2023-24 Fluid Offseason Rankings

[Brodziak Fan Club]

Updated 6-14-23

1. Minnetonka
-If the Skippers stay mostly intact, they have a great chance to be the first repeat AA champion since 2013-14 Edina. An undefeated season is within the realm of possibilities.

2. Chanhassen
-It feels like this group has been building to next year for the past two seasons. Their potential 2AA finals showdown with Minnetonka has a Hollywood-worthy backstory. There are a couple other very good teams in the section who would love to spoil that party. Offseason Addition: Andy Earl - transfer from EP

3. Edina
-The Hornets could return plenty of high-end talent with the likes of Jackson Nevers, Bobby Cowan, Mason West, and Eddie Revenig. They will need to replace some important depth pieces and one of the best goaltenders in the state. We’ll see if a highly-touted group of incoming sophomores is up to the task.

4. Wayzata
-The talented group that won the Bantam AA state championship as 9th graders will be seniors next year. They’ll need to find a replacement for Will Ingemann in net. Unfortunately for them the backstop of that Bantam championship team, Mason McElroy, is at Benilde.
Offseason loss: Jacob Kvasnicka - USNTDP

5. Hill-Murray
-One of the youngest, and most injured teams in the state this year will be a year older and praying for better health at Wednesday mass. Expect the Pioneers to look more like the Pioneers next year. Taking Minnetonka to the brink at state was a great launching point.

6. Rogers
-This year’s Royals were a barbell squad: Heavy on senior and sophomore contributors. Next year’s success will depend on how many of those sophomores they can keep in the program and how quickly they can step into leadership roles.
Offseason addition: Cole Bumgarner - transfer from Benilde

7. Benilde-St. Margaret’s
-This feels high given their track record of underperforming. The talent-level of next year’s team is especially undeniable. We’ll see.
Offseason losses: Mace’o Phillips - USNTDP; Cole Bumgarner; Poul Anderson


8. Eden Prairie
-They could possibly return their entire team outside of Mr. Hockey finalist Ryan Koering. There’s a lot to like about the Eagles. They have high-end talent, a nice defensive corps, and some big-game pedigree going back to their youth days. We’ll see if they can find the consistent regular-season success that eluded them in their first year under Coach Terwilliger.Offseason loss: Andy Earl - transfer to Chanhassen

9. St. Thomas Academy
-The Cadets are a hard team to peg. They should look fairly similar to this season with a nice collection of talent and that Randolph structure. In order to be a true state title contender, it feels like they need to find a straw-that-stirs the drink player a la Jackson Hallum a few years ago.

10. Moorhead
-This program continues to build. The ‘22-’23 edition was one of the most improved in the state from the start of the season. How quickly can their excellent farm system graduate to big league success?
Offseason loss: Garrett Lindberg - USNTDP

11. Gentry Academy
-This team could be… *gulp*... pretty good? They have a chance to return a nice mix of players that turned their late-season momentum into a section final appearance. With this program though, who knows?

12. Maple Grove
-They could be next year’s Hill-Murray. They lose a ton from their varsity team, but the cupboard is never bare in Crimsonland.

13. Andover
-We all know about the loss of their top-line. If KJ Sauer sticks around, he should be fun to watch. “KJ and the Gang” has a nice ring to it. Their youth system should be able to provide a quick reinforcement of talent.

14. White Bear Lake
Offseason Loss: Head Coach Tim Sager. Offseason Addition: Head Coach Chris Anderson

15. Holy-Family
-I really like what this program is putting together. They have a tough style to play against and finished as the #8 AA team in Pagestat this year. Offseason loss - Hunter Friedrich - transfer to Northstar Academy

The Next Ten

16. Duluth East
17. Cretin-Derham Hall
18. Stillwater
19. Roseau
20. Holy Angels
21. Coon Rapids
22. Grand Rapids
23: Shakopee
24. Champlin Park
25. Elk River

Honorable Mention: Totino-Grace, Rosemount, Northfield, St. Louis Park, Eastview, Centennial, Park of Cottage Grove, Blake, Lakeville South, Prior Lake, Bemidji

Section Outlook

1AA
Northfield
Lakeville South

2AA
1 Minnetonka
2 Chanhassen
8 Eden Prairie
15 Holy Family
23 Shakopee
Prior Lake

3AA
9 St. Thomas Academy
17 Cretin-Derham Hall
Rosemount
Eastview
Park of Cottage Grove

4AA
5 Hill-Murray
11 Gentry Academy
14 White Bear Lake
18 Stillwater

5AA
6 Rogers
12 Maple Grove
21 Coon Rapids
24 Champlin Park
Totino-Grace
Centennial

6AA
3 Edina
4 Wayzata
7 Benilde-St. Margaret’s
20 Holy Angels
St. Louis Park
Blake

7AA
13 Andover
16 Duluth East
22 Grand Rapids

8AA
10 Moorhead
19 Roseau
25 Elk River
Bemidji

[westsidescout]

I'd bump Benilde down a bit. Philips will head to NTDP, there's potential for a few underclassmen to leave early...couple that with their constant underperforming and they're in the 10 to 15 range to start the season.

