AA Preseason Rankings 2018-2019
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 10:02 pm
It’s that time of year again.
The first in-season rankings will appear on December 2. All games before that point for the ranked teams are listed in the “schedule” section.
1. Minnetonka
-The defending champs were bolstered over the offseason by a series of transfers, which helps offset some of their losses. They bring back the elite defensive pair of Josh Luedtke and Grant Docter that anchored their title a year ago, and Jack Bayless and Teddy Lagerback add some punch up front. They may not be the deepest or the most star-studded team among the top few teams, but they’ve got quality in every category, and they also bring back a strong goalie in Charlie Glockner. That’s enough to retain the top spot at the start of this season, though a game one collision with St. Thomas Academy will give us some immediate clarity in a season in which the top few teams probably won’t be as rigid as they were a year ago.
Schedule: YHH Opener—11/23 vs. #6 St. Thomas Academy, 11/24 vs. Lakeville North; 11/30 vs. Grand Rapids
2. Duluth East
-While the Hounds will miss some pieces off of last season’s runners-up, they remain very deep up front, and are led by one of the Mr. Hockey favorites in Ryder Donovan. It’s a big, hard-hitting group that will let some new kids buried on the depth chart last season step into bigger roles, and they have a strong top defensive pair of Frederick Paine and Carson Cochran. If they can sort things out on the back end of their defense and in goal, they’ll be back in St. Paul yet again. A White Bear team that usually pesters East and the ever-tough Wayzata defense are up first.
Schedule: 11/30 vs. White Bear Lake, 12/1 at #12 Wayzata
3. Edina
-A year after a dream team fell short, the Hornets bring back three prolific forwards in Mason Nevers, Jett Jungels, and Liam Malmquist, along with a deep, steady, experienced corps of defensemen. For the first time in a decade or so, the biggest question mark may be in forward depth; recent Bantam classes haven’t been at the levels we’re used to out of Edina, and they have some holes to fill. Goaltending also remains a question for this program. For this season, though, the pieces are once again in place for a run deep into March. As usual, they’ll open with the Turkey Trot, which will be an excellent chance to see them against good competition.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—11/23 vs. #11 Holy Family, 11/24 vs. #13 Maple Grove/#12 Wayzata; 12/1 at Burnsville
4. Andover
-The Huskies’ moment has arrived: with 11 of their 12 top scorers back from a team that was ever so close to a Tournament berth last year, they have the skill to win it all. Charlie Schoen and Nick Dainty will grab the headlines offensively, but expect a breakout year from the second line as well, and the real key here may be the junior-heavy defensive corps led by Wyatt Kaiser, which moves the puck up the ice as well as any in the state. Their speed and skill will give them a chance, but how do they handle the sudden spotlight? The schedule is not overly difficult, with Moorhead offering the closest thing to an early test.
Schedule: 11/24 vs. Moorhead, 11/29 vs. Spring Lake Park, 12/1 at Osseo
5. Cretin-Derham Hall
-The Raiders, fresh off a season in which they were regular inhabitants of the top ten, bring back many of their top players from their explosive offense of a year ago, including one of the state’s most electric players in Matthew Gleason. The points should come in bunches for this group, while the question marks are largely related to their defense beyond Danny Magnuson. If they can hold their own in back, they’ll have a fighting shot at Edina. A relatively late opener against Eden Prairie will be the early barometer.
Schedule: 12/1 vs. #8 Eden Prairie
6. St. Thomas Academy
-With apologies to Rob Christy this St. Thomas team doesn’t have the overwhelming front-end skill of some recent Cadet editions, but it does bring a deep, experienced senior class, and if some of them can take a step forward to help carry the load, the Cadets are going to be a threat once again. They don’t return a ton on defense, which may be a problem for a team that can have troubles back there even when it does have talent, but they do have Tom Winges and quality goaltending to keep things in line. My skepticism of that defense’s ability to perform after five straight playoff upsets costs them a spot in these rankings. The tough part of their schedule is in December, with two big ones in the Opener.
