2025-26 BHS Class A Preseason Rankings
It is that time of the year again for the annual Class A Boys High School Hockey Preseason Rankings. This year looks like it should be a great one as Class A is deeper than ever with 78 teams now making up the overall field and this should be a fun and highly competitive season!
1- Hibbing/Chisholm (7A)
The Bluejackets start the year at #1 this winter. With the likes of Tate Swanson, Cole Swanson, and Isaiah Hildenbrand, to name a few, up front, Hibbing will score plenty this season, and Ethan Sundvall, Jackson Strukel, and Whitaker Rewertz lead a loaded and talented defense. This is now a veteran team, with great talent in their Senior and Junior class; because of that, we should not expect them to have a slower start like they had a season ago. The only question mark facing this highly talented team is in the net, and they will need to find a steady presence there. If they do, it would appear that now is the time for this group to cash in on all the expectations and promise that have followed them since entering the high school ranks three years ago.
2- Warroad (8A)
The Warriors are one of the more interesting teams this season. Their run to the top of Class A Rankings last winter was impressive after way too low preseason expectations; however, the upset in the 8A Finals leaves this Warroad team feeling like they come in with something to prove. The return plenty of talent as Ryan Shaugabay and Gavin Anderson up front, and Broden Hontvet and Sam Hard on the blueline, and Finn Hanson in net are all back in the fold, then you add in the youngsters coming in who have just won back-to-back A Bantam State Titles, and this feels like a very exciting team. I don't feel like this ranking is too high for this group because I think their potential is through the roof. How quickly the younger guns can adjust to high school hockey is the only real concern here, as this is a team that's stacked on the backend and full of skill and elite talent throughout the lineup, which should lead to a big year up in Hockeytown USA.
3- Hermantown (7A)
This veteran Hawks team feels built to win something, especially after how last season finished. The back end, with Bryce Francisco returning in net and Gabe Swenson leading a deep blueline, is one of the top combos in the state, while Ford Skytta, Mick Martalock, and Alex Nicklin should be able to lead a deeper offense. There are still some questions, though, as they suffered some losses and had some head-scratching ties last year when the offense went dry after teams shut down their top line, and that foreshadowed their eventual defeat in the section semifinal round. This year, though, this team on paper just feels different, older, stronger, and deeper than last season, and it feels like if there is a team built to beat the talent-rich Bluejackets, it would be the Hawks. They will play the toughest schedule, as always, in Class A to be prepared and ready for what could be redemption in the 7A Playoffs this winter.
4- East Grand Forks (8A)
The northern school pile-up continues at the top of the Class A top ten, as East Grand Forks will look to win back-to-back State Titles this winter for the 2nd time in their program's history. They have some of the hallmarks of a good EGF team, with Max Bies and Ryan Clauson anchoring the defense, and the forward depth led by Tucker Lovejoy and Jace Panzer is right there with anyone’s; the high end may not be as high as a couple of the teams above them, but it’s hard to pick out serious flaws here. They also have something that previous Greenwave’s team have lacked, and that's stable goaltending, as Noah Schindele is back after leading this team to the Title last winter. There is a lot to like about this team, which will look to avoid the slow start this season, but if last year proved anything, it's that you should never count East Grand Forks when it comes to sizing up Class A Contenders.
5- Sartell (6A)
After an offseason reclassification moved Sartell back down to Class A, it feels like the Sabers’ moment has arrived. They return boatloads of talent; Devin Jacobs and Preston Deragisch, along with Brayden Klande, are the offensive leaders. They have some good talent as well on D, led by Collin Otto and Keaton Landowski, and there are plenty of veteran reinforcements to make this a deep lineup, too. One area to watch: goaltending, they don't return any varsity experience there, and if you truly want to make a run, goaltending is key, so they do need to fill that gap. They will have to navigate a new section, and this program has never gotten to the big stage yet. They have only played in one Section Final game in their history, so handling those big game moments will have to be learned on the fly, but this feels like a group that can help the Sabres break through and reach their first State Tournament ever on the 30-year anniversary of their program.