[Brodziak Fan Club]

I'd bump Benilde down a bit. Philips will head to NTDP, there's potential for a few underclassmen to leave early...couple that with their constant underperforming and they're in the 10 to 15 range to start the season.

It sounds like Phillips is having a great camp so far! I will definitely adjust things as official offseason news comes out.

[WestMetro]

As good as MH bantams are , there could be an in between year for the Spuds HS before they come into their own. Meanwhile going to be hard to replace seniors like Reierson and Krier. And if they lose Lindberg ? Maybe Spuds s/b just out of the top 10 to start the season ?

[WestMetro]

What do people see for new prospects at STA next year?

[Brodziak Fan Club]

As good as MH bantams are , there could be an in between year for the Spuds HS before they come into their own. Meanwhile going to be hard to replace seniors like Reierson and Krier. And if they lose Lindberg ? Maybe Spuds s/b just out of the top 10 to start the season ?

Good points about Moorhead, Westy. They will definitely drop if they lose Lindberg. Mason Kraft was one of my favorite players to watch this year. It will be interesting to see what he can do without Reierson on his line.

[SpreadOut!]

By public schools standards, these rankings have achieved tenure! Everything here assumes that all eligible players will return to their MSHSL teams next year… one can dream! I will adjust the rankings as official reports of early departures, transfers, injuries, and coaching changes come to light. A section breakdown will be included when final assignments come out. Shout out to Karl - I basically stole his rankings blurb formatting!

1. Minnetonka
-If the Skippers stay mostly intact, they have a great chance to be the first repeat AA champion since 2013-14 Edina. An undefeated season is within the realm of possibilities.

2. Chanhassen
-It feels like this group has been building to next year for the past two seasons. Their potential 2AA finals showdown with Minnetonka has a Hollywood-worthy backstory. There are a couple other very good teams in the section who would love to spoil that party.

3. Wayzata
-The talented group that won the Bantam AA state championship as 9th graders will be seniors next year. They’ll need to find a replacement for Will Ingemann in net. Unfortunately for them the backstop of that Bantam championship team, Mason McElroy, is at Benilde.

4. Edina
-The Hornets could return plenty of high-end talent with the likes of Jackson Nevers, Bobby Cowan, Mason West, and Eddie Revenig. They will need to replace some important depth pieces and one of the best goaltenders in the state. We’ll see if a highly-touted group of incoming sophomores is up to the task.

5. Hill-Murray
-One of the youngest and most injured teams in the state this year will be a year older - and praying for better health at Wednesday mass. Expect the Pioneers to look more like the Pioneers next year. Taking Minnetonka to the brink at state was a great launching point.

6. Benilde-St. Margaret’s
-This feels high given their track record of underperforming. The talent-level of next year’s team is especially undeniable. We’ll see.

7. Moorhead
-This program continues to build. The ‘22-’23 edition was one of the most improved teams in the state over the course of the season. How quickly can their excellent farm system graduate to big league success?

8. Rogers
-This year’s Royals were a barbell squad: Heavy on senior and sophomore contributors. Next year’s success will depend on how many of those sophomores they can keep in the program and how quickly they can step into a leadership role.

9. Eden Prairie
-They could possibly return their entire team outside of Mr. Hockey finalist Ryan Koering. There’s a lot to like about the Eagles. They have high-end talent, a nice defensive corps, and some big-game pedigree going back to their youth days. We’ll see if they can find the consistent regular-season success that eluded them in their first year under Coach Terwilliger.

10. St. Thomas Academy
-The Cadets are a hard team to peg. They should look fairly similar to this season with a nice collection of talent and that Randolph structure. In order to be a true state title contender, it feels like they need to find a straw-that-stirs the drink player a la Jackson Hallum a few years ago.

11. Gentry Academy
-This team could be… *gulp*... pretty good? They have a chance to return a nice mix of players that turned their late-season momentum into a section final appearance. With this program though, who knows?

12. Maple Grove
-Could be next year’s Hill-Murray. They lose a ton from their varsity team, but the cupboard is never bare in Crimsonland.

13. Andover
-We all know about the loss of their top-line. If KJ Sauer sticks around, he should be fun to watch. “KJ and the Gang” has a nice ring to it. Their youth system should be able to provide a quick reinforcement of talent.

14. White Bear Lake
-I don’t really know what to say about the Bears. Hopefully Nolan Roed stays. They had a nice bantam team this year. They’ll probably be in the 4AA mix. Moving on!

