Class A Preseason Rankings (11-7-21)

[ClassAGuy]

Well with the High School Hockey Season around the corner I thought it would be time to put out a Class A Preseason Ranking. Below is the Preseason Ranking for Class A.

Class A Preseason Ranking (11-7-21)

1- Hermantown- The Hawks return two very talented and UMD committed Juniors on the Front line and Back end in Zam Plante and Ty Hansen to lead the latest version of the Hawks. Add in great depth at forward in with Blomdahl, Thomas, Carlson and Kauppinen back after playing last year and producing. They return defenseman Janzig and Peterson for depth on the blueline. They have their starter in the net back in Opsahl and I haven't even mentioned the group of Super Sophomores led by the Younger Plante and Vieau ready to jump in after an outstanding AA Bantam campaign. Coach Pat Andrews will enter his 5th season as the pre-season favorite on paper in Class A yet a title has eluded him. Will this version of the Hawks be the team to help get the growing monkey off his back and cash in for his first title. The Hawks are formidable and look to be the team to beat again this winter.

2- Warroad- The Warrior look to be one of those teams on paper that should be able to contend with the Hawks. They are led up front by their own UMD Committed Junior in offensive wizard Jayson Shaugabay and he will be joined by a good core sophomores coming in like Marivn-Cordes and Pilgrim along with some older veterans who will play a great brand of Warriors hockey. The reason I like this team is because their Blue Line looks very solid led by two polar opposite Defenseman in tall rugged shutdown Sr. Caron Reed and the small elusive smooth skating Jr. Erick Comstock add-in a Blue Chip Rookie coming up with Ryan Lund and there is a lot to like about the back end. Ohh and I forgot to mention there is another Slukynski, this one is in the net and he is very good and will make Warroad tough to beat all season long.

3-East Grand Forks- If there is a team built to beat the Warriors it's the GreenWave. Yes they did get dinged by an early departure but they are returning their own UND committed Junior in Jaksen Panzer and he will lead a very tough and effective group of forwards they return Magner, Stocker and Aker. They have emerging sophomore star Schmiederberg along with some very nice sophomores of their own who are coming off an A Bantam over none other than Warroad and the State Title game. Their Defense has some question marks but those holes will be filled by the great veteran EGF coaching staff. The biggest question mark as it is every year with East Side is the Goaltender. It's been the Achilles heel for the last few groups. If they have an answer their EGF could very well be the champion this year in Class A.

4- Mahtomedi- The Zephyrs might be a bit high for some but they have a very weak Section 4A with Gentry gone they should walk through it to be at the X. They play a AA tough Schedule all year and they have a 4 year Starter in Ben Dardis in the net. Those factors to me led Mahtomedi to be 4 for now. They will be a thorn to deal with in a Class A Semi-final for whoever is the two seed or one seed above. They will need to find scoring, they return Gulenchyn and Wolsfeld up front and they do have another Dardis on the Blue line to lead their Defense. The Zephyrs have a nice crew of AA Bantams coming in and they have some depth players ready to fill and their schedule will teach them how to play tight with teams that have better talent all year. This team will be in the discussion all year don't let the record fool you as they will be a definite contender in March.

5- Fergus Falls- I love everything about the Otters this winter. I think they will be a team to watch in Class A all year. Unfortunately it will be hard to know as their schedule doesn't have a ton of good indicators but this group is the Defending CLC Conference Champs a AA conference and they are an incredible double OT Section Final loss away from making a statement last spring. They return a Dangerous Trio up front in Johnson, DeBrito and Zierden along with some great supporting cast members who will only be better this year. My hesitation with this team is on the Blue Line but they do return players like Young and Becker who saw good minutes last year. Why they are my sleeper is because Junior stand out Ben Swanson is capable of winning a game by himself every night. The two year starter already will make the Otters a serious contender in Class A all year.

6-Duluth Denfeld- Duluth Denfeld has been talking about this group for the last few years. Unfortunately COVID really wrecked this group's season last year with extended shutdowns and they never really got their stride. The Hunter have everything you want up front led by Davidson and the Mcclure Twins the Hunters have 6 of their top 8 scorers back. However, their D core is questionable and they will need to answer a major question of who will be the goaltender to stop a ton of shots in a Section Final vs. the Hawks. Denfeld is going to be very good, they just might not be good enough though to get over the top with the Giant in their Section. It's now or never for the Hunters and I think they are going to be very good all year.

