2022-2023 AA Preseason Rankings
Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2022 8:50 pm
Welcome to the 2022-2023 season! I’m pleased to be back at it in a season that looks plenty competitive, with a fairly clear top-ranked team that nonetheless has some holes to fill, and a whole heap of contenders after that.
The schedule section includes all games through January 3, which, this season, includes a healthy bulk of many of the scheduled games between top teams. It’s going to be a frantic start, and we’ll see how well some of these early results hold up over time.
1. Andover
-The defending champs get the early benefit of the doubt with the elite top line of Gavyn Thoreson, Cayden Casey, and Cooper Conway all back in the fold, and a program with remarkable depth to fill the holes. That said, there certainly are holes, with big shoes to fill on the blue line and in goal. Still, they have a proven knack for finding ways to win in big moments, and someone would have to surprise to test them in 7AA. They run a gauntlet in their early schedule, with 5 of 6 of their opponents in the top ten, the lone exception being Armstrong/Cooper.
Schedule: Tonka Thanksgiving Preview—Fri 11/25 vs. #10 Chanhassen, Sat 11/26 vs. #5 Minnetonka; Wed 11/30 at Armstrong/Cooper, Thurs 12/1 vs. #6 Moorhead
2. Maple Grove
-The state’s deepest machine of talent reloads after falling just short. As with Andover, they did lose some legitimate key pieces, but Finn Brink will be in the Mr. Hockey mix, Luke Margeneau is one of its most dynamic defensemen, and they have the bodies to round out most of the rest. If they can get secondary scoring, look out. As usual, they start things off in Wayzata, and on paper, they should roll from there straight into the Holidays.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—Fri 11/25 vs. #7 Edina, Sat 11/26 vs. #6 Moorhead/#8 Wayzata; Thurs 12/1 at Anoka, Sat 12/3 at Stillwater
3. Rogers
-The Royals’ moment has arrived. Sam Ranallo and Chase Cheslock will lead a potent offense, while Trent Peluf puts up points on the blue line, and Jackson Smithknecht, acquired from St. Michael-Albertville (their first opponent this season), shores up the defense further. Can this group continue its rapid rise and bust through to its first Tourney? The road won’t be easy, and an early collision with Lakeville South will be their chance to prove they belong.
Schedule: Tues 11/29 at St. Michael-Albertville, Thurs 12/1 vs. Coon Rapids, Sat at #4 Lakeville South
4. Lakeville South
-While a lack of Tanner Ludtke keeps this team from the top spot, there is still a ton to like here, with Aidan Willis and Ashton Dahms leading a potent offense, good returning defensive depth, and a veteran goaltender in Jack Hochsprung. They have 1AA on lockdown as well, and there aren’t many obstacles in the way of a fifth consecutive section title. An early date with Rogers will provide some clarity to the top five.
Schedule: The Opener—Fri 11/25 vs. Chaska; Sat 12/3 vs. #3 Rogers
5. Minnetonka
-The Skippers return most of a team that showed signs of improvement over last season and were bolstered with a strong offseason on the transfer market. Javon Moore, Gavin Garry, and Hagen Burrows should all take another step forwards, and the acquisition of Sam Scheetz should give them two potent lines of offense to go with a respectable D corps and Kaiser Nelson, who emerged as a strength in net late last season. They are incredibly junior-heavy, so they may still be a season away from true dominance if they can keep the band together, but the pieces are here to step into a void in 2AA and claim the section. They can make an immediate statement against two other elite opponents.