6- Delano (2A)
Back in 2021, it looked like the Tigers would be the preeminent power in Section 2A as they were on a run of 4 State Tournament appearances in the previous 5 years. In the years since, they have had zero State Tournament appearances, and the last two seasons have ended in the semifinal round. So, is this finally the year? They return a ton of talent from last season’s squad, and they are the early favorite of Section 2A, which, after this past offseason, is now deeper than ever. There are cornerstones when it comes to Delano hockey; they will be extremely well prepared and well coached, and they will generally be playing their best hockey come playoff time. This group of Seniors and Juniors took 2nd in State as A Bantams, and they will look to return to State this winter and then do something that's never been done in their program’s history, and that's win a first-round game.
7- Monticello (5A)
The Moose have become a staple in this part of the rankings over the past few years, winning 20-plus games each of the last two seasons, and they’re a decent bet to be back here again and potentially rise even higher. Nicklas Nelson grabbed some earned attention in the offseason with his Division One commitment, but there is plenty of depth and talent returning around him. Monticello should be in a good position to return to State this year as they will have to get over the Cathedral hump, but with the Crusaders in a bit of a reload situation, that feels more doable than ever. This is another group of Seniors and Juniors who went to State as A Bantams, and while they will have to replace some scoring, this is a program built on defense, and they will play low-scoring games that should come in handy come playoff time to help them make a serious run.
8- Blake (2A)
The Bears have now completely flushed out the system after just two short years ago, they won only two hockey games. Now this winter, they return to Class A with a veteran lineup from a team that was able to win 19 games last year, which included going unbeaten vs Class A competition. This should be a very exciting year for Blake as they will be led by Joe Erickson and Landon Bell up front and Axel Bisbee on the blueline. After that is a bunch of depth and skill that will litter their nightly lineup card and this team feels like it’s in prime position to push for their first Tourney bid since 2019, and they will be a program to watch throughout the winter in the ultra deep Section 2A and they could be a surprise contender for the overall Class A title by seasons end.
9- Mahtomedi (4A)
A season after last year’s disappointing year, which saw this program drop out of the Top 10 for the first time in years and had some wondering if the Zephyrs could even win 4A, there is little expectation of continued struggles this winter. Mahtomedi should return to their normal standards this winter as they return seven of their nine top scorers from last year’s State Tourney team, with Devin O'Donnell and Brock Gutterman up front and loaded veteran blueline leading the way; while it may not be the normal top five status we are accustomed to when it comes to the Zephyrs teams of recent years, they do return enough veteran talent and will be well coached which should be good enough to get back to State and perhaps even get back to playing at their normal time slot on Friday Afternoon in St Paul come March.
10- Northfield (1A)
Northfield has built itself into the Southern Power of Class A over the past few seasons. While the Raiders did have an offseason that saw them lose their veteran head coach and top returning player, there is still more than enough here returning to give this program the edge for the final slot within the Top 10. Led by Bridger Riley on the blueline and Michael Steward up front, Northfield returns 10 players who had double-digit points from last winter. They will be a group that won't rely as much on a top line like in the past, but this should be a deep team that will be difficult for anyone in the south to match up with depth-wise. The bigger question for the Raiders is, do they have enough to get over the hump once they get to St Paul and win a first-round game? Only time will tell.
11- Waseca (1A)
Could this be the time for the Bluejays to break through? They return six scorers who had double-digit goals from a season ago, including Griffin Storey, who is a special talent, and they have some key players coming in who should help shore up the blueline concerns I initially had. They also went to work on upgrading their schedule this offseason, and they did a great job of adding some very good tests throughout the year to avoid the bad habits that can be built while lighting up the scoreboard vs the lower tier of the Big South Conference. Getting past Northfield will be a tall order; heck, getting past Lourdes, who swept them last year, will be tough as well, but they have enough firepower to give it a serious run. This is going to be a fun team to watch this winter as they try to soar to new heights and not only make their programs' first-ever section final game but to take it even a step further and show up in St Paul come March!
12- Northern Lakes (6A)
The Lightning look to defend their 6A title with many of the same pieces that got them there, returning some quality defensemen and their incredible stalwart in goal. Sam Suja will keep them in every game, but he’s going to need some support to step up to make sure this team isn’t just hanging on for dear life against good competition while he takes 30 to 40 plus shots. They’ll look to their strong Junior class to take the next step after learning varsity hockey last year. There is enough talent here and a game stealer in net to make Northern Lakes feel like a definite contender again to win 6A and return to State.
13- Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (7A)
The Lumberjacks did lose a lot of key players from last year's Top 5 team, but they are the sort of program that can handle losing a lot of key players and remain very competitive in Class A. They do return Jacob Iallonardo in net for his third year and beyond that there are plenty of decent parts both returning and coming up to fill roles, and while beating Hibbing or Hermantown will be a very tough task, they at least have some track record as they were annually a small program fighting with Class AA’s best for years and I would not expect a dramatic fall off here for this proud traditional program.
14- Detroit Lakes (8A)
The Lakers should once again hang in there in 8A as they look to build their program to try to knock off the Big Three. While they lack the can’t-miss talent of the section’s traditional powers, they are good enough in enough areas that they can’t be taken for granted, and with Easton Kennedy leading the way of a strong Senior class and Griffin Lindberg being able to steal games in net, this team feels like it could be a surprise Top 10 team by season's end. Finding more scoring will be the key, as last year Detroit Lakes just didn't score enough nightly to win big games consistently, but they are still a team that should not be overlooked and could be a player within Class A this winter.
15- St Cloud Cathedral (5A)
The Crusaders will not have the top-end elite talent and scoring flair of their title contenders of the past few years, but between the pieces of championship experience they return and the younger talent they are bringing in, they should still be right in the mix for a Tourney berth out of 5A. This will be Griffin Sturm and Bo Schmidt’s team to carry early, but the key to the season will be finding depth to go around those two stars, both offensively and defensively, and also finding a new man in net. This screams rebuild on paper, but Cathedral generally always reloads instead, and going with tradition here and thinking they will be a Top 15 team as normal by the season’s end.
16- St Louis Park (2A)
The Orioles aren’t a bad sleeper pick this season to have a strong year and potentially make a run within 2A and Class overall. Marty Hirte, Owen Anklam, and Leo Schmoll give St Louis Park some serious punch, and there are enough returners in the lineup to make them a contender within 2A. They will have some depth questions that will be looming here. But this group of Juniors that is making the step up from JV had some excellent success in youth hockey. This is a team that has been a thorn in the side of many 6AA powers, while never deep enough to upset them, strong enough to give them a scare. Now coming back into Class A, this team could be the surprise we get come March in St Paul.
17- Orono (2A)
What to do with perennial power Orono is a challenging question to begin the year. The 3-time defending Section 2A champ and 3rd place finisher from last year took some big hits this offseason. Without Jackson Knight and Luca DeCubellis, the Spartans will need some new sources of offensive production, but they’ve got some leaders in back like Rory Kvern, and Maxwell Lewin should be a good one in net. Going to slot them here for now, which could be high or it might be low, as Orono showed in the Tourney last year when Knight went down, others stepped up, but their program depth will be put to the ultimate test this winter.
18- Rochester Lourdes (1A)
The Eagles quietly had a pretty good season last year, though it got lost somewhere in the overall storyline of Class A. They were able to improve throughout the year and played extremely well in the Section 1A Championship Game. Now Rochester Lourdes returns a strong core from that team led by Nolan DuBois, Jack Phillips, and Vinny Harens, who should give them some good punch up front and from the blueline. While everyone is talking about Waseca and Northfield has controlled 1A recently, things are open enough that it’s not crazy to imagine them playing for a section championship again this winter and winning it this time around, and this is a team that could move upward as we get into the season.
19- Little Falls (6A)
For Little Falls, Izaak Kalis gives the Flyer some star power in net, and he is the key reason why no one should bet against this team this winter. They do return a decent supporting cast around him, and this is always a gritty and tough, well-coached team that is a challenge for anyone to play against. There are some real questions as to where the scoring is going to come from for this group, but they should be in the thick of it back in 6A this year, and on any given night when you have a guy in net who can stop 40 plus shots they could easily pull a playoff surprise or two and return back to St Paul by season’s end.
