Cole Bumgarner

[SpreadOut!]

Just saw online today that Cole Bumgarner (and his dad, of course) have officially done it: Bumgarner will play for a fifth team in five seasons in 2025-26—as confirmed by him playing for Rogers High School this past weekend in summer high school festival play.

Let’s recap Bumgarner’s last five years:

8th grade: Shakopee High School
9th grade: Benilde St. Margeret’s High School
10th grade: Rogers High School
11th grade: Fargo Force of USHL (15 points in 60 games)
12th grade: Rogers High School

Many didn’t think it was possible, but Bumgarner has done it. Five teams in five years is an amazing accomplishment. This level of commitment and loyalty, I hear, has that former Astronomy CEO caught canoodling with his HR VP at a Coldplay concert spinning in an envious rage.

This news also cements Bumgarner’s dad’s legacy as being, let’s just say, the most “unique” hockey dad in Minnesota history.

Wherever Cole ends up for the 2026-27 season (North Dakota?), we’ll know for sure he’ll be committed to that program for the long run.

Congratulations, Bumgarner family!

[bardown27]

My question is. How is he eligible?

[headsupsticksdown]

There are some other kids at the youth level giving him a run for his money. Younger Crowley will play at SSM making that his 3rd team in 3 years, the Stewart kid goes from Hastings err Woodbury err Edina err Shako and now I hear SSM too. The Stewart family is just as if not even more bonkers if you ask me. But hey it’s not the kids fault, they are just more driven and hungry. They can’t dare be on some weak team or unworthy program.

[BP]

My question is. How is he eligible?

Online at Rogers last year.

[StanleyCup55]

And to think how much it would’ve hindered his career if he stayed on those teams! Good thing he’s still on track for the NHL. Good job Dad!

[SpreadOut!]

There are some other kids at the youth level giving him a run for his money. Younger Crowley will play at SSM making that his 3rd team in 3 years, the Stewart kid goes from Hastings err Woodbury err Edina err Shako and now I hear SSM too. The Stewart family is just as if not even more bonkers if you ask me. But hey it’s not the kids fault, they are just more driven and hungry. They can’t dare be on some weak team or unworthy program.

A family as high profile in the Minnesota hockey community as the Crowleys getting away with what they’ve done in terms of team hopping the past couple years just shows that both Minnesota Hockey and the MSHSL are perfectly cool looking the other way while the “transfer culture” becomes a runaway train.

Crowley’s daughter graduated last year from Eden Prairie High School, where the Crowleys have always lived, I’m told. Yet, at the same time she was attending EP, her older brother switched from playing high school hockey for EP a year or two ago to Holy Family without losing any eligibility (in other words, a move would have been required). Then, her younger brother switched from playing youth hockey for EP to Tonka last year (again, another move would have been required). I’m gonna go way out on a limb and guess that the Crowley family has not moved twice in the last couple years. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

It’s all a farce and nobody with Minnesota Hockey or the MSHSL could care less.

Yes, there will be many more Bumgarners to come.

[slacsap]

You can't blame the high school league. They are far too busy worrying about important things like making sure that any hair ribbons a girl may be wearing match their jersey colors or whether a school might have an adult sitting in their student section at the state tournament to worry about whether oodles of players (and parents) are making a mockery of the eligibility rules.

[yesiplayedhockey]

I think it's safe to assume that parents today know there is ZERO chance of getting busted.

School admins are more worried about proper labeling of the schools bathrooms.

Hockey coaches are thinking if I keep perfecting my recruiting skills, I could be D-1 coach in 2-3 years

The MSHSL and the AD's are focused on finalizing plans to convert all the baseball fields into cricket fields

Minnesota Hockey.org continues supporting the concept "more is better" with their high performance leagues versus using their power in addressing these more serious issues.

Hockey is no longer classified as a TEAM sport....