7-Alexandria- Last year was an odd year for a rising Class A program. They lost some great talent to the emerging in town rival NorthStar Academy, also a new coach last year and they just never seemed to find consistency. Those growing pains though have created what looks to be a very tough squad with experience all over the lineup this year. They return Senior standouts Gronholz and Berg up front along with dynamic juniors Kludt and Lamski. They return the majority of the defensive core and they have Pfeffer back in the net. They also have a great youth program that will bring in some good young players ready to fill holes. Alexandria could be considered underrated at seven in all honesty they have depth and balance in all areas and should be back to the normal Top 10 team we have been accustomed to seeing that past decade.

8- Delano- I am going with a proven track record here. The program is seriously becoming the WBL of Class A. They are both Orange and Black colored, they both have a hated private rival in their Section (Beck=Hill) and they both get to state and lose in the Quarters. For 3 straight years that has been the Tigers demise and this year it's looking like the 2A champ will be in 4 vs 5 game and they very well could see the deja vu continue. This version will have Scoring Peterson, Brown and Paulson are legit Talent and they will have depth. The Halonen boys will add good depth up front and to the blueline. They will need a few D to step up but Delano’s structure and solid play has become a staple of this regime’s teams. They have their starter back in the net in Huontari there is a lot to like about Delano. They are next in line of the Class A Blue Blood programs looking for a state title. Can this group be the one to break the Quarters Curse?

9- Northern Lakes- I will take the gamble here that last year was not a fluke rather a welcome to regular contenders of Class A for the Northern Lights. They do have some serious talent returning and their youth program will keep supplying these groups with new fresh talent. Why I like them is that upfront they have Trio Seeling, Craig and St. Clair is ready to lead the charge again. They also have super talented sophomore Isaac Peterson back with others to lead the blueline. However, why I am not sold on them being legit top 10 is they need to replace an absolute stud in the net from last year. He won them more than a few games where he was facing 50 shots plus. If they have an answer in the net Northern Lakes could be a serious contender this winter again.

10-Little Falls- The Flyers benefitted big time by section realignment leaving Fergus and Alex and entering a very winnable and weak Section 5A. This Flyers group may have just enough to make a run to State again this winter. They will need to replace the Father and Son duo of the Couture’s. However, they return some good Scoring punch up front in Johnson and Filippi to carry the load with other ready to fill in and play the Flyers Grinding style. They also return 3 regulars on the Blue line lead by George Moore III. The question will be do they have a goalie and is there enough depth. I think they may have just enough forwards and Defense if they have a goalie they should win 5A and be in the conversation all winter.

11- Rock Ridge- The biggest mystery team in Class A. I might have them way too high at 11 or I may have them way too low. The new Co-opt of Iron Range giants should make for a very tough hockey team. Forwards will have a punch with Schef, Peterson, Laugen to lead what should be a very deep Crew. Their defense will have Troutwine and Nemanich to lead and Kangas in the nets is one of many that could see time in the nets. Will they get along? How quickly can they mesh? They will have serious depth and I think we will be talking about Rock Ridge all winter.

12- Southwest Christian- Senior heavy roster with experience all over the lineup could make the Stars an interesting pick. They had some success last year but they flopped in Sections. However, they return Bendell, Michelizze, Erhart and others for offense. They have their top Defenseman in Hardacare back and they return two goalies who saw time. This could be a very sneaky good team in 2A. Time will tell but I am going to list them for now in my Top 15 poll.

13- Monticello- The Moose should be the other prime contender as always in 5A. Last year they never seemed to play the way we are accustomed to seeing them play. This year they could be better. They return their top player in Dahlhiemer and he has led their scoring engine since he was a sophomore. After that they have a bunch of returners who they will need to have better seasons then they did last year. I am going on track record and a weak section that the Moose will be a team we are talking about all year.

14- Thief River Falls- TRF is just a very well coached solid program. They have two heavyweights at the top of 8A but the Prowlers should be very solid this winter. They return their leading scorer in Bottem and they have some depth coming back their. They don't have anything flashy on the Blue line but they do have maybe the best coach in Class A on their bench and they have a game changer in the nets in Holmer. The Prowlers will compete in a Down Class A field all year; they just won't be at the same level as their Section counterparts Warroad or EGF.

15- Minneapolis- This could be too low. Minneapolis is a nice squad this year and they return a ton of depth. They will be led by the Hanson brothers who both played Elite League this fall. They have both of their goalies back and they have a bunch of other nice pieces that will play Coach Dziedzic tough nose in your face style. They have been a tough out for years in Section 2A and this year’s team looks to be no different.

