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Now that the season is over, we can all turn our attention to everyone's favorite part of HS hockey, the transfer portal. Does anyone know of any early transfers yet?

Not transfers but heard a few AA bantams from Mahtomedi will enroll at CDH in the fall.

Joey Cullen just posted a goodbye on social media. Wonder where he’s off to. NTDP maybe? Daddy’s team with the Force?

Gotta imagine after last night’s loss that Goldsworthy came to the immediate conclusion that he didn’t have enough recruits on his team this year, there just isn’t enough talent in the Tonka youth program, and he skipped the post-game press conference because he had to hit the road to recruit for next year’s Tonka High School squad right away before Eden Prairie gets to them first.

Lino Lakes Hockey wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 3:05 pm Joey Cullen just posted a goodbye on social media. Wonder where he’s off to. NTDP maybe? Daddy’s team with the Force?

I would be really shocked if he didn't get invited to the NTDP, but I could also see him choosing to play in Fargo next year with Brooks and (probably) Wyatt with the force.

Lino Lakes Hockey wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 3:05 pm Joey Cullen just posted a goodbye on social media. Wonder where he’s off to. NTDP maybe? Daddy’s team with the Force?

He is on the 2010 NTDP invite list. He also still shows up on Honeybaked 15O's roster in Michigan, they just defeated Little Creasers to win USA Hockey's Michigan District autobid to Nationals, so he could be heading back there for Nationals (looks like he got enough games in before coming back to Moorhead). Matt Cullen shows up as an assistant with that team.

Victoria Royals have his WHL rights. I have a feeling it will basically be his choice where he wants to go, no one is going to turn him down.

Sounds to me like the HTown goalie that left may be boomeranging back. Any truth to that?

Minnesota Players Invited to the 2026 NTDP Evaluation Camp
• Henry Buttweiler — Alexandria, MN
• Joey Cullen — Moorhead, MN
• Maverick McKinnon — Forest Lake, MN
• Henry Meier — Woodbury, MN
• Soren Saumweber — Roseville, MN
• Dean Stevens — Excelsior, MN
• RJ Thompson — Eden Prairie, MN
• Liam Brooks — Duluth, MN
• Gavin Godbout — Woodbury, MN
• Landon Knott — Bemidji, MN
• Mason Schemenauer — Minnetrista, MN
• Nikolai Zhukov — Proctor, MN

headsupsticksdown wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2026 11:59 am Sounds to me like the HTown goalie that left may be boomeranging back. Any truth to that?

Quite possible. He probably wasn't going to play much behind Francisco, so go to Honeybaked for a year and play 50 games instead of 20(?) at JV, and that is if you don't have to split games.

I could see this possibly becoming a norm for high end Bantams that are entering a stacked HS program where it may be a numbers game. Play JV/limited varsity time, or go play AAA and get 50-70 games. Come back a year later as a junior.

BSUBeaver wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2026 3:30 pm

headsupsticksdown wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2026 11:59 am Sounds to me like the HTown goalie that left may be boomeranging back. Any truth to that?

Quite possible. He probably wasn't going to play much behind Francisco, so go to Honeybaked for a year and play 50 games instead of 20(?) at JV, and that is if you don't have to split games.

I could see this possibly becoming a norm for high end Bantams that are entering a stacked HS program where it may be a numbers game. Play JV/limited varsity time, or go play AAA and get 50-70 games. Come back a year later as a junior.

It’s only a legitimate option if you’ve got the dough though. Going Tier1 and billeting out in Detroit requires some serious coin.

Lino Lakes Hockey wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 2:43 pm Not transfers but heard a few AA bantams from Mahtomedi will enroll at CDH in the fall.

Well Lechner better close the borders.

Couple Hibbing bantams potentially leaving and surprisingly not to rapids, hermantown or rockridge but another iron range school that we haven’t heard from for a while and I wasn’t expecting to hear from for a couple yrs.

ndirishfighting wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2026 12:02 pm Couple Hibbing bantams potentially leaving and surprisingly not to rapids, hermantown or rockridge but another iron range school that we haven’t heard from for a while and I wasn’t expecting to hear from for a couple yrs.

What exactly do you mean by 'iron range school'?

elliott70 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2026 12:29 pm

ndirishfighting wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2026 12:02 pm Couple Hibbing bantams potentially leaving and surprisingly not to rapids, hermantown or rockridge but another iron range school that we haven’t heard from for a while and I wasn’t expecting to hear from for a couple yrs.

