Class A Rankings 1.31.21

[Stang5280]

Doing these rankings on a weekly basis requires some dedication, but normally it is a labor of love. Not so much this week, however. Covid pauses, blowout losses, and generally poor play had me questioning my commitment to the bit. Watching the Alexandria and Little Falls game help restore my faith, and soldier on we will during this chaotic season. Once again, the top of the rankings remain stable, while the tail end are a revolving door. Enjoy and stay safe, everyone.

1. Hermantown (6-0-0) [LW 1]
W 6-0 @ Cloquet, 10-1 vs SCC
So much for the idea of Cloquet providing a challenge. The Hawks absolutely strafed the Jacks, racing out to a 4-0 first period lead and never looking back. Cathedral was merely a bug on the windshield of this Mack truck, which should continue to roll through this week unabated, before things finally start to become interesting. Plante had six goals against SCC, with natural hat tricks in both the second and third. Hooray, I guess.
Next: Tue vs Virginia, Sat vs Brainerd

2. Gentry Academy (4-0-0) [LW 2]
W 11-0 vs Providence, W 8-0 vs Tartan
Again, so much for the thought that Tartan could pose any threat to the Stars, and poor Providence fared even worse. I understand that Gentry can only play the teams on their schedule, and booking opponents as a newer independent is difficult, but this opening stretch has been ugly. On a positive note, players like Sajevic and Reim are a joy to watch. We'll see if Little Falls can actually make things interesting this week.
Next: Tue @ Holy Angels, Thu @ Little Falls

3. Warroad (3-0-1) [LW 3]
W 6-3 @ Roseau, T 1-1 @ Moorhead
The schedule ramped up in a big way for the Warriors, and they largely delivered. Warroad pounded their rival Tuesday night, racing out to a 5-0 lead before Roseau knew what hit them. The Moorhead tie was mildly disappointing, as the Spuds are way down and Warroad needed a goal with one tick remaining to force a tie, despite 40+ shots. The wicked patch of schedule continues, with their primary challengers in 8A visiting the Gardens, followed by a Central team who defeated EGF twice.
Next: Tue vs EGF, Sat vs GF Central

4. Mahtomedi (3-2-0) [LW 4]
W 6-2 vs SPA, W 5-1 vs Simley
Finally facing some lesser competition, the Zephyrs ran their winning streak to three and drifted above .500, though it wasn't the easiest process. At the first intermission Mahtomedi found themselves down 2-1 on Tuesday and knotted 1-1 on Thursday before kicking in the afterburners down the stretch in both contests. They will have to avoid a slow start in their return engagement with Hill-Murray, who defeated Mahtomedi 2-1 in the opener, to avoid a similar fate. Relying on Dardis will also only get them so far, and guys like Adam Johnson and JD Metz need to keep producing offensively.
Next: Tue @ H-M, Sat @ Breck

5. East Grand Forks (2-4-0) [LW 5]
L 1-2 @ GF Central, L 3-5 vs GF Red River
I'm not sure any team in either class has started with a more brutal opening stretch than the Green Wave. After the offense perked up last week, it fizzled again against the two Grand Forks rivals. EGF surrendered two third-period goals against Central, who was aided by a questionable no-goal call, and they hung around with Red River until an empty-netter put things away. Despite the lackluster record, I can't justify dropping EGF below teams with far inferior talent. I would say that the Wave are happy to see the MN portion of their schedule starting, but they jump right into the deep end with #2 Warroad, and could well end the week in a 2-6 hole.
Next: Tue @ Warroad, Thu vs Moorhead

6. Little Falls (4-0-1) [LW 7]
W 6-0 @ Willmar, T 3-3 vs Alexandria
Little Falls had to be nimble to fill out their schedule after games with Sartell and River Lakes were wiped out. The win against Wilmer was routine, even if getting to that point was anything but, as the two teams agreed to play the game earlier that same day. The battle with Alex was epic; It wasn't always beautiful hockey, but the two teams fought hard and produced one of the most entertaining contests of the early season. 6A will be a slugfest, unlike many of the other sections. The Gentry game will be a good test of whether the Flyers can hang with the elite group just ahead of them.
Next: Thu vs Gentry, Sat @ Mound

