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The 2014-2015 season is upon us and we have some games complete already. As is the case every year, I will be starting the season with LPH's rankings and going from there.

I can't see all the teams and do a lot of the comparative analysis based on the stats. Stats never tell the whole story, but unless you can see everyone play it eliminates a lot of bias. Fortunately, we have a lot of outstate teams who did well last year who don't have the most difficult schedules. Unfortunately, that is hard to compare to others. If you happen to make it out to see many Class A teams play and can offer some insights into the things that are toss ups, feel free to contact me. If you know of any storylines beyond what an outsider can see on a schedule, feel free to contact me as well.

Beyond all that, I'm looking forward to a great season.

1. East Grand Forks (0-0)
The Green Wave are definitely the team to beat this season. Not only do they return all of their top 4 leading scorers from last year, but they also return their goaltender from last year. The closest thing they have to playing top teams in a 24 hour period happens this week.
This week: Tues @ Park Rapids, Fri @ Totino-Grace, Sat @ St Cloud Cathedral

2. Hermantown
The Hawks also return some firepower this year in their top 2 leading scoers from last year and 3 of their top 4, but both of their varsity goalies that split time last year were seniors. The Hawks question to start the season will be between the pipes, but returning 7 of their 12 with 10 points or more last season, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
This week: Fri @ Wayzata, Sat @ Roseville

3. Breck (0-0)
On paper, the Mustangs could be the strongest team in the state, returning 7 of their 13 skaters with 10 or more points last season. They would've been a force at the X last year but were upset by Orono in the section finals. Breck plays a much more difficult schedule than the two teams ahead of them and likely controls their own destiny as they play EGF away this year.
This week: Tues vs Delano, Sat @ Duluth Marshall

4. Warroad (0-0)
The Warriors may be second fiddle in the section, but they return two pieces of their 252 point line from last year as well as their tender. Loaded with a typical Warroad schedule, the Warriors will have more than enough opportunity to be the top seed in their section or top seed going to the X.
This week: Fri vs Mound-Westonka, Sat vs Delano

5. Mahtomedi (0-0)
Of their 10 players with 10 or more points last season, the Zephyrs return all but their #3, #7 and #9 skaters last year as well as returning a junior tender who got just under 30% of the time in net. They are always tough to rank because they play a schedule with few other teams in who are ranked, but if they are really this good that won't matter.
This week: Sat vs Cretin

6 (6) Duluth Marshall
Of their top 8 scorers last year, only their leading scorer was a senior. They also return their tender from last year. I expect Saturday's home game to be great. With Hermantown in their section, what happens over the course of the next 27 games won't be as important as the 28th.
This week: Fri vs Roseville, Sat vs Breck

7. New Prague (1-0)
The Trojans pick of their first win of the season over the Crusaders this week. New Prague has a total of 6 games the entire season against currently ranked teams; 1 with Hermantown, 1 with West, 2 with Orono and 2 with Delano.
This week: Sat vs Northfield

8. St. Cloud Cathedral (0-1)
Starting the season off with a loss isn't great, but one game doesn't define the season. With their next two games against EGF and Mahtomedi, the Crusaders could start the season 0-3 and rise in the rankings depending on what happens around them.
This week: Sat vs EGF

9. Totino-Grace (0-0)
As always, the Eagles play a good schedule. With the new conference they will play some good teams and be poised for the top spot in the section if they do well, although no game against Mahtomedi does make this kind of weird.
This week: Fri vs EGF, Sat vs TRF

10. Orono (0-0)
The Spartans always have good teams and this year should be no different. With 4 of their first 5 on the road and playing good competition, they could lose their first 4 and stay in the Top 10, or they could win more than 0 of them and rise a few spots.
This week: Tues @ Stillwater

11. Thief River Falls (0-0)
This week: Fri @ Blake, Sat @ Totino

12. Delano (1-0)
Starting the season with a Blake win is good and playing in both the Wright County and the Marshall tournament should prepare them well.
This week: Tues @ Breck

13. Blake (0-1)
This week: Fri vs TRF, Sat vs Crookston

14. Mankato West (0-0)
Last year seemed to be their year; of their 12 players with 10 or more points, 8 graduated last year, including their top 4, but their starting goalie is returning this year and they should be alive until their 28th game regardless of what happens in the previous 27.
This week: Tues @ Winona

15. Duluth Denfeld
This week: Fri @ Jefferson, Sat @ Red Wing

16. St. Paul Academy (2-0)
This week: Tues @ Mpls, Sat @ Sibley

17. Luverne (1-0)
They made it to state 27-0-1 last year and they have added a whole ONE game against a ranked opponent in Totino this year, but unfortunately they could make it to state 27-1 this year and still be unranked for some reason. They had a 10th grader with 80 points and an 8th grader with 62 last year, how many will they get this year?
This week: Fri vs St Peter

18. Alexandria (0-0)
The Cardinals had 2 losses by more than 1 goal last season and lost by the 1 twice, including the section finals, to the only team likely to challenge them for the section crown this year.
This week: Tues @ Little Falls

19. Bloomington Kennedy (1-0)
Starting your season with an overtime win over Roshester John Marshall isn't the most promising, but the new conference will help them play in more competitive games all season. While they graduated their goalie, they return the #4, #5 and #6 scorers from last year.
This week: Sat @ Simley

20. Hibbing/Chisholm (0-0)
This week: Fri vs International Falls, Sat vs Roseau

HShockeywatcher wrote: 4. Warroad (0-0)
The Warriors may be second fiddle in the section, but they return two pieces of their 252 point line from last year as well as their tender. Loaded with a typical Warroad schedule, the Warriors will have more than enough opportunity to be the top seed in their section or top seed going to the X.
This week: Fri vs Mound-Westonka, Sat vs Delano

Only Roth is back from last year's line...they do return Jaycox on D, though.

