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Putting together an article for HS AA and A Pre-Season T10 that will come out in a few weeks. Here is a stab at what I think based on a lot of variable that are out there (returners, transfers, new students). Would love some "constructive" feedback at this first stab.

AA

1. EP
2. Duluth East
3. Grand Rapids
4. Elk River
5. Edina
6. Wayzata
7. Benilde
8. Hill Murray
9. Prior Lake
10. Stillwater

Maybe Missing: LVN, STA, Tonka, Bemidji, STMA

A

1. Hermantown
2. EGF
3. Luverne
4. St. Cloud Apollo
5. Delano
6. Breck
7. SPA
8. St. Cloud Cathedral
9. Orono
10. Mahtomedi

Maybe missing: New Ulm, Kennedy, Mankato West

Thoughts?

TS

YouthHockeyHub wrote:Putting together an article for HS AA and A Pre-Season T10 that will come out in a few weeks. Here is a stab at what I think based on a lot of variable that are out there (returners, transfers, new students). Would love some "constructive" feedback at this first stab.

AA

1. EP
2. Duluth East
3. Grand Rapids
4. Elk River
5. Edina
6. Wayzata
7. Benilde
8. Hill Murray
9. Prior Lake
10. Stillwater

Maybe Missing: LVN, STA, Tonka, Bemidji, STMA

A

1. Hermantown
2. EGF
3. Luverne
4. St. Cloud Apollo
5. Delano
6. Breck
7. SPA
8. St. Cloud Cathedral
9. Orono
10. Mahtomedi

Maybe missing: New Ulm, Kennedy, Mankato West

Thoughts?

TS

That will get the people going!

If you are looking for feedback I would say Elk River is too high at 4. Lakeville North should be in the top 10, probably around #5 I think. I would move Hill up above Wayzata and Benilde, especially with how those two teams have been struggling to meet expectations recently. Prior lake seems to be another team that struggles to make the next step so I would have them outside the top 10. Same with Stillwater until they prove something.

I done watch much Single A hockey, but Luverne at 3 seems bold.

Overall, not a bad prediction. Still a lot to sort out though

No way should East be at #2, says the East fan.

By no means did I think this first stab was right on...way too many unknowns. Any constructive feedback is appreciated!

Green: thanks...I suspect with so much unknown, that no matter the list it, it might be way off. Hill and STA both seem pretty young and inexperienced compared to Wayzata and BSM this year. LVN and PL seem to be about the same to me in the SS, PL is really deep (no doubt the Lakers have disappointed in the post-season). Luverne returns their top 2 scorers, reason enough to put them at 3. On this board, no matter where you put the Cardinals, it will be wrong.

Karl: East is gonna be East. Period. 7 straight years isn't a coincidence. If you'd prefer I move them down, that would mean GR and ER would have to follow them in line. I think those 2 (GR and ER) will be really good this year.

TS

Didn't all the big point kids leave Luverne ?

Stillwater, PL and Wayzata don't belong in top 10 until they prove otherwise.

Replace them with STA, Bemidji, LN and Blaine maybe even Farmington.

GR, DE, ER all ranked too high. Edina is and will be better than all of them.

Edina should be in top 2.

I would say:

1) EP
2) Edina
3) DE
4) LN
5) STA
6) Bemidji
7) Elk River
HM
9) GR
10) Blaine

Just recently adjusted my own list, taking into account some Elite League observations and also fact that apparently Mattson will not be returning but assuming that Tufte will be returning.

There is a lot of parity among top 10 this year, EP seems clearly number 1 if Graham returns but beyond that things are less clear and will be very fluid At this point I have given some overweighting to teams with returning starting goaltenders along with proven firepower and returning D.