Schedule: YHH Opener—11/23 vs. #1 Minnetonka, 11/24 vs. #10 Cloquet; 11/29 vs. Eastview, 12/1 at Farmington
7. Chaska
-After growing hype over several years, the Hawks’ moment has arrived: their top nine scorers all return, and several players who had a chance to jump stuck around to give the team a chance at glory. Mike Koster is the state’s most prolific defenseman, and they bring back three more blueliners who were productive last season. An offense led by Rhett Pitlick, Shane Lavelle, and Blaine Warnert will score plenty, too. This is not a deep team, but there are enough big guns here to attempt to follow the Grand Rapids model and win on the backs of their many stars. The question of their schedule looms: outside of a four-game rush around Christmas, serious AA competition will be rare. The exceptions to that do come early, though, with Blake and Cloquet up right after Thanksgiving.
Schedule: 11/23 at Eastview, 11/27 vs. Blake, 11/29 at Eveleth, 11/30 at #10 Cloquet
8. Eden Prairie
-With Jack Jensen back in fold and some incoming Bantams who can make an immediate impact, the Eagles are primed for a return to the top ten. They have no glaring weaknesses but will need some young players to step up quickly and give Jensen a strong supporting cast if they want to have a shot at Chaska and Minnetonka. They’re also the only team among the top four in 2AA that doesn’t return a goaltender. The opener with Cretin, which was a sign of struggles to come last season, could be key to setting the tone.
Schedule: 12/1 at #5 Cretin-Derham Hall
9. Hill-Murray
-This is a tough team to read. They return a very strong defense, and a forward corps led by Nick Pierre has the potential to break out and have a big year. On the other hand, they’re still very much on the young side, lost Ben Helgeson, and were only a .500 team last season. Fortunately for the Pioneers, they are in a forgiving section, and will remain the frontrunner until someone gives us reason to think otherwise. The early schedule is very tame.
Schedule: 11/29 vs. Burnsville
10. Cloquet
-The Lumberjacks have a strong forward corps headlined by Landon Langenbrunner, and have shown flashes of potential in recent years. The injury to Dane Stoyanoff depletes the defense, and they’re adjusting to a third coach in three seasons, so they sit in the third position in the section for now. But there’s enough talent at every position that 7AA is certainly winnable. They have some of their more interesting games right away, with Lakeville North and St. Thomas in the Opener and Chaska in a battle of purple teams with something to prove, plus White Bear Lake.
Schedule: YHH Opener—11/23 vs. Lakeville North, 11/24 vs. #6 St. Thomas Academy; 11/30 vs. #7 Chaska, 12/1 vs. White Bear Lake
11. Holy Family
-The Fire came ever so close to a first Tourney berth last season, and some quality returning defensemen plus newly acquired goalie Bailey Huber, they should hold up well in back. At forward, however, they need to find Garrett Pinoniemi a supporting cast, whether it comes in the form of freshman Trey Fechko, transfer addition Lucas Jorgenson, or some of their seniors who had modest point totals last season. The annual Turkey Trot date with Edina will be revealing, and they have an interesting game with Blake right out of the gate, too.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—11/23 vs. #3 Edina, 11/24 vs. #13 Maple Grove/#12 Wayzata; 12/1 vs. Blake
12. Wayzata
-The Trojans don’t score a ton when they do have serious offensive talent, so the graduations of Colin Schmidt and Griffin Ness leave a void. That said, we also know what to expect here: this program is deep and the defense will be good, and they’re capable of grinding down opponents and giving just about anyone fits. Their opener against Maple Grove is an interesting one, and as usual they have a busy start with two northern powers coming to visit the following weekend.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—11/23 vs. #13 Maple Grove, 11/24 vs. #3 Edina/#11 Holy Family; 11/30 vs. Hermantown, 11/31 vs. #2 Duluth East
13. Maple Grove
-The Crimson brings back a couple of their top scorers from a year ago. Some departures take some of the edge of what could’ve been an elite incoming group, and even so, a couple of last year’s Bantams should be able to jump in right away and make this team a co-favorite in 5AA. Anything beyond that may be a reach, though, and the Turkey Trot could be trial by fire.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—11/23 vs. #12 Wayzata, 11/24 vs. #3 Edina/#11 Holy Family; 11/28 at Totino-Grace, 12/1 vs. Champlin Park
14. Rosemount
-The Irish are on the rise: they return their top two forwards and basically their entire defense, which includes a front-like talent in Jake Ratzlaff. If they can get any scoring depth and fill their hole in goal, they’ll be a real threat to win 3AA. The schedule is not a strong one, with only one game against a ranked team in December.