Other Notable Team in Class A:
Providence Academy: Lots of hype for this group for good reason they have some good experience coming back in all areas will be interesting to see how they respond this year could easily jump in the top 15.

Breck- They lost a ton but they look to be bringing in a bunch of good sophomores. I am holding out to see how good they are before putting them in my top 15.

Orono- Could be really good but they seem to be losing their top end talent of late to the Privates again like the old days. Orono will be an interesting one to watch if they can regain some momentum there.

Northfield- Would have been a lock in Section 1A and the Top 15 team but then the news of Monson’s departure put a damper there. Will need to find some more scoring but should still be the favorite in Section 1A.

Simley- Return two good goalies and some good veterans all over the lineup. Play in a tough conference and look to be the best of the rest in Section 4A.

Mound Westonka- Will be young but they do return Doshen and Krebsbach and will be as always one of the toughest teams to rank. They are known for some great upsets and then head scratching losses. This younger group looks to be no different.

Mankato East- Will be young but should be the favorite to win a very weak Section 3A. Have a ton of scoring to replace but with Hockeyday going to Kato thought they deserved to be mentioned.

Class A Section by Section Outlook-

Section 1A-
Favorite- Northfield
1- Northfield
2- New Prague
3. Lourdes
4- Waseca
Summary- This should be Northfields to win. New Prague plays with the big boys all year and will be a challenge for 1A teams. Lourdes brings back a nice crew and Waseca has super star scorer Kyle Aschlager to lead them.

Section 2A-
Favorite- Delano
1- Delano
2- Southwest Christian
3- Minneapolis
4- Breck
5- Providence Academy
6- Orono
Summary- Very deep Section the deepest in Class A by far. Will take Delano’s track record here but any of the top 6 to 7 teams can win this section, be a great section playoff and seeds will be important.

Section 3A-
Favorite- Mankato East
1- Mankato East
2- New Ulm
3- Mankato West
4- Windom
Summary- Yuck this Section now is weaker than ever. Mankato East is my pick but Watch out for New Ulm or Mankato West to challenge. My sleeper is Windom. They return EVERYONE and had a great run last year. It was fun to see a small town program but again a Semi’s appearance would be great for them.

Section 4A
Favorite- Mahtomedi
1- Mahtomedi
2- Simley
3- Chisago Lakes
4- South St Paul
Summary- Zephyrs will dominate this section and I really don't see anyone else that will challenge them. Simley or South St Paul bring back experience. Chisago Lakes moving from 5A hurt them could have contended there.

Section 5A
Favorite - Little Falls
1- Little Falls
2- Monticello
3- St Cloud Cathedral
4- Mora/Milaca
Summary- This one looks to be between the Moose and Flyers and who will have enough to pull it off. I have SCC at 3 which may be high but they will rebound from last year as they have a good sophomore bunch. Mora/Milaca returns everyone and could be sneaky as well.

Section 6A
Favorite- Fergus Falls
1- Fergus Falls
2- Alexandria
3- Northern Lakes
Summary- The Big 3 will be battling all year for seeds as the 1 seed will have a much easier path. I like the Otters here. I think they are going to be very good and should be challenging for the Semis at State. Alex and Northern Lakes though are no push overs and it will be a good battle all winter.

Section 7A
Favorite- Hermantown
1- Hermantown
2- Duluth Denfeld
3- Rock Ridge
Summary- Can the Hunters take down the Hawks… Time will tell but right now it looks like the Hawks are heads and shoulders above the rest in 7A and in Class A in general.

Section 8A
Favorite- Warroad
1- Warroad
2. East Grand Forks
3- Thief River Falls
Summary- The Warroad vs EGF rivalry has been amped up in recent years this year looks no different both of these squads are very good and the winner will be the Hawks main contender at State.

[ClassAGuy]

Bombshell News From Warroad shared by the YHH Podcast last night.

Warroad adds phenom and D1 commit Daimon Gardner to the roster. Huge pickup for the Warriors....

The plot has thickened in Class A ....

[Teak]

Like, wow. I didn't know that the two Mankato schools were added to Section 3A. Was that starting just this season, or has Teak been asleep for a few years (highly likely)?

Second question: Is Rock Ridge a new co-op or a new high school? I thought that they were building a new high school that would bring in students from places like Eveleth and Virginia; thus, RR represents a school and not a co-op of schools. Which is it?

Thanks. I try to be less dumb each season.