Schedule: Tonka Thanksgiving Preview—Fri 11/25 vs. Rochester Mayo, Sat 11/26 vs. #1 Andover; Thurs 12/1 vs. Bloomington Jefferson, Sat 12/3 vs. #6 Moorhead
6. Moorhead
-Like a couple of teams in this section of the rankings, early departures kept the Spuds from being an early #1, but there is still a lot to like here. Aaron Reierson and Joe Kortan will lead the offense, while Colby Krier becomes the defensive centerpiece as some of his counterparts bolted. There’s enough here to start the second Cullen era at Moorhead with another 8AA title, but is there enough to finally get the Spuds the title that has for so long eluded them? With their first four opponents all in the top ten, nothing will come easy.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—Fri 11/25 vs. #8 Wayzata, Sat 11/26 vs. #2 Maple Grove/#7 Edina; Fri 12/2 at #1 Andover, Sat 12/3 at #5 Minnetonka
7. Edina
-The Hornet machine is right back in the top ten and seeking to continue its reign over a challenging 6AA. Jackson Nevers and Matt VanderVort complement each other well as an excellent one-two punch, and they’re in good shape on the back end with Caden Morgan and Eddie Revenig leading the way ahead of reliable Robbie Clarkowski. If they can get some scoring depth, they’re in good shape to return to St. Paul; I like this team’s balance across the board. They will play one, if not both, of their chief section rivals in the season’s first two weeks.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—Fri 11/25 vs. #2 Maple Grove, Sat 11/26 vs. #6 Moorhead/#8 Wayzata; Mon 11/28 vs. Holy Family, Sat 12/3 at #9 Benilde-St. Margaret’s
8. Wayzata
-This Trojan squad is a unique one: while most of the defense has departed from a season ago, they return a fair amount of firepower and have added more, plus one of the state’s more reliable goalies in Will Ingemann. Could that, coupled with this program’s traditional lockdown style, be a formula success in a tough section? History, I think, is on their side, but we’ll see if this all can come together. As usual, the Turkey Trot will be an immediate chance for a statement.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot: Fri 11/25 vs. #6 Moorhead, Sat 11/26 vs. #7 Edina/#2 Maple Grove; Sat 12/3 at Duluth East
9. Benilde-St. Margaret’s
-The Red Knights may have the largest stable of skilled forwards in the fold for the coming season. Drew Stewart, Michael Risteau, and Gentry Academy transfer Wes Berg lead the way, but they are very deep up front, and have some young talent defense, too. What they have lost, however, are their experienced, elite defenders, raising the question of the eternal Benilde challenge on the back end that has kept the from the Tourney for a decade. Time will tell if they can figure out how to lock things down in a hurry…or simply outgun their two great deep, but beatable, rivals in this section. They can make a statement early against Edina.
Schedule: Tues 11/29 vs. Mahtomedi, Sat 12/3 vs. #7 Edina
10. Chanhassen
-The Storm are making their entry on to the state scene, returning just about everyone from a team that was competitive by last season’s end, and they’re in a section that, while not easy, does at least offer an opening this season. The top scorers—Gavin Uhlenkamp, Tyler Smith, Caden Lee—are still just juniors, and the key this season will be turning some of these 20-point scorers a season ago to 40-plus-point scorers this season. The Andover opener will be a great early barometer, and they should be able to settle in some in their next few games against 20-something-ranked opponents.
Schedule: Tonka Thanksgiving Preview—Fri 11/25 vs. #1 Andover, Sat 11/26 vs. Rochester Mayo; Tues 11/29 at Shakopee, Sat 12/3 vs. Sartell
11. Cretin-Derham Hall
-The Raiders lost a lot off a team that spent a good chunk of last season ranked number one. The offensive depth won’t be what it was, but Jake Fisher will be on the Mr. Hockey short list, Attila Lippai gives him a sidekick, and an experienced defense led by Simon Houge should be a strength. The Suburban East is no longer doing full home-and-homes, which frees up the schedule to be noticeably better, and they hit it right away with section rival St. Thomas, plus two other quality teams.
Schedule: The Opener—Fri 11/25 vs. #15 St. Thomas Academy; Champions Cup—Fri 12/2 vs. Hermantown, Sat 12/3 vs. #14 Eden Prairie
12. White Bear Lake
-The Bears boast some real offensive potential led by Nolan Roed, a good group on defense, and add a strong bantam class to the mix, too. Moreover, with Hill-Murray losing a lot, this is their chance to really do something in 4AA. They have a chance to shore up their top 15 credentials with two early games against bubble teams.
Schedule: Fri 11/25 at Duluth East, Sat 11/26 at Hibbing, Sat 12/3 at Centennial
13. Hill-Murray
-It’s a reload year for the east side stalwarts, as eight of their top nine scorers from a season ago have moved on to less green pastures. Brady Ingebritson now leads the show offensively, while Jack Erickson will be a security blanket in goal for a very inexperienced defense. For all they’ve lost, the Pioneers remain as deep as anyone in the state, and it would be no surprise to seem them pull it together and make another appearance in St. Paul. Early clashes with a couple of teams on a similar level will show just how much work they might have to do.
Schedule: Champions Cup—Fri 12/2 vs. #14 Eden Prairie, Sat 12/3 vs. Hermantown
14. Eden Prairie
-Like so many Eagles teams over the years, this one’s success will depend on its stars: the system isn’t churning out quite as much depth as it once did, but with Teddy Townsend up front and Ryan Koering in back, they have the presences who can dominate. In this year’s 2AA, that’s enough to be right there in the picture, and there is something to be said for front-line talent when choosing from a crowded field with little Tourney experience. We’ll see if Mike Terwilliger has the same knack for riding those stars as Lee Smith did for so many years. Two games against teams right above them should be a telling start.