7. Alexandria (3-1-1) [LW 8]
L 0-2 vs St. Cloud, T 3-3 @ Little Falls
The Cardinals failed to record a win, though it certainly wasn't a lost week. A close loss to a St. Cloud team who pummeled Sartell isn't a bad result, and the tie with Little Falls actually puts a great deal of pressure on the Flyers, since Alex has two wins in hand over the other top dogs in 6A. Gronholz and Kludt were impressive, making plays all over the ice. The upcoming schedule is pretty light, though Bemidji isn't a gimme.
Next: Tue @ Willmar, Thu vs Bemidji

8. Duluth Denfeld (0-0-1) [LW 6]
Idle
The Hunters lost a second straight week of games to Covid, and haven't played since opening night. The upcoming Tuesday tilt at Grand Rapids has already been postponed, and we'll see if they are able to finally return to action Saturday. I don't like moving a team down through no fault of their own, but it's hard to know what Denfeld will look like going forward.
Next: Sat @ North Shore

9. Fergus Falls (4-1-0) [LW 10]
W 14-0 @ Breckenridge, W 5-0 vs Wadena
Not much to say here, as the Otters shredded two overmatched opponents. The offense has been putting up absurd stats, scoring at least four goals in every game. It remains to be seen whether Fergus Falls can clamp down better on defense against stronger foes. The River Lakes game has been postponed due to the Stars' Covid pause, so the skirmish with a strong St. Cloud squad is the only scheduled action for the week ahead.
Next: Thu vs St. Cloud

10. Orono (3-1-0) [LW NR]
W 3-2 vs Delano, W 4-3 @ Mound
With their two wins last week, the Spartans have established themselves as the class of 2A, for whatever that is worth, and vault all the way up here. The only loss came in their season opener, falling to a solid Holy Family crew, and the change to sophomore Brock Peyton in net has paid dividends. Orono lacks star power, but they are quite deep, and there is a nice mix of experience and youth. After a warmup with Waconia, there is tough theee-game stretch starting with Hutch. We'll know much more about this team in a few weeks.
Next: Tue @ Waconia, Sat vs Hutchinson

11. Sartell-St. Stephen (2-3-0) [LW 14]
W 5-0 @ Sauk Rapids
The Sabres dispatched Sauk Rapids with minimal difficulty, but the drama came afterward, as both teams are now in Covid quarantine. As noted above, the Little Falls contest has been indefinitely postponed, while the next three games (St. Cloud, Willmar, and River Lakes) are outright cancelled. The next scheduled action is a trip to Bemidji on Feb. 11. Despite all of this, Sartell actually moves up a few spots due to the futility of other teams around them.
Next: Idle

12. Hutchinson (3-1-0) [LW NR]
W 4-3 (OT) vs Mound, W 9-3 @ Waconia
The Tigers pounce into the rankings after squeaking out a win over Mound Westonka and walloping Waconia. I actually leapfrogged Hutch over LDC based on the better results against those two foes. They feature balanced, deep scoring led by a strong senior class, and netminder Austin Hagen has been solid in the early going (2.11 GAA, 91.7%). We'll soon find out if Hutch is for real, as they tangle with rival LDC for an early peek at 3A supremacy, followed by a trip to #11 Orono.
Next: Tue vs LDC, Sat @ Orono

13. Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato (4-0-1) [LW 13]
W 6-5 (OT) vs Waconia, W 7-2 @ Marshall
The Dragons nearly stubbed their toes against a weak Waconia group, but redeemed themselves later in the week. The offense finally broke out, buoyed by Jack Hillmann and Jaxon Gustafson, but the defense and goaltending were uncharacteristically porous against Waconia. Again, this will be a big week for LDC, starting with the rivalry game.
Next: Tue @ Hutch, Sat vs Delano

14. St. Paul Johnson (1-1-0) [LW 9]
W 10-2 @ SSP, L 3-4 vs SPA
The Governors finally kicked off their season, and the results were mixed to say the least. Johnson butchered the rival Packers in their opener, but stunk up the joint two days later. St. Paul Academy outplayed the Govs from the drop, and broke through with two goals early in the third. I won't kill Johnson quite yet in the rankings, as they have only had two outings, but the SPA loss was concerning. The Holy Angels game will be a nice barometer.
Next: Thu @ Minnehaha, Sat vs Holy Angels

15. Mankato East (4-1-0) [LW 16]
W 5-2 @ Century, W 2-1 (OT) vs Mayo
The Cougars successfully navigated through two of the Rochester public schools, though not without a Saturday evening scare. East pummeled the net with shots in both games, but could only manage to slip a single puck past Mayo goalie Mancuso on 47 shots in regulation. East will finish their conference tour of the Rochester teams prior to the big crosstown rivalry contest.
Next: Tue @ Rochester JM, Thu vs Mankato West