20- Luverne (3A)
It’s been something of a journey for Roll Cards Roll the last two years, as they were able to come back last year after the previous season’s upset and get two dramatic comeback wins to return to State last winter. Now they return a group full of talent led by Maddux Domagala, Landyn Lais, Ben Hartquist, and Jaxon Lais, and they added Ricky Rogers from Warroad, who could be a Swiss Army Knife for them, playing both forward and defense. They also return goalie Gavin Hoven, so it's not hard to envision a very successful year again, but can they return to State as the preseason favorite in 3A, as we have learned you almost want to be the underdog most years and if they do, can they pose a serious threat once there?
Next 5 Notable Teams-
Providence Academy (2A)
The Lions are going to be a scary group offensively. Gavin Sattler and William Stricker will lead what should be a dynamic and dangerous attack. There are no questions as to whether they can score, but their undoing last year was keeping the puck out of their own net. If they can improve their game within their own end, watch out because Providence Academy will climb these rankings all winter long.
Chisago Lakes (4A)
The Wildcats look really strong as they have some really good pieces returning, led by Jake Kleetti and Maxwell Koch, and then in the offseason, they added a stud in transfer Colton Horak to make this a deep and talented team. The big questions for Chisago Lakes are how to fill the hole left in the net and if they can find the consistency to win those big Class A games. They showed in their regular-season upset of Mahtomedi that they can be a big threat in 4A. Now this year, it's putting those types of performances more regularly, and this should be another time to climb the rankings this winter.
Thief River Falls (8A)
The Prowlers are a traditional power that had just one of their worst seasons in years this past winter. It's hard to envision Thief River Falls having that type of season again this year. They have a very strong group of Juniors led by star Spencer Anderson, and the hope is for them that they can get back to playing the type of structure that allowed them so much success in the years prior to last season's head-scratching struggle. They will look to return to the contender status that they have become accustomed to with this program this winter.
Sauk Rapids-Rice (5A)
Are the Storm officially contenders in Class A? Last year, they made a splash, and they return the top end of that group that took some big strides forward a season ago, and with Elijah Fitch, Bryden Prelvitz, and Chase Hiltner back and leading the way, Sauk Rapids-Rice should have the attention of their 5A competitors. The question will be whether they can develop the depth needed to be a true contender as they look to get to State for only the second time in their program's history.
Mankato West (3A)
The Scarlets should be on the upswing again; they had some respectable results last season, including a win over Totino Grace, to show they can compete with teams outside of 3A. Now, Mankato West returns most of its squad from the Section Runner-Up a season ago. Coming out of 3A feels like something that could be in the cards this year, and with talents like Grady Schmidt, Jakobe Tosch, and Keaton Dorzek all a year older and Mason Schreiber back for his fourth season in net, watch out for the Scarlets this year as they are on the rise down south.
A Preseason Rankings for 2025-2026
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
Re: A Preseason Rankings for 2025-2026
YHH reporting Henry Sampair coming back to Mahtomedi for the season. Probably moves them up the rankings some.
Re: A Preseason Rankings for 2025-2026
Huge Pick up for the Zephs!
Will stick with the rankings as is, but agree 100% that one will help Mahtomedi move back up into their normal spot as we get going into the season!
With Maht back to normal standards in 4A, Sartell in 6A, 2A deeper than ever both 7A and 8A are loaded as always.... Should be a fun year in Class A and a really good Tourney!
So excited for the year and another year of following Class A Puck!
-
East Side Pioneer Guy
- Posts: 1676
- Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2010 6:43 pm
Re: A Preseason Rankings for 2025-2026
Well now for sure I'll be taking the over on the over/under for the number of Sampairs roster-ed at the Hill - Mahtomedi game.
Actually, I always take the over, and I've won 98% of the time.
Hockey Is For Everyone
Re: A Preseason Rankings for 2025-2026
Getting reports today of some more big surprises on the first day of practice that will impact Class A and Rankings!!
Class A is going to be deeper than ever!
Class A is going to be deeper than ever!
Re: A Preseason Rankings for 2025-2026
Now confirmed Orono's Jackson Knight will indeed be coming back this year. He told his NAHL team today his intentions to play his Senior year! Huge pick up for the Spartans!