Schedule: Champions Cup—Fri 12/2 vs. #13 Hill-Murray, Sat 12/3 vs. #11 Cretin-Derham Hall
15. St. Thomas Academy
-The Mike Randolph era opens at St. Thomas with something of a reload. While they still feature Tommy Cronin, the rest of the roster has a lot of turnover from a team that wasn’t particularly special by Cadet standards, and Randolph, as is his wont, seems to be launching a youth movement. Two of their first three games could go quite a way in determining the 3AA pecking order.
Schedule: The Opener—Fri 11/25 vs. #11 Cretin-Derham Hall, Sat 11/26 vs. Duluth East; Wed 11/30 at Eastview
The Next Ten
Centennial
-The Cougars now seem to inhabit this borderline space: always respectable, but not the front-line threat in 5AA. Peyton Blair and Harper Searles will pace an offense that can put up some points, but they’ll need to be a more complete team to hang with Maple Grove and Rogers. They host a Thanksgiving tournament featuring Stillwater and Eastview, and get White Bear the following Saturday as well.
Eastview
-Here is a good sleeper pick: the Lightning return six of the top seven scorers from a team that beat St. Thomas twice a season ago and made the 3AA final. They aren’t going to match the raw talent of the private powers in this section, but they do just have a lot of experience. They’ll take part in Centennial’s holiday tournament before a big date with St. Thomas.
Shakopee
-The Sabers’ core isn’t fully intact, but there are still a lot of respectable pieces here from a very young group a season ago. Senior Jackson Vogel leads the push, but Cooper Simpson could be the breakout star, and Carson Steinhoff offers plenty from the blue line, too. We’ll see if it’s enough to trouble the Lake powers and Chanhassen in a crowded 2AA. Their first week, featuring Chanhassen and Holy Family, will say a lot about the section.
Champlin Park
-Top scorers Jordan Ronn and Evan Williams return from a respectable team a season ago. Like Centennial, they need a bit more to break through in a tough section, but it’s not a crazy thought, either. Their schedule is fairly agreeable in the early going and starts with a tournament in Woodbury.
Blake
-The Bears continue to hover on the edge of contention; they don’t have the depth of the big three in 6AA, but they do have some big guns, most notably Carter Krenke, who could put up some gaudy numbers. If he can get enough of a supporting cast, they have some shot at an upset. They open with Holy Family in a battle of fringey private schools.
Holy Family
-The Fire have been on a roller coaster since the late 2010s, occasionally coming close to greatness but never quite putting it all together. Now, after a bit of wandering in the wilderness, they do seem to be on the upsurge again with a respectable core of young talent, including Parker Osborn and Mason Grinnell. It probably isn’t enough to win in 2AA this season, but they could certainly be a thorn in someone’s side. Edina the Monday after Thanksgiving is their only regular season opponent currently in the top ten, though they have a couple other relevant early games against teams like Blake and Shakopee.
Duluth East
-There is some hope for the Hounds: Thomas Gunderson, Cole Christian, and Grant Winkler all had productive Elite Leagues, and they have a fairly solid experienced core with much more upside than the past few East editions, to say nothing of the tumult of the past few years now receding some. We’ll learn a lot in a busy opening few weeks, which include a tough White Bear team, a date with a coach who knows a thing or two about Duluth East hockey, and a key section clash with archrival Grand Rapids.
Stillwater
-The Ponies are another of the teams that seems to have landed a long-term spot in one section of the rankings, forever in the conversation but lately unable to put together all the pieces they’d need to become a real power. Ty Tuccitto gives them some firepower, and there are some other pieces, but they’ll need to show more to take a run at White Bear or Hill. Centennial and Maple Grove offer some early challenges.
Grand Rapids
-The core that carried the Thunderhawks to the past two 7AA title games has largely moved on, though goalie Myles Gunderson will maintain Rapids’ proud tradition at that position, and young gun Luka Rohloff looks like a defensive star in the making. There’s enough here, and 7AA is thin enough, that a return to the section final is within reason. Their first three opponents are all in the section, including rival East, Duluth Marshall, and Forest Lake.