Schedule: 11/27 vs. Bloomington Jefferson
15. Blaine
-Bryce Brodzinski and Will Hillman headline an offense that returns a healthy chunk of its scoring, and Joe Daninger is a strong goaltender. Defense is a big question mark, though, and this team will need to show some progress following some of its struggles a season ago. A 5AA title is well within reach, though. The early going is not difficult.
Schedule: 11/29 vs. Armstrong/Cooper, 12/1 at Irondale
The Next Ten
Benilde-St. Margaret’s
-The Red Knights should return to relevance this season after a couple of years in the wilderness. They return a respectable core, and have begun to collect some younger talents that should allow for a deep group. In about any other section they’d be a great dark horse pick to go to State, but will face an uphill battle in 6AA. An early battle with Edina will provide some perspective.
Blake
-Young talents like Tristan Broz, Joe Miller, and Will Svenddal will make the Bears fun to watch this season, and the addition of Ben Dexheimer from Edina bolsters the blue line. Given their youth, relative lack of depth, and life in 6AA, it may be another season before they’re a serious factor on the statewide scene; I see them in a similar place to where Chaska was a year ago. They’ve done a nice job of ramping up the nonconference schedule, though, and early games with aforementioned Chaska and Holy Family give them a chance to make an impression.
Eagan
-The Wildcats bring back a strong top line, and respectable depth. If they can be good enough defensively, they too are a threat to win the section. A respectable Prior Lake team will offer them their first test.
Brainerd
-The Warriors might just be the favorite in 8AA. They aren’t blessed with a ton of top-end talent, but they do have good depth across the board, along with the large collection of Andres boys. An opener with Moorhead will give us an immediate section frontrunner.
Lakeville North
-The Panthers return a respectable number of players at each position and a strong top line with Spencer Schneider, Shane Griffin, and South transfer Caden Smith. The end result is pretty similar to the team that won the section a year ago, with a little more punch but no Garrett Daly. The defense will be tested a lot in the Opener with games against Cloquet and Minnetonka.
Moorhead
-This Spuds squad doesn’t have the large assemblage of front-line talent that the past few did, but with quality program depth and a talented core in Issac Henkemeyer-Howe, Kyler Kleven, and Luke Gramer. The retooled Spuds will need to hit the ground running with road games against Andover and Brainerd to open the season.
Stillwater
-The Ponies return the vast majority of their contributors from a season ago, and while it wasn’t an especially great season, this group did have some success in the youth ranks. They don’t play a game until the first full week of December.
White Bear Lake
-The Bears lost the four players who were by far their most important to last season’s near-miss, but they do bring a lot of the other bodies back. While they don’t have a ton of upper-end talent, they’ll be deep and a potential annoyance in 4AA. The early schedule is busy, with two conference games and a weekend road trip to face Duluth East and Cloquet.
Lakeville South
-As usual, the Cougars will be right there in 1AA, and return a fairly solid stable of forwards to help out new coach Janne Kivihalme. If they can shore up the back end, they’ll have a shot at North; if not, a non-Lakeville team could bounce them in the semis. They open at Hermantown on the first of December.
Prior Lake
-Jackson Jutting gives the Lakers one serious weapon, and there is just enough of a supporting cast that they could be a thorn in someone’s side in 2AA. Asking for much beyond that may be a reach. They open with Eagan, which gives them a chance to climb.
Sections
1AA
20 Lakeville North
24 Lakeville South
Rochester Century
Farmington
-If there’s a wrinkle in 1AA this season, it may come in the form of Rochester Century, which gave South a decent test in the semis last season and returns five of its top six scorers. Given their schedule, the Panthers could well win the most games of anyone in AA this year, so the million dollar question is how well they’ll be able to stack up against the battle-tested Lakevilles in sections. Farmington, with a healthy bulk of last season’s team back in tow, could also be a factor. Otherwise, defending champ North remains the modest favorite here.
