5 Greatest Minnesota High School Players of All Time

grindiangrad-80 · Post by **grindiangrad-80** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 7:40 pm

I know this has been proposed before but I would like to see everyone's lists. Who are the 5 greatest Minn players of all time?

Can be based on high school only or college, international, pro or beyond.

I will check back in a week or two and comment.

Thank you,

Injun

kniven · Post by **kniven** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 9:07 pm

grindiangrad-80 wrote:I know this has been proposed before but I would like to see everyone's lists. Who are the 5 greatest Minn players of all time?

Can be based on high school only or college, international, pro or beyond.

I will check back in a week or two and comment.

Thank you,

Injun

Tanner Robideaux James Newgren jack Kuhlman dalton Johnson Ryan lind

grindiangrad-80 · Post by **grindiangrad-80** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 11:44 pm

My list would be:

Neal Broten, Phil Housley, John Mayasich, Dave Spehar, Tom Chorske.

jg2112 · Post by **jg2112** » Fri Jun 30, 2017 9:02 am

Neal Broten
Phil Housley
Dave Spehar
Hannah Brandt
Mike Ramsey

507Ole · Post by **507Ole** » Fri Jun 30, 2017 11:35 am

I'm "only" 44 so only going with guys I have actually seen play high school hockey (call it a list of my favorites since the early 80's):

Dave Spehar
Johnny Pohl
Larry Olimb
Jamie Lagunbrunner
Jeff Taffe (had to - Hastings alum)

Goalie: Stauber

TheMayor · Post by **TheMayor** » Fri Jun 30, 2017 11:38 am

Broten
Housley
Mayasich
Boucha
Pelawa

Goalie Reggie Miracle

WestMetro · Post by **WestMetro** » Fri Jun 30, 2017 4:21 pm

Does Dave Christian belong on this list? 1000 games and 770 points

O-townClown · Post by **O-townClown** » Sat Jul 01, 2017 3:39 pm

http://www.mnhockeyhub.com/page/show/35 ... st-players

BP · Post by BP » Sat Jul 01, 2017 11:48 pm

1st Team:
Goalie - Jon Casey, Grand Rapids
Defense - Phil Housley, South St. Paul
Defense - Michael Crowley, Bloomington Jefferson
Forward - John Mayasich, Eveleth
Forward - Neal Broten, Roseau
Forward - David Spehar, Duluth East

2nd Team:
Goalie - Willard Ikola, Eveleth
Defense - Henry Boucha, Warroad
Defense - Larry Olimb, Warroad
Forward - Tim Sheehy, International Falls
Forward - Mike Antonovich, Greenway
Forward - Aaron Broten, Roseau

3rd Team:
Goalie -Robb Stauber, Duluth Denfeld
Defense - Reed Larson, Minneapolis Roosevelt
Defense - Mike Ramsey, Minneapolis Roosevelt
Forward - Kyle Rau, Eden Prairie
Forward - Scott Bloom, Burnsville
Forward - Tom Chorske, Minneapolis Southwest

Jeffy95 · Post by **Jeffy95** » Sun Jul 02, 2017 2:09 am

BP wrote:1st Team:
Goalie - Jon Casey, Grand Rapids
Defense - Phil Housley, South St. Paul
Defense - Michael Crowley, Bloomington Jefferson
Forward - John Mayasich, Eveleth
Forward - Neal Broten, Roseau
Forward - David Spehar, Duluth East

2nd Team:
Goalie - Willard Ikola, Eveleth
Defense - Henry Boucha, Warroad
Defense - Larry Olimb, Warroad
Forward - Tim Sheehy, International Falls
Forward - Mike Antonovich, Greenway
Forward - Aaron Broten, Roseau

3rd Team:
Goalie -Robb Stauber, Duluth Denfeld
Defense - Reed Larson, Minneapolis Roosevelt
Defense - Mike Ramsey, Minneapolis Roosevelt
Forward - Kyle Rau, Eden Prairie
Forward - Scott Bloom, Burnsville
Forward - Tom Chorske, Minneapolis Southwest

Great work BP. I watched Crowley's entire career and he was amazing. But Henry Boucha is 1st team. Nobody could stop him, they couldn't even hope to contain him. (Unless an Edina guy knee capped him). That's the only change I would make.

grindiangrad-80 · Post by **grindiangrad-80** » Sun Jul 02, 2017 6:09 am

I do not claim to know what is best for any player out there. I will be the first to admit that I don't have a clue. The decisions these people, with a millions times more talent than I will ever have, must be their own. No doubt that every individual situation is unique and cannot fall into a broad range of what players prior have done.

It is interesting to note that almost every, if not all, players on these lists have stayed in high school for their senior year.

Again, I'm not throwing this out there because I think I know what is best for someone else. I certainly don't. Most of it is coming from the wishful Injun fan that I am hoping to see that group come back for one more winter in the orange and black. They would have the potential to go down as one of the greatest high school groups of all time. What they have accomplished already has been special and will not be forgotten for a long time.

Whatever decisions they make I wish them the best and would like to thank them for the opportunity to watch them play. It has truly been awesome.

Happy 4th everyone.