St. Michael-Albertville
-There’s a grab bag of 8AA options in the mix for this spot, but I lean toward the Knights on the basis of returning talent in spite of a bumpy offseason. If they can pull it together under the new regime, they’re the best positioned team to meet Moorhead in the final. Playing Rogers right out of the gate will tell us quite a bit.
And now, the section tour:
1AA
4 Lakeville South
Lakeville North
Rochester Mayo
Hastings
-The classic Lakeville battles of the past are receding into history: the Cougars have taken control of this section. Now, a Rochester Mayo team that returns its top six scorers may have a legitimate shot at the 2-seed; an ambitious early schedule that includes the Tonka Thanksgiving Preview will be revealing. Hastings’ window of contention may be closing after significant graduation losses, though no one further down the table returns a ton to get excited about either, so I’m keeping the Raiders in the top four for now. The first Lakeville battle is on December 13, so we’ll see just how big the gap is then.
2AA
5 Minnetonka
10 Chanhassen
14 Eden Prairie
18 Shakopee
21 Holy Family
-For one of the state’s great sections, this one feels unusually unsettled this season. Eden Prairie, the longtime ruler here, is not at the same heights it once was, though is plenty competitive; Prior Lake, after breaking through last season, faces a major rebuild; Chaska, likewise a regular contender recently, had a remarkably rough offseason. That leaves Minnetonka, the local talent magnet, as a favorite, if perhaps a year ahead of schedule, and rising Chanhassen as the X-factor. Shakopee and Holy Family hover as sleepers, too.
3AA
11 Cretin-Derham Hall
15 St. Thomas Academy
17 Eastview
Rosemount
-This looks like a three-team race, with Cretin’s combination of front-end talent and experience enough for the top spot at the start. We’ll learn a lot with early games St. Thomas has with the other two, though there is a second Cadet-Raider meeting later in the season. Beyond those three, Rosemount lost a bit more than Eastview but should still be respectable and somewhere in the picture.
4AA
12 White Bear Lake
13 Hill-Murray
23 Stillwater
Gentry Academy
-The two great rivals chose a good year for their Hockey Day date, as the surging Bears and regrouping Pioneers are on far more even footing than usual. For now, it looks like a two-team race, with Stillwater floating somewhere on the periphery. Meanwhile, the much-hyped Gentry Academy rise seems to have at least temporarily stalled out in AA following a couple of significant defections, though they have enough depth to stay toward the top of the section, and got themselves a somewhat more respectable schedule this season. We’ll see if Roseville, bolstered by the Steffen transfers from Blaine, can climb back toward respectability for the first time in a while.
5AA
2 Maple Grove
3 Rogers
16 Centennial
19 Champlin Park
-The best two-team race in the state this season may just be in 5AA, where Rogers’ rise collides with the Maple Grove machine. But depth-wise, this section isn’t too far off from 2AA and 6AA this season if Centennial, Champlin, and Totino-Grace all play up to their potential; the center of hockey power in the state, after hanging out in the southwest metro for a generation, seems to have edged its way a little bit further north. As usual, those big Northwest Suburban meetings will set the tone; there aren’t any in the first few weeks here.
6AA
7 Edina
8 Wayzata
9 Benilde-St. Margaret’s
20 Blake
The state’s deepest section at the top lives up to its usual billing. As was the case last year, the top seed has some serious value, though Blake and Holy Angels do lurk as spoilers. Wayzata and Edina both have their games with Benilde in the first few weeks, so that may lock in that pecking order early, though the Hornets and Trojans’ usual 15 meetings will of course factor in as well.
7AA
1 Andover
22 Duluth East
24 Grand Rapids
Coon Rapids
-Can anyone hunt down the Huskies here? The two traditional powers have the best shot, though one is in a major rebuild and the other has some things to prove before it’s considered a bona fide contender again. Blaine going down the drain creates an opening for a more unlikely semifinal entrant, and for now I think up-and-coming Coon Rapids has the most potential to claim that spot. There are plenty of early games of note here.
8AA
6 Moorhead
25 St. Michael-Albertville
Sartell
Elk River
-As in 7AA, the gulf between the leader and the chase pack here is yawning. On paper St. Michael-Albertville was going to be next in line, and still may be, but a tumultuous offseason set the Knights back into a crowded pack fighting for home ice in the semifinals. Sartell returns the vast majority of its team, while Elk River has a few pieces left from its surprise section final run a season ago. Buffalo also has a good core returning, and Roseau, while depleted, still has some pieces to work with, too; even Bemidji had some relatively good bantams last year. We’ll see if any of it adds up to anything that can challenge the Spuds.