2AA
1 Minnetonka
7 Chaska
8 Eden Prairie
11 Holy Family
25 Prior Lake
-This section is, as usual, one of the state’s most competitive. Minnetonka is the clear frontrunner, yes, but three more lurk right behind them, and Prior Lake hovers on the edge of contention, too. Assuming things go according to plan for the Skippers, avoiding anything that could cause relegation to the fourth seed will be key for the chase pack, as that leads to a tougher quarterfinal and a semi with Minnetonka. The top four don’t do a great job of playing each other, so seeding could be an adventure.
3AA
6 St. Thomas Academy
14 Rosemount
18 Eagan
Eastview
East Ridge
-While St. Thomas is once again in pole position, this could sneakily be a very good section this year. Rosemount and Eagan are both on their way back up, and the well isn’t totally dry for Eastview, who give the Cadets a momentary scare in last season’s section final. East Ridge isn’t a bad early round upset pick, either. A lot will get sorted out in South Suburban play over the course of the season, and St. Thomas also has an early game with Eastview and a January game with Rosemount to show where they’ll slot in. Everyone in the chase pack has some interesting pieces, but will need to come together and show the defensive discipline that has been St. Thomas’ undoing five years in a row in the playoffs.
4AA
9 Hill-Murray
22 Stillwater
23 White Bear Lake
Tartan
-While the faces are familiar, this section does seem a bit unsettled. Hill is the clear frontrunner, but young and not without vulnerabilities. Stillwater has talent, but needs to take a big step forward to become a contender, while the Bears are moving in the other direction, and have to show they are still relevant without last season’s big names. Just how big is the gap here? The big games among contenders open in late December, with the usual White Bear-Hill date right before Christmas.
5AA
13 Maple Grove
15 Blaine
Champlin Park
Centennial
-With Centennial significantly depleted, this looks to be a two-team race between two regular contenders. With plenty of forward talent on both sides, the team that can put together the strongest defense probably ends up taking the crown. Champlin Park is a distant third, and Centennial has enough organizational depth to be somewhere in there despite their losses. The first of two meetings between the Bengals and Crimson falls on December 15.
6AA
3 Edina
5 Cretin-Derham Hall
12 Wayzata
16 Benilde-St. Margaret’s
17 Blake
-This is the deepest section in the state, as three private schools and two of the deepest public programs do battle for the title. Edina still deserves favorite status, but the gap has closed now, and if Cretin’s back end can hold up or if Wayzata can find some offensive punch, both can beat the Hornets. The wild cards here are Blake and Benilde, two young teams that have been stockpiling some talent and will look to make runs. They both may still be a year away from serious contention, but could they knock someone off? As in 2AA, there is good incentive to avoid the 4-seed. The first of the 17 annual Edina-Wayzata meetings could happen in the Turkey Trot.
7AA
2 Duluth East
4 Andover
10 Cloquet
Elk River
-7AA is top-heavy this year, with three loaded teams. That makes getting the top seed that much more important, and we could establish a pecking order very early, with Duluth East playing Andover and its first game with Cloquet in early December. Andover and Cloquet do not meet, so QRF could play a major role. Andover’s relatively soft schedule may be a boost there. Elk River, with Joey Foss in camp, is the likely 4-seed, but the middle tier of this section is further behind than usual.
8AA
19 Brainerd
21 Moorhead
Roseau
Buffalo
St. Michael-Albertville
-This has the potential to be one of the more entertaining free-for-alls we’ve ever seen in a AA section. The defending champs, St. Michael-Albertville, lost nearly everything outside of their two young leading scorers. Recent favorite Moorhead also suffered heavy losses, but if any team in the section has the program depth to recover, it’s this one. Roseau has some superstar Huglens and a decent defense, but the depth question looms; Buffalo, meanwhile, is a great sleeper, as it returns practically everyone, including some real skill in the Braccinis. My pick at this point, though, is Brainerd, which was a top 15 team most of last season and returns a good chunk of its talent. The early Brainerd-Moorhead game will be instructive.
That should give you all something to argue about for the next week and a half before the puck drops. Happy hockey season, and see ya at a rink sometime this year!