15. Holy-Family
-I really like what this program is putting together. They have a tough style to play against and finished as the #8 AA team in Pagestat this year.

The Next Ten
16. Duluth East
17. Cretin-Derham Hall
18. Stillwater
19. Roseau
20. Holy Angels
21. Coon Rapids
22. Shakopee
23. Grand Rapids
24. Champlin Park
25. Elk River

Honorable Mention: Totino-Grace, Rosemount, St. Louis Park, Eastview, Centennial, Park of Cottage Grove, Blake, Lakeville South, Prior Lake, Bemidji

Wayzata will certainly be good, but aren’t a couple of very key players from that Bantam AA team that won state championship as freshman that you mentioned now playing for Benilde and Providence? I’ll note that Wayzata beat Osseo Maple Grove in OT that year in chip, but Maple Grove is also missing a couple key players from that team, too—namely Danny Nelson, who of course left MG after his sophomore year (2021-22 state runner up team) to play for NTDP.

[Brodziak Fan Club]

SpreadOut, everything you say is true. I was just giving some context to the fact that Wayzata has a lot of talent projected to come back from their rising seniors. For whatever reason Maple Grove seems to have less returning from their varsity. Was their JV team loaded this year?

[SpreadOut!]

SpreadOut, everything you say is true. I was just giving some context to the fact that Wayzata has a lot of talent projected to come back from their rising seniors. For whatever reason Maple Grove seems to have less returning from their varsity. Was their JV team loaded this year?

Yeah, MG’s JV went 23-2 this season. Their JV team has dominated now for several consecutive seasons. I don’t think MG varsity will be as strong next year as past couple seasons, but they’ll still be good and will compete with Rogers for 5AA crown. Unless you are a super stud, MG—because of the depth of talent—is kind of turning into a program where many guys really only get a shot at varsity play their senior season. That was the situation this season, when a number of seniors finally cracked the lineup for the first time, and it will be the case for the next several seasons moving forward. Next year’s squad, even more than this year’s squad, will be super senior heavy—again, with many of those seniors cracking varsity lineup for the first time. The loss of super duper high end talent (Faber, Janicke, Nelson, Gunderson)—and bad luck against Andover in chip two years ago—has prevented them from winning it all, but I could see a pure depth team finally winning the chip for them sometime in the next 3-5 seasons, maybe more than once. The numbers and depth of talent in the youth program continues to be off the charts.

[Brodziak Fan Club]

While we're on the topic of JV teams, Minnetonka's last year was one of the best I've ever seen. Anyone know their record? Wouldn't be shocked if it was 25-0.

[Brodziak Fan Club]

Rankings updated in the first post. Working on a section breakdown.

[WestMetro]

Rankings updated in the first post. Working on a section breakdown.

Looks like a good list . Might put Rogers in the top 5 , with their Fab5 sophomores, other returners, and newcomers

According to YHH season end podcast , Tonka might lose a couple to USHL and Chan one also if they make a USHL roster , but each would remain in top 5 , and they might gain some newcomers also

Trojans have 3 NatCamp kids so they will be strong again even after losing Kvasnicka

All of top5/top6 are losing great senior goalies except Chan where Hendrickson will be back and should have a good run at Brimsek

[goldy313]

What do people see for new prospects at STA next year?

Eigner has done very well with papa Poehling pulling the strings. His window has closed.

[bardown27]

What do people see for new prospects at STA next year?

Eigner has done very well with papa Poehling pulling the strings. His window has closed.

Eignwe isn’t and wasn’t the HC at STA this past season…

[goldy313]

Sorry I missed his leaving as the head coach at STA to become a volunteer at newly D1 St Thomas. (Really?)

Nothing changes from my original post. He is paid by more than his actual coaching job.

[ryguyMN]

The way Moorhead keeps pumping out Cullen kids, they'll be good for a while. Joey Cullen had a nice USEL for the 2010 SDP team.

[Brodziak Fan Club]

I updated the first post (and the title of the thread) with offseason additions and losses. I also added a section outlook. The recent transfer news hasn't been enough to change the rankings but I'm sure there will be more to come as the summer progresses.

[WestMetro]

Good report .

Think I'd have Rogers ahead of HM at this point , I believe Royals "scrimmage" Wayz this week and perhaps one of our Rogers friends can update us on the new faces on the ice because got the feeling more than one .

Are BSM/EP a little high and Andv/Mg a little low? Maybe .

[Brodziak Fan Club]

Good report .

Think I'd have Rogers ahead of HM at this point , I believe Royals "scrimmage" Wayz this week and perhaps one of our Rogers friends can update us on the new faces on the ice because got the feeling more than one .

Are BSM/EP a little high and Andv/Mg a little low? Maybe .