RIP to our community based model...It was a great run

[BSUBeaver]

With every parent that is shopping their kid around, they probably have a lawyer or two in their back pocket. As soon as MnHockey or the MSHSL says no, they will have a lawsuit filed against them. It is just easier and more cost effective to just let it happen.

[Smooth]

And all that jumping around won't help his development one bit. Probably will actually hinder his development.

[headsupsticksdown]

And all that jumping around won't help his development one bit. Probably will actually hinder his development.

What do you mean? It's a valid skill in the NHL to be able to move at the drop of a dime year to year on contracts, trades and free agent day to day activities.

[rangerforme]

Seems like it would have been fun to stay at Shakopee, play in hockey day MN, go to state tournament with a shot to win it, get all the press and coverage you could possibly want as a player. Be the top dog at walking down halls at the high school hang with all your buddies, play some poker with boys. I guess he played for Fargo Force, I watched a few games but must been games he was resting and couldn't play.

Sure hurt Alex Bumps career to stick it out, I'm sure he regrets everything, hockey day MN, scoring 5 goals at state tourney, being on TV and having everyone talk about you, so lame...

[SpreadOut!]

Seems like it would have been fun to stay at Shakopee, play in hockey day MN, go to state tournament with a shot to win it, get all the press and coverage you could possibly want as a player. Be the top dog at walking down halls at the high school hang with all your buddies, play some poker with boys. I guess he played for Fargo Force, I watched a few games but must been games he was resting and couldn't play.

Sure hurt Alex Bumps career to stick it out, I'm sure he regrets everything, hockey day MN, scoring 5 goals at state tourney, being on TV and having everyone talk about you, so lame...

Yeah, I don’t think 15 points in 60 games for Fargo Force last season was what dad (who of course is the driving force behind his son playing with a different team every year since 8th grade) envisioned. You’d think at some point dad would wake up and just let things play out on their own, but from everything I’ve heard about dad, that ain’t gonna happen. And if his son crashes and burns out, it’ll be everyone but dad’s fault, I’m sure. Gross.

[headsupsticksdown]

Seems like it would have been fun to stay at Shakopee, play in hockey day MN, go to state tournament with a shot to win it, get all the press and coverage you could possibly want as a player. Be the top dog at walking down halls at the high school hang with all your buddies, play some poker with boys. I guess he played for Fargo Force, I watched a few games but must been games he was resting and couldn't play.

Sure hurt Alex Bumps career to stick it out, I'm sure he regrets everything, hockey day MN, scoring 5 goals at state tourney, being on TV and having everyone talk about you, so lame...

Yeah, I don’t think 15 points in 60 games for Fargo Force last season was what dad (who of course is the driving force behind his son playing with a different team every year since 8th grade) envisioned. You’d think at some point dad would wake up and just let things play out on their own, but from everything I’ve heard about dad, that ain’t gonna happen. And if his son crashes and burns out, it’ll be everyone but dad’s fault, I’m sure. Gross.

Pops is for sure a problem but we’re talking about a HS kid. Grow a pair and voice your opinion if you truly want to do something else. 75% is Pops, but kids have a say too.

[yesiplayedhockey]

Sad part of all of this is

1. Dad don't care...He's reading this and we are just feeding his ego

2. College Coaches don't care...If the kid can play, these coaches and their egos will think they can fix anything

3. The NHL don't care about some delusional hockey dad...they've seen it all - They just want to win...

This kid isn't the first and the way the Minnesota hockey is going, he won't be the last...This is the new norm

What do we know?

Rodgers may have recruited hard enough to make it to state and the kid will be in stoplight (Already growing his hair out and working on his celly)
The kid will most likely de-commit his college choice during juniors
He will use the open portal after his 1st year of college
He will leave college hockey for the NHL way to early

Bottom line, if the kid can play...all will be forgotten ...Well except this dad has stripped his son of all the great joys of being a "normal" teenage hockey player in the state of Minnesota.