Mahtomedi dialing up the schedule this year to be ready for playoffs. Coach Poeschl more focused on prepping his squad vs building a gaudy record as single games vs Simley, SSP, NSP, Sibley, and Richfield dropped. Replacements include Stillwater, Holy Angels, St Cloud Cathedral, Duluth Marshall, and Hastings (new Metro East games). Those games are on top of a schedule that already included 2 games vs Hill and St Thomas and a non-conference schedule that includes Roseville, Cretin, Grand Rapids, Breck, St Paul Academy and Blake. They even finagled a scrimmage with WBL on the 22nd (Maht 5, WBL 2 in 35 mins of running time before they broke into special teams).

I expect SPA will be a bigger challenger to Mahtomedi in Section 4 than T-G. T-G lost more seniors (plus Krych) from last year compared to SPA. Would have helped to have Mahtomedi play T-G this year again to be able to compare the three, but that game was also dropped.

HShockeywatcher wrote: 17. Luverne (1-0)
They made it to state 27-0-1 last year and they have added a whole ONE game against a ranked opponent in Totino this year, but unfortunately they could make it to state 27-1 this year and still be unranked for some reason. They had a 10th grader with 80 points and an 8th grader with 62 last year, how many will they get this year?
This week: Fri vs St Peter

St. Paul Academy is also ranked and on the Luverne schedule.

3. Breck (0-0)
On paper, the Mustangs could be the strongest team in the state, returning 7 of their 13 skaters with 10 or more points last season. They would've been a force at the X last year but were upset by Orono in the section finals. Breck plays a much more difficult schedule than the two teams ahead of them and likely controls their own destiny as they play EGF away this year.
This week: Tues vs Delano, Sat @ Duluth Marshall

I disagree that Breck plays a "Much More Difficult" schedule than Hermantown this year. It's very even if you look at ranked teams,similar teams, the holiday tournament possibilities, and weaker opponents.

BigTen wrote:On paper, the Mustangs could be the strongest team in the state, returning 7 of their 13 skaters with 10 or more points last season.

Interesting that right now their girls' team is leading the early KRACH rankings, so they look to have a very good team also.

http://www.mghca.com/page/show/427552-overall-rankings

Is there a list of Class A students who didn't graduate last year and left high school? I browsed around here a little bit and couldn't find one. I don't want to miss any more important players.

With Breck not in the Gold Division and Hermantown staying north for the holiday tournaments, their schedules are definitely much more comparable than in the past. With the possibility of a Hermantown/EGF match up before the next year, there will likely not be as much of a difference as in the past.
That being said, for the purposes of Class A ranking and potential state seeding, if we don't have that holiday matchup, Breck has games against Mahtomedi, East Grand Forks and Totino while Hermantown only has New Prague.

HShockeywatcher wrote:Is there a list of Class A students who didn't graduate last year and left high school? I browsed around here a little bit and couldn't find one. I don't want to miss any more important players.

List for both classes in the first post here--this is as thorough a list as you'll find:

http://www.ushsho.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32824

Other than that, McClure and Dow both transferred out of Duluth Marshall, and Gleekel transferred out of Blake. Denfeld added McClure, plus Michaud from Cloquet (had sat out a year for his transfer) and someone from Superior. That's all the movement among higher-ranked teams that I'm aware of.

karl(east) wrote:

HShockeywatcher wrote:Is there a list of Class A students who didn't graduate last year and left high school? I browsed around here a little bit and couldn't find one. I don't want to miss any more important players.

List for both classes in the first post here--this is as thorough a list as you'll find:

http://www.ushsho.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32824

Other than that, McClure and Dow both transferred out of Duluth Marshall, and Gleekel transferred out of Blake. Denfeld added McClure, plus Michaud from Cloquet (had sat out a year for his transfer) and someone from Superior. That's all the movement among higher-ranked teams that I'm aware of.

Grant Parrish transferred from Northfield to Breck, now plays on their first line, had 2 goals last night. Blake lost Gleekel (BSM), Jackson (G to prep school), and Lagerstrom (to transfers). Totino lost Krych to the USHL. Mankato West lost Jutting (to Shattuck).

BP wrote:

karl(east) wrote:

HShockeywatcher wrote:Is there a list of Class A students who didn't graduate last year and left high school? I browsed around here a little bit and couldn't find one. I don't want to miss any more important players.

List for both classes in the first post here--this is as thorough a list as you'll find:

http://www.ushsho.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32824

Other than that, McClure and Dow both transferred out of Duluth Marshall, and Gleekel transferred out of Blake. Denfeld added McClure, plus Michaud from Cloquet (had sat out a year for his transfer) and someone from Superior. That's all the movement among higher-ranked teams that I'm aware of.

Grant Parrish transferred from Northfield to Breck, now plays on their first line, had 2 goals last night. Blake lost Gleekel (BSM), Jackson (G to prep school), and Lagerstrom (to transfers). Totino lost Krych to the USHL. Mankato West lost Jutting (to Shattuck).

That's a bummer for West; losing 75% of the guys with double digit points last season. Do they have a shot at 1A?

All in all, looks like a lot of change around much of the state.

Has anyone seen Luverne play this year?
It seems odd that LPH would have them start so low seeing as how they held their own against some good teams in the playoffs last year and are returning their majority of their team.

HShockeywatcher wrote:Has anyone seen Luverne play this year?
It seems odd that LPH would have them start so low seeing as how they held their own against some good teams in the playoffs last year and are returning their majority of their team.

It's not LPH staff that does the rankings. The coaches in each class send in their rankings every week to LPH and that is how they are ranked.