hockey]

Unsure on the rush. Unfortunately it’s becoming more common. Kids don’t know what they’re missing out on til it’s gone.

[The51]

Word is Matayas is leaving CDH early to go to the WHL.

Wow. CHL is really good at identifying the best players in the world, and better at chewing up the rest. Seems like a race to nowhere. What's the rush.

Does the fact they no longer lose their D1 eligibilty change this at all? Sounds like a great spot to go develop for someone who wants to play D1

[O-townClown]

Does the fact they no longer lose their D1 eligibilty change this at all? Sounds like a great spot to go develop for someone who wants to play D1

No. It doesn't change that.

While a player is still NCAA eligible, my understanding is that teams in the CHL still expect a multi-year commitment. Time will tell, but I see them holding on to a gem if they get one and bailing on the rest. Look at how many players are on provincial Junior teams in their 20-bomb year as roster limits push guys out. What's the landing spot for them now? Low D1 maybe?

I heard an argument that the Dub was superior to USHL/NTDP because of how many 1st Rounders there will be in the next draft. Great players anywhere still have a hard time cracking the First, so if that's the measuring stick I'll continue to ask: what about all the rest?

It seems to me the most important thing for a teenage player is keeping momentum. Jumping up to Junior hockey where they are playing with older players has been risky and will continue to be.

[hockeyfan74]

Does the fact they no longer lose their D1 eligibilty change this at all? Sounds like a great spot to go develop for someone who wants to play D1

No. It doesn't change that.

While a player is still NCAA eligible, my understanding is that teams in the CHL still expect a multi-year commitment. Time will tell, but I see them holding on to a gem if they get one and bailing on the rest. Look at how many players are on provincial Junior teams in their 20-bomb year as roster limits push guys out. What's the landing spot for them now? Low D1 maybe?

I heard an argument that the Dub was superior to USHL/NTDP because of how many 1st Rounders there will be in the next draft. Great players anywhere still have a hard time cracking the First, so if that's the measuring stick I'll continue to ask: what about all the rest?

It seems to me the most important thing for a teenage player is keeping momentum. Jumping up to Junior hockey where they are playing with older players has been risky and will continue to be.

I do believe the CHL (WHL / OHL) will be become a more viable option now that the players do not lose their D1 eligibility. From what I have heard the biggest difference is the WHL / OHL are more focused on player development so they are more patient and work harder to develop their young talent. The USHL / NAHL teams are more focused on winning so they are not as patient in developing young players. I do believe the WHL / OHL gets compensated for NHL draft picks so it is in their best interest to focus more on developing players.

For me it comes down to the one word - development - where will the player develop the most. There are some great coaches in the Mn High School ranks and no argument from me that if you are at one of those programs then Mn High School hockey is one of the best places to play anywhere. However what about players that may not be at one of those programs and aspire to do and be better?

I don't think this is a one answer fits all scenario but do see more and more US players (Mn players included) heading to the CHL but only time will tell.

[O-townClown]

I don't think this is a one answer fits all scenario but do see more and more US players (Mn players included) heading to the CHL but only time will tell.

Sure, but there are only so many spots. Malachi McKinnon & Poul Anderson are having great years for Sherwood Park. Why weren't they on Fargo and Lincoln? CHL players retaining college eligibility doesn't change math. Only so many guys can be on teams and many of them will be asked to accept lesser roles. No PP time, no chance to play with the best guys on the team. If someone thinks the CHL is paved with gold for every player's development they'll have to explain it to me. How does NCAA eligibility result in accelerated development? The NHL will still seek players from wherever when it comes to their draft. How many of the Top 5 in last year's draft didn't play CHL? I don't know how people assume that's the superior path for every kid when it hasn't been in the past. It's one of many options.

[hockeyfan74]

I don't think this is a one answer fits all scenario but do see more and more US players (Mn players included) heading to the CHL but only time will tell.

Sure, but there are only so many spots. Malachi McKinnon & Poul Anderson are having great years for Sherwood Park. Why weren't they on Fargo and Lincoln? CHL players retaining college eligibility doesn't change math. Only so many guys can be on teams and many of them will be asked to accept lesser roles. No PP time, no chance to play with the best guys on the team. If someone thinks the CHL is paved with gold for every player's development they'll have to explain it to me. How does NCAA eligibility result in accelerated development? The NHL will still seek players from wherever when it comes to their draft. How many of the Top 5 in last year's draft didn't play CHL? I don't know how people assume that's the superior path for every kid when it hasn't been in the past. It's one of many options.