1 EP--- Graham , Leivermann, Middlestadt , Lawrence, Sullivan, Schoo, Goalie Durocher

2 Hill Murray--- Ranello, Staum, Reffenberger, Mills, Goalie: Begley

3 BSM--- Austin,,Calengor, Gleekel, Heimbold,Risteau,Mayer,Moore,Roo, Goalie Bischel

4 Prior Lake--- Clemens, Denman, Fellows, Harris, Gackle, Hansen, , Goalie: Scites

5 Edina--- Dornbach, Copeland, Sheerer, Phillips, Walker, Johnson Goalie: DeGrood?

6 Lakeville N. ---Poehling , Enebek, Johnson, Pehrson, Schneider, Klans Goalie Foss ?

7 STA--- Jerry,, Reim, Smallidge, Stucker, Reim, Goalie: Kelly?

8 Blaine--- Noterman, Tufte,Vescio ,Bautch,Penn, Goalie Kallestad

9 Minnetonka Picciano, Bertogliat, Skarda, VanSant, Miller, Goalie: Hanson

10 Duluth East Altman, Spencer, Dow, Donovan, Peterson, Goalie: Meierhoff?

HOCKEYDRIVER wrote:Didn't all the big point kids leave Luverne ?

Correct the Three B's are gone!!

Should they even be rated in the top 10 ?

Tufte is playing for Blaine this year?

We are assuming he's gone, that is why Blaine = no love

Based on what I'm reading:

More love for: Edina, LVN, BSM, Hill Murray, and STA

Less love for: Wayzata, PL and ER - and to some degree DE

Michael Graham is playing before/after Fargo (the only thing that would change that is if he loves Fargo).

At least as of Tuesday night at New Hope, an unnamed hockey Mom presumably close to situation said as far as she knew the Tufte decision was still up in the air and she very much hope he returned.

Regarding Prior Lake, Scites has the best GAA of top 20 AA school returning goalies , and has capable returning D in front of him. With Harris returning healthy. Lots of talented forwards with good firepower. And despite all the offseason rumors , no outtransfers so Im assuming good team cohesion. All of this means a pretty place to start in the rankings. Now lets see if they can play disciplined hockey and put the puck in the net and win all the games they seem capable of. They should be at least be able to split with the Panthers this year. Anyway, Scites is the reason Ive got them in the top 5 at this point rather than lower top 10.

WestMetro wrote:Regarding Prior Lake, Scites has the best GAA of top 20 AA school returning goalies , and has capable returning D in front of him. With Harris returning healthy. Lots of talented forwards with good firepower. And despite all the offseason rumors , no outtransfers so Im assuming good team cohesion. All of this means a pretty place to start in the rankings. Now lets see if they can play disciplined hockey and put the puck in the net and win all the games they seem capable of. They should be at least be able to split with the Panthers this year. Anyway, Scites is the reason Ive got them in the top 5 at this point rather than lower top 10.

This group has done very little since youth hockey. Don't get too excited over there yet WestMetry

Yes that's another good perspective on the Lakers

Whiner33 wrote:

HOCKEYDRIVER wrote:Didn't all the big point kids leave Luverne ?

Correct the Three B's are gone!!

Haha thats funny ,

But no, Smedsrud and Nelson both return and they will go 1-2 in scoring for the state this year. I dont even think thats really that bold of a statement considering the conference they play in. Luverne will have a new goalie and have some new role players but the core will return.

We will find out in late November when St. Paul Academy makes the trip down to BMIA. Luverne hasn't lost at home in many years.

green4 wrote:If you are looking for feedback I would say Elk River is too high at 4. Lakeville North should be in the top 10, probably around #5 I think. I would move Hill up above Wayzata and Benilde, especially with how those two teams have been struggling to meet expectations recently. Prior lake seems to be another team that struggles to make the next step so I would have them outside the top 10. Same with Stillwater until they prove something.

I done watch much Single A hockey, but Luverne at 3 seems bold.

Overall, not a bad prediction. Still a lot to sort out though

...

karl(east) wrote:No way should East be at #2, says the East fan.

Yeah, that ranking made me cringe. Top 10, perhaps, but #2? Uh-uh.