You can take the message board guy out of the Southwest Metro, but you can't take the Southwest Metro out of the message board guy. (in my case neither is true )

[SpreadOut!]

I updated the first post (and the title of the thread) with offseason additions and losses. I also added a section outlook. The recent transfer news hasn't been enough to change the rankings but I'm sure there will be more to come as the summer progresses.

So, with Bumgarner playing for Rogers now next season, he will be playing for a third high school in three years? How in the heck is this possible? He played for Shakopee as an 8th grader, BSM as a 9th grader, and now will play for Rogers next year as a sophomore? Please explain how this doesn’t violate MSHSL transfer rules?

[bardown27]

I updated the first post (and the title of the thread) with offseason additions and losses. I also added a section outlook. The recent transfer news hasn't been enough to change the rankings but I'm sure there will be more to come as the summer progresses.

So, with Bumgarner playing for Rogers now next season, he will be playing for a third high school in three years? How in the heck is this possible? He played for Shakopee as an 8th grader, BSM as a 9th grader, and now will play for Rogers next year as a sophomore? Please explain how this doesn’t violate MSHSL transfer rules?

If you transfer as a freshman, you are automatically eligible (at the school change from middle to HS for most schools) and they now sold their house in shakopee and bought/rented in the rogers district I believe to become eligible. Since he was at a private, the way I understand it is he just had to move OUT of shakopee’s district

[ClassAGuy]

I updated the first post (and the title of the thread) with offseason additions and losses. I also added a section outlook. The recent transfer news hasn't been enough to change the rankings but I'm sure there will be more to come as the summer progresses.

So, with Bumgarner playing for Rogers now next season, he will be playing for a third high school in three years? How in the heck is this possible? He played for Shakopee as an 8th grader, BSM as a 9th grader, and now will play for Rogers next year as a sophomore? Please explain how this doesn’t violate MSHSL transfer rules?

If you transfer as a freshman, you are automatically eligible (at the school change from middle to HS for most schools) and they now sold their house in shakopee and bought/rented in the rogers district I believe to become eligible. Since he was at a private, the way I understand it is he just had to move OUT of shakopee’s district

Excellent Post bardown! Spot on as 9th grader just needed to be enrolled so he was good to go for BSM last winter. He would need to be buying a house in the Rogers district this year to be eligible to play there. If bardown's info is good, which it always is, then he is within the MSHSL rules and will be good to go this winter!

[SpreadOut!]

So, with Bumgarner playing for Rogers now next season, he will be playing for a third high school in three years? How in the heck is this possible? He played for Shakopee as an 8th grader, BSM as a 9th grader, and now will play for Rogers next year as a sophomore? Please explain how this doesn’t violate MSHSL transfer rules?

If you transfer as a freshman, you are automatically eligible (at the school change from middle to HS for most schools) and they now sold their house in shakopee and bought/rented in the rogers district I believe to become eligible. Since he was at a private, the way I understand it is he just had to move OUT of shakopee’s district

Excellent Post bardown! Spot on as 9th grader just needed to be enrolled so he was good to go for BSM last winter. He would need to be buying a house in the Rogers district this year to be eligible to play there. If bardown's info is good, which it always is, then he is within the MSHSL rules and will be good to go this winter!

Okay. Fine. But it’s still gross. What are the odds that he plays for yet another high school his junior year? I’m guessing high. Sorry, call me old fashioned, but this is pathetic. Also, from what I’ve heard about his dad, this is very “on brand” for this family. Given this track record, I wonder what college recruiters think? If it was me I’d think “This kid will go straight to the transfer portal after year one. Hard pass. Next.”

[bardown27]

If you transfer as a freshman, you are automatically eligible (at the school change from middle to HS for most schools) and they now sold their house in shakopee and bought/rented in the rogers district I believe to become eligible. Since he was at a private, the way I understand it is he just had to move OUT of shakopee’s district

Excellent Post bardown! Spot on as 9th grader just needed to be enrolled so he was good to go for BSM last winter. He would need to be buying a house in the Rogers district this year to be eligible to play there. If bardown's info is good, which it always is, then he is within the MSHSL rules and will be good to go this winter!

Okay. Fine. But it’s still gross. What are the odds that he plays for yet another high school his junior year? I’m guessing high. Sorry, call me old fashioned, but this is pathetic. Also, from what I’ve heard about his dad, this is very “on brand” for this family. Given this track record, I wonder what college recruiters think? If it was me I’d think “This kid will go straight to the transfer portal after year one. Hard pass. Next.”

I’d say low for playing at another HS his junior year, but high that he isn’t at Rogers. Most likely will be in Ann Arbor wIth the NTDP. And yes, very on brand for the old man

[BP]

I guess he tried to go to SSM this fall - but they said no thank you.