The first in-season rankings will appear on December 2. All games before that point for the ranked teams are listed in the “schedule” section.
1. Minnetonka
-The defending champs were bolstered over the offseason by a series of transfers, which helps offset some of their losses. They bring back the elite defensive pair of Josh Luedtke and Grant Docter that anchored their title a year ago, and Jack Bayless and Teddy Lagerback add some punch up front. They may not be the deepest or the most star-studded team among the top few teams, but they’ve got quality in every category, and they also bring back a strong goalie in Charlie Glockner. That’s enough to retain the top spot at the start of this season, though a game one collision with St. Thomas Academy will give us some immediate clarity in a season in which the top few teams probably won’t be as rigid as they were a year ago.
Schedule: YHH Opener—11/23 vs. #6 St. Thomas Academy, 11/24 vs. Lakeville North; 11/30 vs. Grand Rapids
2. Duluth East
-While the Hounds will miss some pieces off of last season’s runners-up, they remain very deep up front, and are led by one of the Mr. Hockey favorites in Ryder Donovan. It’s a big, hard-hitting group that will let some new kids buried on the depth chart last season step into bigger roles, and they have a strong top defensive pair of Frederick Paine and Carson Cochran. If they can sort things out on the back end of their defense and in goal, they’ll be back in St. Paul yet again. A White Bear team that usually pesters East and the ever-tough Wayzata defense are up first.
Schedule: 11/30 vs. White Bear Lake, 12/1 at #12 Wayzata
3. Edina
-A year after a dream team fell short, the Hornets bring back three prolific forwards in Mason Nevers, Jett Jungels, and Liam Malmquist, along with a deep, steady, experienced corps of defensemen. For the first time in a decade or so, the biggest question mark may be in forward depth; recent Bantam classes haven’t been at the levels we’re used to out of Edina, and they have some holes to fill. Goaltending also remains a question for this program. For this season, though, the pieces are once again in place for a run deep into March. As usual, they’ll open with the Turkey Trot, which will be an excellent chance to see them against good competition.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—11/23 vs. #11 Holy Family, 11/24 vs. #13 Maple Grove/#12 Wayzata; 12/1 at Burnsville
4. Andover
-The Huskies’ moment has arrived: with 11 of their 12 top scorers back from a team that was ever so close to a Tournament berth last year, they have the skill to win it all. Charlie Schoen and Nick Dainty will grab the headlines offensively, but expect a breakout year from the second line as well, and the real key here may be the junior-heavy defensive corps led by Wyatt Kaiser, which moves the puck up the ice as well as any in the state. Their speed and skill will give them a chance, but how do they handle the sudden spotlight? The schedule is not overly difficult, with Moorhead offering the closest thing to an early test.
Schedule: 11/24 vs. Moorhead, 11/29 vs. Spring Lake Park, 12/1 at Osseo
5. Cretin-Derham Hall
-The Raiders, fresh off a season in which they were regular inhabitants of the top ten, bring back many of their top players from their explosive offense of a year ago, including one of the state’s most electric players in Matthew Gleason. The points should come in bunches for this group, while the question marks are largely related to their defense beyond Danny Magnuson. If they can hold their own in back, they’ll have a fighting shot at Edina. A relatively late opener against Eden Prairie will be the early barometer.
Schedule: 12/1 vs. #8 Eden Prairie
6. St. Thomas Academy
-With apologies to Rob Christy this St. Thomas team doesn’t have the overwhelming front-end skill of some recent Cadet editions, but it does bring a deep, experienced senior class, and if some of them can take a step forward to help carry the load, the Cadets are going to be a threat once again. They don’t return a ton on defense, which may be a problem for a team that can have troubles back there even when it does have talent, but they do have Tom Winges and quality goaltending to keep things in line. My skepticism of that defense’s ability to perform after five straight playoff upsets costs them a spot in these rankings. The tough part of their schedule is in December, with two big ones in the Opener.