Let’s get this season started! The first in-season rankings will come out on Sunday, December 4.
The schedule section includes all games through January 3, which, this season, includes a healthy bulk of many of the scheduled games between top teams. It’s going to be a frantic start, and we’ll see how well some of these early results hold up over time.
1. Andover
-The defending champs get the early benefit of the doubt with the elite top line of Gavyn Thoreson, Cayden Casey, and Cooper Conway all back in the fold, and a program with remarkable depth to fill the holes. That said, there certainly are holes, with big shoes to fill on the blue line and in goal. Still, they have a proven knack for finding ways to win in big moments, and someone would have to surprise to test them in 7AA. They run a gauntlet in their early schedule, with 5 of 6 of their opponents in the top ten, the lone exception being Armstrong/Cooper.
Schedule: Tonka Thanksgiving Preview—Fri 11/25 vs. #10 Chanhassen, Sat 11/26 vs. #5 Minnetonka; Wed 11/30 at Armstrong/Cooper, Thurs 12/1 vs. #6 Moorhead
2. Maple Grove
-The state’s deepest machine of talent reloads after falling just short. As with Andover, they did lose some legitimate key pieces, but Finn Brink will be in the Mr. Hockey mix, Luke Margeneau is one of its most dynamic defensemen, and they have the bodies to round out most of the rest. If they can get secondary scoring, look out. As usual, they start things off in Wayzata, and on paper, they should roll from there straight into the Holidays.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—Fri 11/25 vs. #7 Edina, Sat 11/26 vs. #6 Moorhead/#8 Wayzata; Thurs 12/1 at Anoka, Sat 12/3 at Stillwater
3. Rogers
-The Royals’ moment has arrived. Sam Ranallo and Chase Cheslock will lead a potent offense, while Trent Peluf puts up points on the blue line, and Jackson Smithknecht, acquired from St. Michael-Albertville (their first opponent this season), shores up the defense further. Can this group continue its rapid rise and bust through to its first Tourney? The road won’t be easy, and an early collision with Lakeville South will be their chance to prove they belong.
Schedule: Tues 11/29 at St. Michael-Albertville, Thurs 12/1 vs. Coon Rapids, Sat at #4 Lakeville South
4. Lakeville South
-While a lack of Tanner Ludtke keeps this team from the top spot, there is still a ton to like here, with Aidan Willis and Ashton Dahms leading a potent offense, good returning defensive depth, and a veteran goaltender in Jack Hochsprung. They have 1AA on lockdown as well, and there aren’t many obstacles in the way of a fifth consecutive section title. An early date with Rogers will provide some clarity to the top five.
Schedule: The Opener—Fri 11/25 vs. Chaska; Sat 12/3 vs. #3 Rogers
5. Minnetonka
-The Skippers return most of a team that showed signs of improvement over last season and were bolstered with a strong offseason on the transfer market. Javon Moore, Gavin Garry, and Hagen Burrows should all take another step forwards, and the acquisition of Sam Scheetz should give them two potent lines of offense to go with a respectable D corps and Kaiser Nelson, who emerged as a strength in net late last season. They are incredibly junior-heavy, so they may still be a season away from true dominance if they can keep the band together, but the pieces are here to step into a void in 2AA and claim the section. They can make an immediate statement against two other elite opponents.
Schedule: Tonka Thanksgiving Preview—Fri 11/25 vs. Rochester Mayo, Sat 11/26 vs. #1 Andover; Thurs 12/1 vs. Bloomington Jefferson, Sat 12/3 vs. #6 Moorhead
6. Moorhead
-Like a couple of teams in this section of the rankings, early departures kept the Spuds from being an early #1, but there is still a lot to like here. Aaron Reierson and Joe Kortan will lead the offense, while Colby Krier becomes the defensive centerpiece as some of his counterparts bolted. There’s enough here to start the second Cullen era at Moorhead with another 8AA title, but is there enough to finally get the Spuds the title that has for so long eluded them? With their first four opponents all in the top ten, nothing will come easy.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—Fri 11/25 vs. #8 Wayzata, Sat 11/26 vs. #2 Maple Grove/#7 Edina; Fri 12/2 at #1 Andover, Sat 12/3 at #5 Minnetonka
7. Edina
-The Hornet machine is right back in the top ten and seeking to continue its reign over a challenging 6AA. Jackson Nevers and Matt VanderVort complement each other well as an excellent one-two punch, and they’re in good shape on the back end with Caden Morgan and Eddie Revenig leading the way ahead of reliable Robbie Clarkowski. If they can get some scoring depth, they’re in good shape to return to St. Paul; I like this team’s balance across the board. They will play one, if not both, of their chief section rivals in the season’s first two weeks.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot—Fri 11/25 vs. #2 Maple Grove, Sat 11/26 vs. #6 Moorhead/#8 Wayzata; Mon 11/28 vs. Holy Family, Sat 12/3 at #9 Benilde-St. Margaret’s
8. Wayzata
-This Trojan squad is a unique one: while most of the defense has departed from a season ago, they return a fair amount of firepower and have added more, plus one of the state’s more reliable goalies in Will Ingemann. Could that, coupled with this program’s traditional lockdown style, be a formula success in a tough section? History, I think, is on their side, but we’ll see if this all can come together. As usual, the Turkey Trot will be an immediate chance for a statement.