16. Mankato West (5-0-0) [LW NR]
W 2-1 (OT) vs Albert Lea, W 5-0 @ Winona
No, the level of difficulty hasn't been great, but at some point you can't argue with undefeated. The Albert Lea scrape was the Scarlets' first real close call, but they have otherwise been rolling along. Section finalists last season, West had major graduation losses but have bounced back nicely. Brandon Swenson, Ethan Fox, and Gage Schmidt have provided scoring punch, while Caleb Cross (0.59 GAA, 96.7%) has been a force in net. The crosstown showdown with East will be one of the best Class A games of the week.
Next: Thu @ Mankato East, Sat vs Red Wing

17. Mound Westonka (2-2-2) [LW 12]
L 3-4 (OT) @ Hutchinson, L 3-4 vs Orono
This team is maddeningly inconsistent. The White Hawks had two close losses by identical counts to stout opponents, and a few bounces in their favor could see them soaring in the rankings instead of diving. Mound Westonka faces another difficult week, with the #6 Flyers paying a weekend visit. A win would go a long way toward righting the ship.
Next: Fri @ New Prague, Sat vs Little Falls

18. Armstrong/Cooper (2-3-0) [LW 11]
L 4-5 vs Osseo, L 0-1 vs Rogers
I'm not sure what's going on with the Wings, but they are a mess. Losing to Maple Grove is one thing, but letting Osseo storm back is not a good sign. Rogers is certainly a strong team, though mustering only 14 shots and being bageled should not happen to this offense. A/C is clinging in the rankings by a claw at this point. They need at least one emphatic statement this week to stay in.
Next: Thu vs Anoka, Sat vs Elk River

19. Virginia (3-2-0) [LW 19]
L 1-5 vs Cloquet, W 7-1 vs Int'l Falls
The Blue Devils tread water after being clobbered and doing some clobbering of their own to split the week. Sophomore Ryan Manninen scored the only goal against Cloquet, and is tied for the team scoring lead with defenseman Braden Tiedeman, who has nearly doubled his production from last season already. I have a feeling that the Hermantown tilt will be an ugly affair, but should be a learning experience for a young team.
Next: Tue @ Hermantown, Fri vs Proctor

20. Dodge County (2-1-1) [LW 15]
W 3-2 (OT) @ Hopkins, W 4-2 @ New Prague
Whatever Wildcats, I guess you can hang around for another week, but mostly because I can't find any better options. This team has very limited depth, and may be weaker than last year's edition. I wouldn't be surprised to see Simley pull off a road victory.
Next: Tue vs Simley, Fri vs Luverne

Out: Delano, Southwest Christian, North Branch

Others Considered: Simley, Waseca, Tartan, Providence Academy

[Corn Cobb]

This is what I have for this week.........

1 - Hermantown
2 - Gentry Academy
3 - Mahtomedi
4 - Warroad
5 - Duluth Denfeld
6 - East Grand Forks
7 - Alexandria
8 - Little Falls
9 - Armstrong/Cooper
10 - Fergus Falls
11 - Sartell-St. Stephen
12 - Providence Academy
13 - Breck
14 - St. Paul Academy
15 - St. Paul Johnson
16 - Minneapolis
17 - Tartan
18 - Simley
19 - Dodge County
20 - Mankato East

Considered: Thief River Falls, Hutchinson, Orono, Virginia, Mound Westonka

[elliott70]

Denfeld?????
They have not won a game this season.

[Corn Cobb]

Denfeld?????
They have not won a game this season.

They haven't lost either.........

[elliott70]

1 Hermantown
2 gentry
3 warroad
4 east grand forks
5 mahtomedi
6 tie
Little falls
Alexandria
8 Fergus Falls
9orono
10 dodge county
11Virginia
12 Hutchinson
13 litchfield
14 armstrong
15 sartell
16 denfel
17 red lake falls
18 mound
19 Mankato wes
20 Mankato east

Others sw Christian St. Paul Johnson
Ease a. Chicago lakes Cambridge

[Stang5280]

I would caution reading too much into the SPA win over Johnson; the IMAC teams are pretty stinky. I would favor Orono over Breck seven days a week, and twice on Sundays. Breck has a few star players, but very little depth. I also have no clue why they aren’t starting Halliwill in goal.

[elliott70]

Denfeld?????
They have not won a game this season.