Schedule: YHH Opener—11/23 vs. #1 Minnetonka, 11/24 vs. #10 Cloquet; 11/29 vs. Eastview, 12/1 at Farmington
7. Chaska
-After growing hype over several years, the Hawks’ moment has arrived: their top nine scorers all return, and several players who had a chance to jump stuck around to give the team a chance at glory. Mike Koster is the state’s most prolific defenseman, and they bring back three more blueliners who were productive last season. An offense led by Rhett Pitlick, Shane Lavelle, and Blaine Warnert will score plenty, too. This is not a deep team, but there are enough big guns here to attempt to follow the Grand Rapids model and win on the backs of their many stars. The question of their schedule looms: outside of a four-game rush around Christmas, serious AA competition will be rare. The exceptions to that do come early, though, with Blake and Cloquet up right after Thanksgiving.
Schedule: 11/23 at Eastview, 11/27 vs. Blake, 11/29 at Eveleth, 11/30 at #10 Cloquet
8. Eden Prairie
-With Jack Jensen back in fold and some incoming Bantams who can make an immediate impact, the Eagles are primed for a return to the top ten. They have no glaring weaknesses but will need some young players to step up quickly and give Jensen a strong supporting cast if they want to have a shot at Chaska and Minnetonka. They’re also the only team among the top four in 2AA that doesn’t return a goaltender. The opener with Cretin, which was a sign of struggles to come last season, could be key to setting the tone.
Schedule: 12/1 at #5 Cretin-Derham Hall
9. Hill-Murray
-This is a tough team to read. They return a very strong defense, and a forward corps led by Nick Pierre has the potential to break out and have a big year. On the other hand, they’re still very much on the young side, lost Ben Helgeson, and were only a .500 team last season. Fortunately for the Pioneers, they are in a forgiving section, and will remain the frontrunner until someone gives us reason to think otherwise. The early schedule is very tame.
Schedule: 11/29 vs. Burnsville
10. Cloquet
-The Lumberjacks have a strong forward corps headlined by Landon Langenbrunner, and have shown flashes of potential in recent years. The injury to Dane Stoyanoff depletes the defense, and they’re adjusting to a third coach in three seasons, so they sit in the third position in the section for now. But there’s enough talent at every position that 7AA is certainly winnable. They have some of their more interesting games right away, with Lakeville North and St. Thomas in the Opener and Chaska in a battle of purple teams with something to prove, plus White Bear Lake.
Schedule: YHH Opener—11/23 vs. Lakeville North, 11/24 vs. #6 St. Thomas Academy; 11/30 vs. #7 Chaska, 12/1 vs. White Bear Lake
11. Holy Family
-The Fire came ever so close to a first Tourney berth last season, and some quality returning defensemen plus newly acquired goalie Bailey Huber, they should hold up well in back. At forward, however, they need to find Garrett Pinoniemi a supporting cast, whether it comes in the form of freshman Trey Fechko, transfer addition Lucas Jorgenson, or some of their seniors who had modest point totals last season. The annual Turkey Trot date with Edina will be revealing, and they have an interesting game with Blake right out of the gate, too.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—11/23 vs. #3 Edina, 11/24 vs. #13 Maple Grove/#12 Wayzata; 12/1 vs. Blake
12. Wayzata
-The Trojans don’t score a ton when they do have serious offensive talent, so the graduations of Colin Schmidt and Griffin Ness leave a void. That said, we also know what to expect here: this program is deep and the defense will be good, and they’re capable of grinding down opponents and giving just about anyone fits. Their opener against Maple Grove is an interesting one, and as usual they have a busy start with two northern powers coming to visit the following weekend.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—11/23 vs. #13 Maple Grove, 11/24 vs. #3 Edina/#11 Holy Family; 11/30 vs. Hermantown, 11/31 vs. #2 Duluth East
13. Maple Grove
-The Crimson brings back a couple of their top scorers from a year ago. Some departures take some of the edge of what could’ve been an elite incoming group, and even so, a couple of last year’s Bantams should be able to jump in right away and make this team a co-favorite in 5AA. Anything beyond that may be a reach, though, and the Turkey Trot could be trial by fire.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—11/23 vs. #12 Wayzata, 11/24 vs. #3 Edina/#11 Holy Family; 11/28 at Totino-Grace, 12/1 vs. Champlin Park
14. Rosemount
-The Irish are on the rise: they return their top two forwards and basically their entire defense, which includes a front-like talent in Jake Ratzlaff. If they can get any scoring depth and fill their hole in goal, they’ll be a real threat to win 3AA. The schedule is not a strong one, with only one game against a ranked team in December.