Schedule: Wayzata Turkey Trot: Fri 11/25 vs. #6 Moorhead, Sat 11/26 vs. #7 Edina/#2 Maple Grove; Sat 12/3 at Duluth East
9. Benilde-St. Margaret’s
-The Red Knights may have the largest stable of skilled forwards in the fold for the coming season. Drew Stewart, Michael Risteau, and Gentry Academy transfer Wes Berg lead the way, but they are very deep up front, and have some young talent defense, too. What they have lost, however, are their experienced, elite defenders, raising the question of the eternal Benilde challenge on the back end that has kept the from the Tourney for a decade. Time will tell if they can figure out how to lock things down in a hurry…or simply outgun their two great deep, but beatable, rivals in this section. They can make a statement early against Edina.
Schedule: Tues 11/29 vs. Mahtomedi, Sat 12/3 vs. #7 Edina
10. Chanhassen
-The Storm are making their entry on to the state scene, returning just about everyone from a team that was competitive by last season’s end, and they’re in a section that, while not easy, does at least offer an opening this season. The top scorers—Gavin Uhlenkamp, Tyler Smith, Caden Lee—are still just juniors, and the key this season will be turning some of these 20-point scorers a season ago to 40-plus-point scorers this season. The Andover opener will be a great early barometer, and they should be able to settle in some in their next few games against 20-something-ranked opponents.
Schedule: Tonka Thanksgiving Preview—Fri 11/25 vs. #1 Andover, Sat 11/26 vs. Rochester Mayo; Tues 11/29 at Shakopee, Sat 12/3 vs. Sartell
11. Cretin-Derham Hall
-The Raiders lost a lot off a team that spent a good chunk of last season ranked number one. The offensive depth won’t be what it was, but Jake Fisher will be on the Mr. Hockey short list, Attila Lippai gives him a sidekick, and an experienced defense led by Simon Houge should be a strength. The Suburban East is no longer doing full home-and-homes, which frees up the schedule to be noticeably better, and they hit it right away with section rival St. Thomas, plus two other quality teams.
Schedule: The Opener—Fri 11/25 vs. #15 St. Thomas Academy; Champions Cup—Fri 12/2 vs. Hermantown, Sat 12/3 vs. #14 Eden Prairie
12. White Bear Lake
-The Bears boast some real offensive potential led by Nolan Roed, a good group on defense, and add a strong bantam class to the mix, too. Moreover, with Hill-Murray losing a lot, this is their chance to really do something in 4AA. They have a chance to shore up their top 15 credentials with two early games against bubble teams.
Schedule: Fri 11/25 at Duluth East, Sat 11/26 at Hibbing, Sat 12/3 at Centennial
13. Hill-Murray
-It’s a reload year for the east side stalwarts, as eight of their top nine scorers from a season ago have moved on to less green pastures. Brady Ingebritson now leads the show offensively, while Jack Erickson will be a security blanket in goal for a very inexperienced defense. For all they’ve lost, the Pioneers remain as deep as anyone in the state, and it would be no surprise to seem them pull it together and make another appearance in St. Paul. Early clashes with a couple of teams on a similar level will show just how much work they might have to do.
Schedule: Champions Cup—Fri 12/2 vs. #14 Eden Prairie, Sat 12/3 vs. Hermantown
14. Eden Prairie
-Like so many Eagles teams over the years, this one’s success will depend on its stars: the system isn’t churning out quite as much depth as it once did, but with Teddy Townsend up front and Ryan Koering in back, they have the presences who can dominate. In this year’s 2AA, that’s enough to be right there in the picture, and there is something to be said for front-line talent when choosing from a crowded field with little Tourney experience. We’ll see if Mike Terwilliger has the same knack for riding those stars as Lee Smith did for so many years. Two games against teams right above them should be a telling start.