They haven't lost either.........

Good point.
My view is play some games then we will see.
I know it is not their fault but let’s see what happens when they get thru this thing.

[Corn Cobb]

I would caution reading too much into the SPA win over Johnson; the IMAC teams are pretty stinky. I would favor Orono over Breck seven days a week, and twice on Sundays. Breck has a few star players, but very little depth. I also have no clue why they aren’t starting Halliwill in goal.

You're probably right, but things will shake out over the long run. I REALLY struggled filling out the last half of my rankings.

[elliott70]

I had trouble after 8

[Stang5280]

I would caution reading too much into the SPA win over Johnson; the IMAC teams are pretty stinky. I would favor Orono over Breck seven days a week, and twice on Sundays. Breck has a few star players, but very little depth. I also have no clue why they aren’t starting Halliwill in goal.

You're probably right, but things will shake out over the long run. I REALLY struggled filling out the last half of my rankings.

Class A is so shallow this year. I also feel like I’m paying too much attention to the Wright County 2A/3A results, which mostly hinge on Mound Westonka being good because they beat Delano, and other teams beating or tying MW. It’s a flimsy web of results.

Also, I have no idea about handling the Covid teams. They could come back fine, their season could be ruined... who knows.

[BP]

2. Gentry Academy (4-0-0) [LW 2]
W 11-0 vs Providence, W 8-0 vs Tartan
Again, so much for the thought that Tartan could pose any threat to the Stars, and poor Providence fared even worse. I understand that Gentry can only play the teams on their schedule, and booking opponents as a newer independent is difficult, but this opening stretch has been ugly. On a positive note, players like Sajevic and Reim are a joy to watch. We'll see if Little Falls can actually make things interesting this week.
Next: Tue @ Holy Angels, Thu @ Little Falls

[/quote]

Stang - that is their conference now. The IMAC added Gentry, Holy Angels, SW Christian, Johnson and Minneapolis for this year for a 10 team conference. They did that in the fall when rumors were it would be a conference-only schedule like a lot of fall sports.

[Stang5280]

Stang - that is their conference now. The IMAC added Gentry, Holy Angels, SW Christian, Johnson and Minneapolis for this year for a 10 team conference. They did that in the fall when rumors were it would be a conference-only schedule like a lot of fall sports.

Thanks BP. I should have known that, but apparently the news slipped under my radar. That makes sense as to why there are so many home-and-home series between the traditional IMAC members and the affiliates.

The IMAC affiliation does limit Gentry’s ability to add quality opponents, but I think that may have been a struggle this year anyway. For instance, Mahtomedi has shown no interest in playing Gentry despite it being an in-section game. And a Thursday evening journey up to Little Falls makes little sense, but the two teams are doing it anyway. I will be curious to see what happens with Gentry’s future after this season.

[BlueLineSpecial]

Stang - that is their conference now. The IMAC added Gentry, Holy Angels, SW Christian, Johnson and Minneapolis for this year for a 10 team conference. They did that in the fall when rumors were it would be a conference-only schedule like a lot of fall sports.

Thanks BP. I should have known that, but apparently the news slipped under my radar. That makes sense as to why there are so many home-and-home series between the traditional IMAC members and the affiliates.

The IMAC affiliation does limit Gentry’s ability to add quality opponents, but I think that may have been a struggle this year anyway. For instance, Mahtomedi has shown no interest in playing Gentry despite it being an in-section game. And a Thursday evening journey up to Little Falls makes little sense, but the two teams are doing it anyway. I will be curious to see what happens with Gentry’s future after this season.

I haven't been following HS hockey as much of late....can you give me the run-down on Gentry? And, what do you think will happen with their future after this year?

Thanks in advance

[Stang5280]

Stang - that is their conference now. The IMAC added Gentry, Holy Angels, SW Christian, Johnson and Minneapolis for this year for a 10 team conference. They did that in the fall when rumors were it would be a conference-only schedule like a lot of fall sports.

Thanks BP. I should have known that, but apparently the news slipped under my radar. That makes sense as to why there are so many home-and-home series between the traditional IMAC members and the affiliates.

The IMAC affiliation does limit Gentry’s ability to add quality opponents, but I think that may have been a struggle this year anyway. For instance, Mahtomedi has shown no interest in playing Gentry despite it being an in-section game. And a Thursday evening journey up to Little Falls makes little sense, but the two teams are doing it anyway. I will be curious to see what happens with Gentry’s future after this season.