Schedule: 11/27 vs. Bloomington Jefferson
15. Blaine
-Bryce Brodzinski and Will Hillman headline an offense that returns a healthy chunk of its scoring, and Joe Daninger is a strong goaltender. Defense is a big question mark, though, and this team will need to show some progress following some of its struggles a season ago. A 5AA title is well within reach, though. The early going is not difficult.
Schedule: 11/29 vs. Armstrong/Cooper, 12/1 at Irondale
The Next Ten
Benilde-St. Margaret’s
-The Red Knights should return to relevance this season after a couple of years in the wilderness. They return a respectable core, and have begun to collect some younger talents that should allow for a deep group. In about any other section they’d be a great dark horse pick to go to State, but will face an uphill battle in 6AA. An early battle with Edina will provide some perspective.
Blake
-Young talents like Tristan Broz, Joe Miller, and Will Svenddal will make the Bears fun to watch this season, and the addition of Ben Dexheimer from Edina bolsters the blue line. Given their youth, relative lack of depth, and life in 6AA, it may be another season before they’re a serious factor on the statewide scene; I see them in a similar place to where Chaska was a year ago. They’ve done a nice job of ramping up the nonconference schedule, though, and early games with aforementioned Chaska and Holy Family give them a chance to make an impression.
Eagan
-The Wildcats bring back a strong top line, and respectable depth. If they can be good enough defensively, they too are a threat to win the section. A respectable Prior Lake team will offer them their first test.
Brainerd
-The Warriors might just be the favorite in 8AA. They aren’t blessed with a ton of top-end talent, but they do have good depth across the board, along with the large collection of Andres boys. An opener with Moorhead will give us an immediate section frontrunner.
Lakeville North
-The Panthers return a respectable number of players at each position and a strong top line with Spencer Schneider, Shane Griffin, and South transfer Caden Smith. The end result is pretty similar to the team that won the section a year ago, with a little more punch but no Garrett Daly. The defense will be tested a lot in the Opener with games against Cloquet and Minnetonka.
Moorhead
-This Spuds squad doesn’t have the large assemblage of front-line talent that the past few did, but with quality program depth and a talented core in Issac Henkemeyer-Howe, Kyler Kleven, and Luke Gramer. The retooled Spuds will need to hit the ground running with road games against Andover and Brainerd to open the season.
Stillwater
-The Ponies return the vast majority of their contributors from a season ago, and while it wasn’t an especially great season, this group did have some success in the youth ranks. They don’t play a game until the first full week of December.
White Bear Lake
-The Bears lost the four players who were by far their most important to last season’s near-miss, but they do bring a lot of the other bodies back. While they don’t have a ton of upper-end talent, they’ll be deep and a potential annoyance in 4AA. The early schedule is busy, with two conference games and a weekend road trip to face Duluth East and Cloquet.
Lakeville South
-As usual, the Cougars will be right there in 1AA, and return a fairly solid stable of forwards to help out new coach Janne Kivihalme. If they can shore up the back end, they’ll have a shot at North; if not, a non-Lakeville team could bounce them in the semis. They open at Hermantown on the first of December.
Prior Lake
-Jackson Jutting gives the Lakers one serious weapon, and there is just enough of a supporting cast that they could be a thorn in someone’s side in 2AA. Asking for much beyond that may be a reach. They open with Eagan, which gives them a chance to climb.
Sections
1AA
20 Lakeville North
24 Lakeville South
Rochester Century
Farmington
-If there’s a wrinkle in 1AA this season, it may come in the form of Rochester Century, which gave South a decent test in the semis last season and returns five of its top six scorers. Given their schedule, the Panthers could well win the most games of anyone in AA this year, so the million dollar question is how well they’ll be able to stack up against the battle-tested Lakevilles in sections. Farmington, with a healthy bulk of last season’s team back in tow, could also be a factor. Otherwise, defending champ North remains the modest favorite here.