Schedule: Champions Cup—Fri 12/2 vs. #13 Hill-Murray, Sat 12/3 vs. #11 Cretin-Derham Hall
15. St. Thomas Academy
-The Mike Randolph era opens at St. Thomas with something of a reload. While they still feature Tommy Cronin, the rest of the roster has a lot of turnover from a team that wasn’t particularly special by Cadet standards, and Randolph, as is his wont, seems to be launching a youth movement. Two of their first three games could go quite a way in determining the 3AA pecking order.
Schedule: The Opener—Fri 11/25 vs. #11 Cretin-Derham Hall, Sat 11/26 vs. Duluth East; Wed 11/30 at Eastview
The Next Ten
Centennial
-The Cougars now seem to inhabit this borderline space: always respectable, but not the front-line threat in 5AA. Peyton Blair and Harper Searles will pace an offense that can put up some points, but they’ll need to be a more complete team to hang with Maple Grove and Rogers. They host a Thanksgiving tournament featuring Stillwater and Eastview, and get White Bear the following Saturday as well.
Eastview
-Here is a good sleeper pick: the Lightning return six of the top seven scorers from a team that beat St. Thomas twice a season ago and made the 3AA final. They aren’t going to match the raw talent of the private powers in this section, but they do just have a lot of experience. They’ll take part in Centennial’s holiday tournament before a big date with St. Thomas.
Shakopee
-The Sabers’ core isn’t fully intact, but there are still a lot of respectable pieces here from a very young group a season ago. Senior Jackson Vogel leads the push, but Cooper Simpson could be the breakout star, and Carson Steinhoff offers plenty from the blue line, too. We’ll see if it’s enough to trouble the Lake powers and Chanhassen in a crowded 2AA. Their first week, featuring Chanhassen and Holy Family, will say a lot about the section.
Champlin Park
-Top scorers Jordan Ronn and Evan Williams return from a respectable team a season ago. Like Centennial, they need a bit more to break through in a tough section, but it’s not a crazy thought, either. Their schedule is fairly agreeable in the early going and starts with a tournament in Woodbury.
Blake
-The Bears continue to hover on the edge of contention; they don’t have the depth of the big three in 6AA, but they do have some big guns, most notably Carter Krenke, who could put up some gaudy numbers. If he can get enough of a supporting cast, they have some shot at an upset. They open with Holy Family in a battle of fringey private schools.
Holy Family
-The Fire have been on a roller coaster since the late 2010s, occasionally coming close to greatness but never quite putting it all together. Now, after a bit of wandering in the wilderness, they do seem to be on the upsurge again with a respectable core of young talent, including Parker Osborn and Mason Grinnell. It probably isn’t enough to win in 2AA this season, but they could certainly be a thorn in someone’s side. Edina the Monday after Thanksgiving is their only regular season opponent currently in the top ten, though they have a couple other relevant early games against teams like Blake and Shakopee.
Duluth East
-There is some hope for the Hounds: Thomas Gunderson, Cole Christian, and Grant Winkler all had productive Elite Leagues, and they have a fairly solid experienced core with much more upside than the past few East editions, to say nothing of the tumult of the past few years now receding some. We’ll learn a lot in a busy opening few weeks, which include a tough White Bear team, a date with a coach who knows a thing or two about Duluth East hockey, and a key section clash with archrival Grand Rapids.
Stillwater
-The Ponies are another of the teams that seems to have landed a long-term spot in one section of the rankings, forever in the conversation but lately unable to put together all the pieces they’d need to become a real power. Ty Tuccitto gives them some firepower, and there are some other pieces, but they’ll need to show more to take a run at White Bear or Hill. Centennial and Maple Grove offer some early challenges.
Grand Rapids
-The core that carried the Thunderhawks to the past two 7AA title games has largely moved on, though goalie Myles Gunderson will maintain Rapids’ proud tradition at that position, and young gun Luka Rohloff looks like a defensive star in the making. There’s enough here, and 7AA is thin enough, that a return to the section final is within reason. Their first three opponents are all in the section, including rival East, Duluth Marshall, and Forest Lake.
St. Michael-Albertville
-There’s a grab bag of 8AA options in the mix for this spot, but I lean toward the Knights on the basis of returning talent in spite of a bumpy offseason. If they can pull it together under the new regime, they’re the best positioned team to meet Moorhead in the final. Playing Rogers right out of the gate will tell us quite a bit.