[Stang5280]

Like, wow. I didn't know that the two Mankato schools were added to Section 3A. Was that starting just this season, or has Teak been asleep for a few years (highly likely)?

Second question: Is Rock Ridge a new co-op or a new high school? I thought that they were building a new high school that would bring in students from places like Eveleth and Virginia; thus, RR represents a school and not a co-op of schools. Which is it?

Thanks. I try to be less dumb each season.

Don’t feel bad, there were a lot of changes in Class A over the off-season! The Mankato schools were moved to 3A for the new 2021-22 and 2022-23 realignment cycle. Rock Ridge is going to be a new high school, set to open in fall 2023, but in the meantime the two districts will be running their athletic programs as a cooperative.

[Stang5280]

Bombshell News From Warroad shared by the YHH Podcast last night.

Warroad adds phenom and D1 commit Daimon Gardner to the roster. Huge pickup for the Warriors....

The plot has thickened in Class A ....

I understand that he played youth hockey in Warroad through PeeWees, but popping back into town for one season after spending the past several years in Canada and the USHL… whatever, I guess.

[Corn Cobb]

Like, wow. I didn't know that the two Mankato schools were added to Section 3A. Was that starting just this season, or has Teak been asleep for a few years (highly likely)?

Second question: Is Rock Ridge a new co-op or a new high school? I thought that they were building a new high school that would bring in students from places like Eveleth and Virginia; thus, RR represents a school and not a co-op of schools. Which is it?

Thanks. I try to be less dumb each season.

For the new two year cycle for 3A:

In: Mankato West, Mankato East, and Minnesota River
Out: Hutchinson, LDC, and Willmar

[Teak]

Don’t feel bad, there were a lot of changes in Class A over the off-season! The Mankato schools were moved to 3A for the new 2021-22 and 2022-23 realignment cycle. Rock Ridge is going to be a new high school, set to open in fall 2023, but in the meantime the two districts will be running their athletic programs as a cooperative.

For the new two year cycle for 3A:

In: Mankato West, Mankato East, and Minnesota River
Out: Hutchinson, LDC, and Willmar

Okay, thanks to both of you, Stang and Cobb, for the clarification on Section 3A.

Now I wonder where Hutchinson, Litchfield D/C, and Willmar ended up. Section 2A? 6A?

Sorry, Class A Guy. I didn't mean to hijack your Preseason Rankings thread. To return to the topic, I will post my ranking.

1. Not Marshall high school (the one down in the southwestern corner of the state).

[bardown27]

Don’t feel bad, there were a lot of changes in Class A over the off-season! The Mankato schools were moved to 3A for the new 2021-22 and 2022-23 realignment cycle. Rock Ridge is going to be a new high school, set to open in fall 2023, but in the meantime the two districts will be running their athletic programs as a cooperative.

For the new two year cycle for 3A:

In: Mankato West, Mankato East, and Minnesota River
Out: Hutchinson, LDC, and Willmar

Okay, thanks to both of you, Stang and Cobb, for the clarification on Section 3A.

Now I wonder where Hutchinson, Litchfield D/C, and Willmar ended up. Section 2A? 6A?

Sorry, Class A Guy. I didn't mean to hijack your Preseason Rankings thread. To return to the topic, I will post my ranking.

1. Not Marshall high school (the one down in the southwestern corner of the state).

Hutch and Litch to 2A with Delano, Orono, Breck, PA, etc.

Willmar to 6A

[Teak]

Don’t feel bad, there were a lot of changes in Class A over the off-season! The Mankato schools were moved to 3A for the new 2021-22 and 2022-23 realignment cycle. Rock Ridge is going to be a new high school, set to open in fall 2023, but in the meantime the two districts will be running their athletic programs as a cooperative.

For the new two year cycle for 3A:

In: Mankato West, Mankato East, and Minnesota River
Out: Hutchinson, LDC, and Willmar

Okay, thanks to both of you, Stang and Cobb, for the clarification on Section 3A.

Now I wonder where Hutchinson, Litchfield D/C, and Willmar ended up. Section 2A? 6A?

Sorry, Class A Guy. I didn't mean to hijack your Preseason Rankings thread. To return to the topic, I will post my ranking.

1. Not Marshall high school (the one down in the southwestern corner of the state).

Hutch and Litch to 2A with Delano, Orono, Breck, PA, etc.

Willmar to 6A

Okay, thanks for the info. So Section 2A got just a little bit tougher. But it makes sense. Hutchinson and Litchfield are closer to Delano than they are to places like Windom, Worthington, and Luverne.