2AA
1 Minnetonka
7 Chaska
8 Eden Prairie
11 Holy Family
25 Prior Lake
-This section is, as usual, one of the state’s most competitive. Minnetonka is the clear frontrunner, yes, but three more lurk right behind them, and Prior Lake hovers on the edge of contention, too. Assuming things go according to plan for the Skippers, avoiding anything that could cause relegation to the fourth seed will be key for the chase pack, as that leads to a tougher quarterfinal and a semi with Minnetonka. The top four don’t do a great job of playing each other, so seeding could be an adventure.
3AA
6 St. Thomas Academy
14 Rosemount
18 Eagan
Eastview
East Ridge
-While St. Thomas is once again in pole position, this could sneakily be a very good section this year. Rosemount and Eagan are both on their way back up, and the well isn’t totally dry for Eastview, who give the Cadets a momentary scare in last season’s section final. East Ridge isn’t a bad early round upset pick, either. A lot will get sorted out in South Suburban play over the course of the season, and St. Thomas also has an early game with Eastview and a January game with Rosemount to show where they’ll slot in. Everyone in the chase pack has some interesting pieces, but will need to come together and show the defensive discipline that has been St. Thomas’ undoing five years in a row in the playoffs.
4AA
9 Hill-Murray
22 Stillwater
23 White Bear Lake
Tartan
-While the faces are familiar, this section does seem a bit unsettled. Hill is the clear frontrunner, but young and not without vulnerabilities. Stillwater has talent, but needs to take a big step forward to become a contender, while the Bears are moving in the other direction, and have to show they are still relevant without last season’s big names. Just how big is the gap here? The big games among contenders open in late December, with the usual White Bear-Hill date right before Christmas.
5AA
13 Maple Grove
15 Blaine
Champlin Park
Centennial
-With Centennial significantly depleted, this looks to be a two-team race between two regular contenders. With plenty of forward talent on both sides, the team that can put together the strongest defense probably ends up taking the crown. Champlin Park is a distant third, and Centennial has enough organizational depth to be somewhere in there despite their losses. The first of two meetings between the Bengals and Crimson falls on December 15.
6AA
3 Edina
5 Cretin-Derham Hall
12 Wayzata
16 Benilde-St. Margaret’s
17 Blake
-This is the deepest section in the state, as three private schools and two of the deepest public programs do battle for the title. Edina still deserves favorite status, but the gap has closed now, and if Cretin’s back end can hold up or if Wayzata can find some offensive punch, both can beat the Hornets. The wild cards here are Blake and Benilde, two young teams that have been stockpiling some talent and will look to make runs. They both may still be a year away from serious contention, but could they knock someone off? As in 2AA, there is good incentive to avoid the 4-seed. The first of the 17 annual Edina-Wayzata meetings could happen in the Turkey Trot.
7AA
2 Duluth East
4 Andover
10 Cloquet
Elk River
-7AA is top-heavy this year, with three loaded teams. That makes getting the top seed that much more important, and we could establish a pecking order very early, with Duluth East playing Andover and its first game with Cloquet in early December. Andover and Cloquet do not meet, so QRF could play a major role. Andover’s relatively soft schedule may be a boost there. Elk River, with Joey Foss in camp, is the likely 4-seed, but the middle tier of this section is further behind than usual.
8AA
19 Brainerd
21 Moorhead
Roseau
Buffalo
St. Michael-Albertville
-This has the potential to be one of the more entertaining free-for-alls we’ve ever seen in a AA section. The defending champs, St. Michael-Albertville, lost nearly everything outside of their two young leading scorers. Recent favorite Moorhead also suffered heavy losses, but if any team in the section has the program depth to recover, it’s this one. Roseau has some superstar Huglens and a decent defense, but the depth question looms; Buffalo, meanwhile, is a great sleeper, as it returns practically everyone, including some real skill in the Braccinis. My pick at this point, though, is Brainerd, which was a top 15 team most of last season and returns a good chunk of its talent. The early Brainerd-Moorhead game will be instructive.
That should give you all something to argue about for the next week and a half before the puck drops. Happy hockey season, and see ya at a rink sometime this year!
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