I haven't been following HS hockey as much of late....can you give me the run-down on Gentry? And, what do you think will happen with their future after this year?

Thanks in advance

Well, start with a team that finished 21-4 last season, that graduated one senior and returned excellent pieces such as Damon Furuseth, Barrett Hall, Brevan Grigus, and goalie Alex Timmons. Then add in several excellent players from the school's disbanded Galaxy AAA program, like Nick Sajevic and Zach Reim. You end up with what resembles an all-star team that will make a mockery of nearly every game on their schedule.

I don't have any real insight into Gentry's future, but this is only the third year for the high school program, and you have to wonder if their goal is to be playing at the AA level, given that next season is a realignment cycle. That said, they do have a significant number of seniors this year, so maybe this is the peak for this group.

[ironranger2]

Thanks BP. I should have known that, but apparently the news slipped under my radar. That makes sense as to why there are so many home-and-home series between the traditional IMAC members and the affiliates.

The IMAC affiliation does limit Gentry’s ability to add quality opponents, but I think that may have been a struggle this year anyway. For instance, Mahtomedi has shown no interest in playing Gentry despite it being an in-section game. And a Thursday evening journey up to Little Falls makes little sense, but the two teams are doing it anyway. I will be curious to see what happens with Gentry’s future after this season.

I haven't been following HS hockey as much of late....can you give me the run-down on Gentry? And, what do you think will happen with their future after this year?

Thanks in advance

Well, start with a team that finished 21-4 last season, that graduated one senior and returned excellent pieces such as Damon Furuseth, Barrett Hall, Brevan Grigus, and goalie Alex Timmons. Then add in several excellent players from the school's disbanded Galaxy AAA program, like Nick Sajevic and Zach Reim. You end up with what resembles an all-star team that will make a mockery of nearly every game on their schedule.

I don't have any real insight into Gentry's future, but this is only the third year for the high school program, and you have to wonder if their goal is to be playing at the AA level, given that next season is a realignment cycle. That said, they do have a significant number of seniors this year, so maybe this is the peak for this group.

Just to confirm...is section realignment already coming up for the 2021-22 season? Or is it for 2022-23 season?

[Usthockey13]

I believe it should be 21-22 if you go to the MSHSL website it only shows section up to 20-21. Wondering though with all the COVID they might opt to push it back another season. Also have to think a team like Duluth Marshall will move back down to A

[Stang5280]

Haters' Guide to Sections

1A: Meh, whatever

2A: Probably Orono, but also doesn't much matter

3A: Litch vs Hutch, book it

4A: Gentry vs Mahtomedi, book it

5A: Don't put yourself through this

6A: Our only interesting section
1a) Little Falls
1b) Alexandria
3) Fergus Falls
4) Sartell

7A: Hermantown vs Denfeld, book it
(Unless Covid continues to intervene)

8A: Warroad vs EGF, book it

Thanks for reading this in-depth analysis

[Stang5280]

I believe it should be 21-22 if you go to the MSHSL website it only shows section up to 20-21. Wondering though with all the COVID they might opt to push it back another season. Also have to think a team like Duluth Marshall will move back down to A

Section realignment is normally every two years and would due for 21-22, but good point that Covid may throw a wrench into those plans.

[BlueLineSpecial]

Thanks BP. I should have known that, but apparently the news slipped under my radar. That makes sense as to why there are so many home-and-home series between the traditional IMAC members and the affiliates.

The IMAC affiliation does limit Gentry’s ability to add quality opponents, but I think that may have been a struggle this year anyway. For instance, Mahtomedi has shown no interest in playing Gentry despite it being an in-section game. And a Thursday evening journey up to Little Falls makes little sense, but the two teams are doing it anyway. I will be curious to see what happens with Gentry’s future after this season.

I haven't been following HS hockey as much of late....can you give me the run-down on Gentry? And, what do you think will happen with their future after this year?

Thanks in advance

Well, start with a team that finished 21-4 last season, that graduated one senior and returned excellent pieces such as Damon Furuseth, Barrett Hall, Brevan Grigus, and goalie Alex Timmons. Then add in several excellent players from the school's disbanded Galaxy AAA program, like Nick Sajevic and Zach Reim. You end up with what resembles an all-star team that will make a mockery of nearly every game on their schedule.

I don't have any real insight into Gentry's future, but this is only the third year for the high school program, and you have to wonder if their goal is to be playing at the AA level, given that next season is a realignment cycle. That said, they do have a significant number of seniors this year, so maybe this is the peak for this group.