What exactly do you mean by 'iron range school'?

If you are talking the conference, then it must be Greenway.
And that does not make a lot of sense.

Why doesn’t it make sense if it’s greenway? But it makes sense if it’s anyone else?

ndirishfighting wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2026 12:45 pm Why doesn’t it make sense if it’s greenway? But it makes sense if it’s anyone else?

Because why would you leave Hibbing for Greenway?! I want to see them rise back from the ashes but they are far far off. Curious what the reasoning would be.

ndirishfighting wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2026 12:45 pm Why doesn’t it make sense if it’s greenway? But it makes sense if it’s anyone else?

Rocke Ridge and Grand Rapids would make sense as they are AA.
Greenway, Ely, Intl Falls make no sense on any level (unless the family is moving).

Yea every where may make sense other than greenway, but couple things about greenway. They had 3-4 varsity players on jv due to transferring. They have a pretty descent crop of bantams getting ready to move up along with a pretty good goalie already in place. Why are they not choosing the options above Greenway cause they know those other schools have their seniors that graduate already filled.
FYI greenway went to regions and almost made it to state in peewees and bantams with the group of bantams movin up and a couple more pieces could solve the puzzle.
It’s almost the same pattern as when they made in 2019.

ndirishfighting wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2026 1:53 pm Yea every where may make sense other than greenway, but couple things about greenway. They had 3-4 varsity players on jv due to transferring. They have a pretty descent crop of bantams getting ready to move up along with a pretty good goalie already in place. Why are they not choosing the options above Greenway cause they know those other schools have their seniors that graduate already filled.
FYI greenway went to regions and almost made it to state in peewees and bantams with the group of bantams movin up and a couple more pieces could solve the puzzle.
It’s almost the same pattern as when they made in 2019.

OK, BUT WHY LEAVE HIBBING?
Unless your group is not very good and you are betting on Greenway (over Hermantown and Cloquet and Hibbing.)
Again, perhaps but on the face of it, it does not make sense.

They obviously know things about Hibbing that others don’t. Would you stick around if you knew things and it involved your kids/family and a chance of not making the varsity team?
A good majority now, if lil Susie or Joey can’t make it here I’m going somewhere else.

ndirishfighting wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2026 2:25 pm They obviously know things about Hibbing that others don’t. Would you stick around if you knew things and it involved your kids/family and a chance of not making the varsity team?
A good majority now, if lil Susie or Joey can’t make it here I’m going somewhere else.

If they KNOW something, but leaving my hometown (school) never entered my mind.
I was either good enough or waited my turn and tried to improve. But it is their decision, not mine.
Good luck to them whatever happens.

I hope you're just trolling. Because if so, this is sad to hear. Not surprised but this is the norm in the cities and the sad turn where parents and kids choose to bail versus face any sort of adversity.

Unfortunately I’m not trolling. Two of the parents of the three told other Hibbing parents at the state tournament we are pretty sure you will see us in a different color next year. Source is very reliable and I guess we wait for summer camp to see where they are.

Yes it is the norm in the cities, I have been here for almost 10 yrs and in coaching hockey and umpiring baseball it’s crazy the amount of kids that leave from one year to the next. Honestly I do t know how people do it and are ok with it. Yet again we are in a time everyone gets a reward for everything.

That's ridiculous and devastating to what could have been a good 4-5 year run for Hibbing. I hope it's just a few bad apples and not something else internally but everything I've heard about coaching, the staff, the AD have all been positive.

IMO, there are two bantams that are locks to make Hibbing varsity next year, and a third who is likely to make varsity. I can't imagine any of these three would pass up a chance to play for a top Class A team next year, considering making varsity this year means their roles will increase the following season on what will still be a top 10 A team.

That leaves me thinking these transferring bantams know they will play JV if they stay at Hibbing. So, they will transfer to Greenway next year to play varsity, which from what i saw from the Hibbing bantam team, I very much doubt any beyond those top three will be effective varsity players anywhere as sophomores. If they make Greenway varsity next year, good for them, but I'd have to see it to believe it.

However, when these kids are seniors, the Greenway varsity team is likely to be better than the Hibbing varsity team. This begs the question: Why would they transfer to a team where in three years they will get less varsity time than if they had just stayed in Hibbing? Is it better to play JV, wait your turn, and get solid varsity minutes in a year or two, or go somewhere you can maybe get varsity minutes right away but you'll be pushed out by younger talent down road?

It doesn't add up logically, but we do know logic does not apply to most of these decisions.