Lee

WestMetro wrote:
3 BSM--- Austin,,Calengor, Gleekel, Heimbold,Risteau,Mayer,Moore,Roo, Goalie Bischel

Are you assuming that the younger Roo will be a factor this year? Carter graduated and is in the NAHL.

Regardless, I think 3 is too high until this group shows something more than they did last season, they lost a lot of leadership to graduation.

Yes Jordan should contribute as a sophomore. Yes others have different perspectives on BSM, although as I say at this point I'm giving overweighting to Bischel as a returning starting goaltender. (Although he was certainly spooked a little last Saturday night by team Southeast talent including Middlestat)

YouthHockeyHub wrote:Putting together an article for HS AA and A Pre-Season T10 that will come out in a few weeks. Here is a stab at what I think based on a lot of variable that are out there (returners, transfers, new students). Would love some "constructive" feedback at this first stab.

AA

1. EP
2. Duluth East
3. Grand Rapids
4. Elk River
5. Edina
6. Wayzata
7. Benilde
8. Hill Murray
9. Prior Lake
10. Stillwater

Maybe Missing: LVN, STA, Tonka, Bemidji, STMA

A

1. Hermantown
2. EGF
3. Luverne
4. St. Cloud Apollo
5. Delano
6. Breck
7. SPA
8. St. Cloud Cathedral
9. Orono
10. Mahtomedi

Maybe missing: New Ulm, Kennedy, Mankato West

Thoughts?

TS

I think a better poll is who are the possible top ten surprises this year? This top ten list looks about the same every year.

Let's hear about who people think might surprise.

I will throw out Farmington, Rosemount, Eastridge, LVS, SPA

Holy Family will be a good team again this year. Anderson, Garin, Rock, Reddan, Almquist, Marooney and Ziemer.

Yeah, I'd say all of 7AA is too high here.

Rapids is the only team I'd consider for a top 5 spot, and Mattson has to return for that. And even then, they have a lot to prove. They were decidedly mediocre for long stretches last season.

East is East, sure, but one could say the same thing about them before their late-season run. Top 10 I'll buy; there's good talent here. Top 5, nah.

Elk River could surprise some people, but they were only a borderline top 5 team last year, lost Mr. Hockey, their top defenseman, a great senior forward, and a bunch of others. That's not preseason top 5 material, and probably not top 10 either.

All that said, this is a very wide-open field. I'm guessing preseason rankings will be harder than usual.

Agree that SPA has to be on the radar in Class A. They return pretty much everyone from a top 10-ish team last year.

YouthHockeyHub wrote:Putting together an article for HS AA and A Pre-Season T10 that will come out in a few weeks. Here is a stab at what I think based on a lot of variable that are out there (returners, transfers, new students). Would love some "constructive" feedback at this first stab.

AA

1. EP
2. Duluth East
3. Grand Rapids
4. Elk River
5. Edina
6. Wayzata
7. Benilde
8. Hill Murray
9. Prior Lake
10. Stillwater

Maybe Missing: LVN, STA, Tonka, Bemidji, STMA

A

1. Hermantown
2. EGF
3. Luverne
4. St. Cloud Apollo
5. Delano
6. Breck
7. SPA
8. St. Cloud Cathedral
9. Orono
10. Mahtomedi

Maybe missing: New Ulm, Kennedy, Mankato West

Thoughts?

TS

1) EP
2) Edina
3) Lakeville North
4) Wayzata
5) Grand Rapids
6) Duluth East
7) Bemidji
Prior Lake
9) Benilde
10) Hill-Murray

Others: Elk River, Blaine, Stillwater, Lakeville South, Minnetonka, Farmington, St. Michael, Maple Grove, White Bear Lake, Moorhead.

1) Hermantown
2) East Grand Forks
3) St. Cloud Apollo
4) Breck
5) Delano
6) Mahtomedi
7) SPA
St. Cloud Cathedral
9) Luverne
10) Orono

Others: New Prague, Hibbing, Thief River Falls, Sartell, Alexandria, Mankato West, Rochester Lourdes

Will Luverne's coach changing to Cathedral have any effect on either of the teams?