6AA Final - #2 Edina vs #4 Wayzata

[Brodziak Fan Club]

Also EP has gotten a couple Edina castoffs

I really just think there is movement everywhere at this point.

[ryguyMN]

O'Leary is a great coach, just in a tough section. Had Wayzata been in say, 5AA, they would had Maple Grove to contend with and I have no doubt they would have made more state tourney appearances. Heck, they might have been building a statue of O'Leary outside of PIC when it was all said and done!

[headsupsticksdown]

Seemed like McConnell was going for a hard dump in, with the intent for the puck to angle back out in front and he'd try to beat the defenseman to it. Angled to the back of the goal instead, where it then took its interesting route.

Wayzata had more shots in the 3rd, but really didn't have many good scoring chances; I'm thinking maybe only 2 or 3? Less than Edina in the 3rd & they were not playing that aggressively.

Is there any heat or pressure on O'Leary? I don't think there should be because if a coach was only judged on how they performed against Edina in the post season, pretty much every coach in the state minus Mike Randolph would lose their job. But the section loses to Edina are piling up. Not all are equal as some years there is a talent discrepancy, but seems like the years where they seem to be even, Edina still finds a way to win.

There should be zero IMO but I have seen weirder things happen as am sure you all have. Consistency in coaching is nearly nonexistent these days and Wayzata has that. The difference I see at least between them and Edina is they both have a similar size pool of kids in their association but they lose quite a few year after year. They aren't struggling by any means but the difference with Edina is they rarely lose that top end talent to say the privates whereas Wayzata seems to lose more. Both continue to roll on with business as usual but I think Wayzata feels it more in the end.

Not sure I agree with the losing talent part. The rosters of Benilde, St. Thomas, Holy Angels, even Hill once in a while include Edina kids. Not to mention Shattuck, the NTDP and USHL. I think someone one time posted a roster of all the Edina kids who played elsewhere or left early. The talent was staggering.

FWIW I think O’Leary is a very good coach and it would be a bad idea to mess with the stability he has brought to that program.

I agree to some extent, yet name an Edina kid that left after bantams that made a significant difference at BSM, Holy Angels or STA over the past 5-10 years? I might list Mikan and Sill in there but there aren't many.

[headsupsticksdown]

Also EP has gotten a couple Edina castoffs

I really just think there is movement everywhere at this point.

Nothing against them but those two were likely not going to make or get barely any playing time in Edina when they bounced.

[Rich Clarke]

Edina may not have lost significant transfers this year, although Mikan would clearly be in the top two lines the next two years. But this year's Edina squad was DECIMATED by early departures more than I've ever seen in the past. This years top forwards--Johnson, McConnell. and Peterson had 26, 19, and 14 points last year. Underclassmen leaving early were Vandertop (49 points), Pittsley (43 points), West (42 points), and Schneider (41 points). Edina was the consensus no. 1 2026 team last spring based on the underclass talent, even though it was anticipated that Schneider would depart.

Wayzata loses players, but not on that scale. And while they may lose a player here and there, early departures or transfers from Edina are frequent.

2022 Ryan Andor, Eric Choi
2023 Jimmy Clarke
2024 Eddie Reveneg, Amir Chebaclo

Andor was likely third line and Choi may not have played given Edina's defensive depth, but Clarke was a superstar and his departure may well have been the difference in the 2023 championship. Reveneg was Edina's top returning defenseman, while Chebaclo was a sophomore who would have made an impact by 2025 and 2026.

With Edina doing as well as they are this year despite the departures, no one will feel sorry for them. But the point is that Wayzata does not lose more top players than Edina.

And having watched Edina and Wayzata since 1982 and seeing all of Wayzata's coaches, Pat O'Leary is the ONLY one to have some success against Edina. Edina did win in 2024 when Wayzata may have had more talent, but since Edina won state that year the loss can't be much of an embarrassment.

[Brodziak Fan Club]

In addition to players named, I’m thinking of Tommy and Patch Cronin from STA. You could throw in Jack Jensen at EP - although he was younger when he left. If you want to go way back the Benilde state championship team in 2012 had some major contributors from Edina: Labosky, Moore, and I’m probably forgetting someone.

Anyways - it’s not really the point of the O’Leary argument. We are in agreement he is doing a great job and there should not be any heat on him.

[Doc Holliday]

I wasn't trying to start any flames; I agree on O'Leary. I was just taken aback after twitter last night on a few comments on it was time to move on and another choke job. I guess I only have myself to blame for jumping in the twitter comment gutter.

Wayzata always has had strong youth numbers and success. And since his arrival, Wayzata took out BSM in 2013, led them to a title in 2016, and an upset return trip back to state in 17. Figured that would have potentially created a springboard of success, but they really haven't captalized on it.

ryguy is right; flip Wayzata & Maple Grove and you'd have seen Wayzata at state more often in St. Paul the past 10 years. With the way they draw up sections, it won't shock me if Maple Grove joins them to make 6AA even more of a bloodbath.