Got it, thanks. Guess I didn't realize they disbanded their AAA program. I thought when you said 'curious to see what happens with Gentry's future after this season' that you were implying there might be questions about their HS model and viability to continue. Like I said, don't know much about them, other than what I've read online. But it seems to be a 'hockey-first, hockey all-the-time' school? Sort of hard not to be when your school is basically a hockey arena lol

[arcticpurple]

But it seems to be a 'hockey-first, hockey all-the-time' school? Sort of hard not to be when your school is basically a hockey arena lol

Pretty sure the arena is across the street...just like a lot of public schools. Not just hockey either. https://vimeo.com/217098949,

[jg2112]

But it seems to be a 'hockey-first, hockey all-the-time' school? Sort of hard not to be when your school is basically a hockey arena lol

Pretty sure the arena is across the street...just like a lot of public schools. Not just hockey either. https://vimeo.com/217098949,

The arena is across the parking lot. Similar setup as Centennial, Delano, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Rogers, etc.

[InThePipes]

I haven't been following HS hockey as much of late....can you give me the run-down on Gentry? And, what do you think will happen with their future after this year?

Thanks in advance

Well, start with a team that finished 21-4 last season, that graduated one senior and returned excellent pieces such as Damon Furuseth, Barrett Hall, Brevan Grigus, and goalie Alex Timmons. Then add in several excellent players from the school's disbanded Galaxy AAA program, like Nick Sajevic and Zach Reim. You end up with what resembles an all-star team that will make a mockery of nearly every game on their schedule.

I don't have any real insight into Gentry's future, but this is only the third year for the high school program, and you have to wonder if their goal is to be playing at the AA level, given that next season is a realignment cycle. That said, they do have a significant number of seniors this year, so maybe this is the peak for this group.

Got it, thanks. Guess I didn't realize they disbanded their AAA program. I thought when you said 'curious to see what happens with Gentry's future after this season' that you were implying there might be questions about their HS model and viability to continue. Like I said, don't know much about them, other than what I've read online. But it seems to be a 'hockey-first, hockey all-the-time' school? Sort of hard not to be when your school is basically a hockey arena lol

The '03 Gentry Galaxy Tier 1 team had many high end players, several of which are now at NTDP, USHL, etc. As mentioned above, there are still several 11th and 12th graders who were also part of that team that are now playing for Gentry HS. They are going to be tremendous this year at the A level and very solid next year if those with HS eligibility stay for their Sr. seasons. I'm not sure what they have beyond that in the pipeline, to my knowledge nothing similar to the '03 team, but very few had that level of talent even from a national perspective.

[rainier2]

Thanks BP. I should have known that, but apparently the news slipped under my radar. That makes sense as to why there are so many home-and-home series between the traditional IMAC members and the affiliates.

The IMAC affiliation does limit Gentry’s ability to add quality opponents, but I think that may have been a struggle this year anyway. For instance, Mahtomedi has shown no interest in playing Gentry despite it being an in-section game. And a Thursday evening journey up to Little Falls makes little sense, but the two teams are doing it anyway. I will be curious to see what happens with Gentry’s future after this season.

I haven't been following HS hockey as much of late....can you give me the run-down on Gentry? And, what do you think will happen with their future after this year?

Thanks in advance

Well, start with a team that finished 21-4 last season, that graduated one senior and returned excellent pieces such as Damon Furuseth, Barrett Hall, Brevan Grigus, and goalie Alex Timmons. Then add in several excellent players from the school's disbanded Galaxy AAA program, like Nick Sajevic and Zach Reim. You end up with what resembles an all-star team that will make a mockery of nearly every game on their schedule.

I don't have any real insight into Gentry's future, but this is only the third year for the high school program, and you have to wonder if their goal is to be playing at the AA level, given that next season is a realignment cycle. That said, they do have a significant number of seniors this year, so maybe this is the peak for this group.

A hockey-focused academy set in a metro area of 4 million people...now that's what Class A hockey is all about.

[TheNightman]

I'm wondering where Hermantown and Gentry would rank in AA this year. Both would be top 10 surely, maybe even top 5. Gentry's game against Blake might be the only indicator we get.

[InThePipes]

I'm wondering where Hermantown and Gentry would rank in AA this year. Both would be top 10 surely, maybe even top 5. Gentry's game against Blake might be the only indicator we get.

I agree that they would probably be in that range.