And now, the section tour:
1AA
4 Lakeville South
Lakeville North
Rochester Mayo
Hastings
-The classic Lakeville battles of the past are receding into history: the Cougars have taken control of this section. Now, a Rochester Mayo team that returns its top six scorers may have a legitimate shot at the 2-seed; an ambitious early schedule that includes the Tonka Thanksgiving Preview will be revealing. Hastings’ window of contention may be closing after significant graduation losses, though no one further down the table returns a ton to get excited about either, so I’m keeping the Raiders in the top four for now. The first Lakeville battle is on December 13, so we’ll see just how big the gap is then.
2AA
5 Minnetonka
10 Chanhassen
14 Eden Prairie
18 Shakopee
21 Holy Family
-For one of the state’s great sections, this one feels unusually unsettled this season. Eden Prairie, the longtime ruler here, is not at the same heights it once was, though is plenty competitive; Prior Lake, after breaking through last season, faces a major rebuild; Chaska, likewise a regular contender recently, had a remarkably rough offseason. That leaves Minnetonka, the local talent magnet, as a favorite, if perhaps a year ahead of schedule, and rising Chanhassen as the X-factor. Shakopee and Holy Family hover as sleepers, too.
3AA
11 Cretin-Derham Hall
15 St. Thomas Academy
17 Eastview
Rosemount
-This looks like a three-team race, with Cretin’s combination of front-end talent and experience enough for the top spot at the start. We’ll learn a lot with early games St. Thomas has with the other two, though there is a second Cadet-Raider meeting later in the season. Beyond those three, Rosemount lost a bit more than Eastview but should still be respectable and somewhere in the picture.
4AA
12 White Bear Lake
13 Hill-Murray
23 Stillwater
Gentry Academy
-The two great rivals chose a good year for their Hockey Day date, as the surging Bears and regrouping Pioneers are on far more even footing than usual. For now, it looks like a two-team race, with Stillwater floating somewhere on the periphery. Meanwhile, the much-hyped Gentry Academy rise seems to have at least temporarily stalled out in AA following a couple of significant defections, though they have enough depth to stay toward the top of the section, and got themselves a somewhat more respectable schedule this season. We’ll see if Roseville, bolstered by the Steffen transfers from Blaine, can climb back toward respectability for the first time in a while.
5AA
2 Maple Grove
3 Rogers
16 Centennial
19 Champlin Park
-The best two-team race in the state this season may just be in 5AA, where Rogers’ rise collides with the Maple Grove machine. But depth-wise, this section isn’t too far off from 2AA and 6AA this season if Centennial, Champlin, and Totino-Grace all play up to their potential; the center of hockey power in the state, after hanging out in the southwest metro for a generation, seems to have edged its way a little bit further north. As usual, those big Northwest Suburban meetings will set the tone; there aren’t any in the first few weeks here.
6AA
7 Edina
8 Wayzata
9 Benilde-St. Margaret’s
20 Blake
The state’s deepest section at the top lives up to its usual billing. As was the case last year, the top seed has some serious value, though Blake and Holy Angels do lurk as spoilers. Wayzata and Edina both have their games with Benilde in the first few weeks, so that may lock in that pecking order early, though the Hornets and Trojans’ usual 15 meetings will of course factor in as well.
7AA
1 Andover
22 Duluth East
24 Grand Rapids
Coon Rapids
-Can anyone hunt down the Huskies here? The two traditional powers have the best shot, though one is in a major rebuild and the other has some things to prove before it’s considered a bona fide contender again. Blaine going down the drain creates an opening for a more unlikely semifinal entrant, and for now I think up-and-coming Coon Rapids has the most potential to claim that spot. There are plenty of early games of note here.
8AA
6 Moorhead
25 St. Michael-Albertville
Sartell
Elk River
-As in 7AA, the gulf between the leader and the chase pack here is yawning. On paper St. Michael-Albertville was going to be next in line, and still may be, but a tumultuous offseason set the Knights back into a crowded pack fighting for home ice in the semifinals. Sartell returns the vast majority of its team, while Elk River has a few pieces left from its surprise section final run a season ago. Buffalo also has a good core returning, and Roseau, while depleted, still has some pieces to work with, too; even Bemidji had some relatively good bantams last year. We’ll see if any of it adds up to anything that can challenge the Spuds.
Let’s get this season started! The first in-season rankings will come out on Sunday, December 4.