WestMetro · Post by **WestMetro** » Sun Jul 02, 2017 10:05 am

Would be interesting to see how perspectives would change, if the definition was revised to Best All Time Pro Players that came through the MSHSL system

grindiangrad-80 · Post by **grindiangrad-80** » Sun Jul 02, 2017 12:24 pm

WestMetro wrote:Would be interesting to see how perspectives would change, if the definition was revised to Best All Time Pro Players that came through the MSHSL system

That would be another good barometer. Off the top of my head I'm not sure how it would come out.

WendyClark · Post by **WendyClark** » Sun Jul 02, 2017 11:48 pm

Goalie - Kevin gorg
Damn - Mark osiecki
Dman - Jack achan
Forward - Scott bloom
Forward - Jake hendrickson
Forward - Lance werness

Head coach and greatest gym teacher ever Mr Tom Osiecki

YouthHockeyHub · Post by **YouthHockeyHub** » Mon Jul 03, 2017 5:38 pm

BP sets the bar very high. Nice work on all three teams.

My only edit would be Ikola (never lost a game) and could see the argument for Boucha, too.

goldy313 · Post by **goldy313** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 12:29 am

It all depends on your time line I suppose.....

G Greg Stutz or Paul Butters
D Phil Housley
D Paul Martin
F Neil Broten
F John Mayasich
F Mike Antonovich

Nobody has ever done what Stutz did, even in the early days when Eveleth was head and shoulders above all but a couple of teams. Butters was incredible and had his team there three years in a row. Housley had scouts following him like TMZ reporters as a high schooler. Martin was a great athlete, people forget he was a D1 football caliber receiver. Antonivich memorized me, and everyone else, at the state tournament....I'm sure there have been others but much like Casey Middlestadt did the past two years. People took notice whenever he had the puck.

Others.....TJ Oshie has become a great pro and Olympian.....Matt Niskanen was a level above everyone else, he reminded me of Housley.

edgeless2 · Post by **edgeless2** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 1:25 am

No mention of Pelawa, Parish, Darby?? Wake up people!

WarmUpTheBus · Post by **WarmUpTheBus** » Wed Jul 05, 2017 12:22 pm

Henry Boucha, Mike Crowley, Phil Housley, Steve Christoff, Dave Spehar

Puckguy19 · Post by **Puckguy19** » Wed Jul 05, 2017 9:20 pm

TheMayor wrote:Broten
Housley
Mayasich
Boucha
Pelawa

Goalie Reggie Miracle

Damn, those six are top shelf! Hard to make an argument.

Doc Holliday · Post by **Doc Holliday** » Thu Jul 06, 2017 1:21 pm

BP wrote:1st Team:
Goalie - Jon Casey, Grand Rapids
Defense - Phil Housley, South St. Paul
Defense - Michael Crowley, Bloomington Jefferson
Forward - John Mayasich, Eveleth
Forward - Neal Broten, Roseau
Forward - David Spehar, Duluth East

I think you nailed it with these 4. I don't know who I would put at #5.

BP · Post by BP » Thu Jul 06, 2017 1:42 pm

Doc Holliday wrote:
BP wrote:1st Team:
Goalie - Jon Casey, Grand Rapids
Defense - Phil Housley, South St. Paul
Defense - Michael Crowley, Bloomington Jefferson
Forward - John Mayasich, Eveleth
Forward - Neal Broten, Roseau
Forward - David Spehar, Duluth East
I think you nailed it with these 4. I don't know who I would put at #5.

I know where you are going with this - but hard to argue 5 hat tricks his junior and senior year.

The Exiled One · Post by **The Exiled One** » Thu Jul 06, 2017 3:00 pm

Just a reminder that the MN Hockey Hub did a list.

A few that haven't been mentioned yet...

John Matchefts
Johnny Pohl
Steve Christoff
Matt Cullen
Nick Bjugstad
Nick Leddy
Ryan McDonagh

...and the MSHSL's all time leading scorer...
Ben Hanowski

Also, other than Housley, the only other two Minnesotans in the HHOF are pre-MSHSL State Tournament (Brimsek and Goheen).

goldy313 · Post by **goldy313** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:01 am

I have trouble putting A players in the "greatest", they just don't play the schedule most AA teams do. Pohl was great, but wouldn't have been a state contender, even in 1AA.

Doc Holliday · Post by **Doc Holliday** » Mon Jul 10, 2017 11:28 am

I will defend these A players. Red Wing & Little Falls had great runs & those two players were the centerpiece of those runs. Red Wing won a state title & defeated Warroad at a time when Warroad was a much bigger juggernaut. Red Wing hasn't had a sniff since nor may they for a very long time.

Perhaps Hanowski's #'s are a bit inflated due to opponents, but it doesn't diminish his accomplishments. He also was successful after Little Falls, which I think suggests it was the player & not who he played against.

I am not old enough to have watched these greats during their high school years except Crowley. Using the term "owned the ice" may be overplayed often, but it was not when it came to Crowley. He was an absolute two-way dominant force.

BP · Post by BP » Mon Jul 10, 2017 1:17 pm

YouthHockeyHub wrote:BP sets the bar very high. Nice work on all three teams.

My only edit would be Ikola (never lost a game) and could see the argument for Boucha, too.

Only reason I didn't put Ike was most of their games were blowouts and you could've played goalie and it wouldn't have mattered. Not saying he wasn't great, because he was, just thought process on it.

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