OTC - I agree there are many options and each family can certainly choose what they feel is best for them. My point was the CHL became a more viable option for many players it wasn't really an option for in prior years. I would have never considered it for my older boys as it eliminated them from the opportunity to play college hockey. However if my youngest would get the opportunity it is something we would consider.

My point on the CHL getting compensated for NHL draft picks was not saying that is the only or even the best route to the show but it shows the CHL has a more vested interest in developing their players than other leagues that solely focus on winning. I know what juniors was like for my oldest - teams truly didn't care about him or his development. I can't say for sure but have heard from people I trust that it is a different experience in the CHL.

As far as numbers being numbers my guess is you will see some solid expansion in the college hockey ranks. With the BIG 10 adding PAC 10 schools I could certainly see USC, UCLA, Oregon or Washington adding D1 hockey programs. It makes it easier with the money they bring in from Football. Time will tell if and how it will effect the hockey landscape.

[The51]

I don't think this is a one answer fits all scenario but do see more and more US players (Mn players included) heading to the CHL but only time will tell.

Sure, but there are only so many spots. Malachi McKinnon & Poul Anderson are having great years for Sherwood Park. Why weren't they on Fargo and Lincoln? CHL players retaining college eligibility doesn't change math. Only so many guys can be on teams and many of them will be asked to accept lesser roles. No PP time, no chance to play with the best guys on the team. If someone thinks the CHL is paved with gold for every player's development they'll have to explain it to me. How does NCAA eligibility result in accelerated development? The NHL will still seek players from wherever when it comes to their draft. How many of the Top 5 in last year's draft didn't play CHL? I don't know how people assume that's the superior path for every kid when it hasn't been in the past. It's one of many options.

I haven't seen anyone say it's forsure the best option for everyone but there are some kids that it is the best option for and like hockeyfan said it is a much more viable option now that you don't lose college eligibilty

And the discussion on here is ripping the 2 kids that have chosen to take that route, but we don't know them maybe it is the best path for them.

What you can say forsure is that as long as you aren't a healthy scratch often for that team it is absolutely a better hockey development path than playing high school solely based on level of competition and # of games.

Is it the best path for you to develop as a person at 15/16/17? Maybe not but again kids at that age are very different. There are probably some kids that aren't even close to being able to leave home and there are some that are more mature than it would be great emotional development too be more responsible for themselves.

[O-townClown]

(1) My point was the CHL became a more viable option for many players it wasn't really an option for in prior years.

(2) As far as numbers being numbers my guess is you will see some solid expansion in the college hockey ranks. With the BIG 10 adding PAC 10 schools I could certainly see USC, UCLA, Oregon or Washington adding D1 hockey programs.

1 - agree completely. Where I differ from the rest is seeing this as seismic. It's another path for kids to choose, another league for colleges to follow. There were already several.

2 - I've always felt Stanford would be a logical place, for the same reason as USC. All it takes is one big donor. Oregon seems tough to be due to location. Like Purdue. Northwestern makes sense for existing Big Ten schools. Would love to see Los Angeles add college hockey.

[WarmUpTheBus]

I don't think this is a one answer fits all scenario but do see more and more US players (Mn players included) heading to the CHL but only time will tell.

Sure, but there are only so many spots. Malachi McKinnon & Poul Anderson are having great years for Sherwood Park. Why weren't they on Fargo and Lincoln? CHL players retaining college eligibility doesn't change math. Only so many guys can be on teams and many of them will be asked to accept lesser roles. No PP time, no chance to play with the best guys on the team. If someone thinks the CHL is paved with gold for every player's development they'll have to explain it to me. How does NCAA eligibility result in accelerated development? The NHL will still seek players from wherever when it comes to their draft. How many of the Top 5 in last year's draft didn't play CHL? I don't know how people assume that's the superior path for every kid when it hasn't been in the past. It's one of many options.

I haven't seen anyone say it's forsure the best option for everyone but there are some kids that it is the best option for and like hockeyfan said it is a much more viable option now that you don't lose college eligibilty

And the discussion on here is ripping the 2 kids that have chosen to take that route, but we don't know them maybe it is the best path for them.

What you can say forsure is that as long as you aren't a healthy scratch often for that team it is absolutely a better hockey development path than playing high school solely based on level of competition and # of games.

Is it the best path for you to develop as a person at 15/16/17? Maybe not but again kids at that age are very different. There are probably some kids that aren't even close to being able to leave home and there are some that are more mature than it would be great emotional development too be more responsible for themselves.

I don’t know how to say this delicately so I won’t. Sometimes getting away from their parents is the best decision a kid could make.