Games 12/9

[grindiangrad-80]

Hibbing 5-2 over GR. Really good game to watch. Rapids up 2-0 after 1 while outshooting Hibbing 17-9. Hibbing scores 4 in the 2nd after a dominant period and badly outshooting the T Hawks. 3 rd period Rapids got the momentum back but couldn’t get anything past the Hibbing goaltender. Hibbing with a late EN to finish it off.

Looked like old time hockey.

[SpreadOut!]

7AA is the new doormat of Class AA. They moved Andover out of the section to get rid of all strong metro programs but I’m calling it now: Forest Lake wins 7AA this year.

[SpreadOut!]

Also, 7A is far superior to 7AA this year. Can they flip come playoffs so we have a good team out of northeast MN playing in the 7AA state tourney this year?

[grindiangrad-80]

Also, 7A is far superior to 7AA this year. Can they flip come playoffs so we have a good team out of northeast MN playing in the 7AA state tourney this year?

In my younger days I would have bit on that.

Now, I kind of feel bad for you.

[grindiangrad-80]

7A is a good section. I’ve always known that.

[SpreadOut!]

Also, 7A is far superior to 7AA this year. Can they flip come playoffs so we have a good team out of northeast MN playing in the 7AA state tourney this year?

In my younger days I would have bit on that.

Now, I kind of feel bad for you.

Am I wrong? We’d get a better team from northeast MN playing in AA tourney this year if 7A was 7AA this season. No?

[ClassAGuy]

Some Notes from (12/9/25) in Class A
- #14 Orono picks up a big OT 2A win over #11 Breck. Mustangs were wearing down the Spartans but the the 3 time defending Section Champs find a way to win

- #6 Blake blows out #13 St Louis Park 7-1 Final. Bears flying and SLP has defensive issues...

- #8 Northfield takes down #23 Mankato West 4-1 Final... Raiders just continue to win..

Surprise of the Night
#1 Hemantown blows a 5-2 3rd period lead and had to settle for a 5-5 vs Duluth Marshall... Very un-Hawks like

Stat of the Night
#2 Hibbing/Chisholm beats Grand Rapids 5-2 Final
Hibbing came out very flat and trailed 0-2 after 1 period... Switched up the lines rolled to a road win from there...
Was told its been a long time since Hibbing beat Rapids in GR... maybe rainier knows?

[grindiangrad-80]

Also, 7A is far superior to 7AA this year. Can they flip come playoffs so we have a good team out of northeast MN playing in the 7AA state tourney this year?

In my younger days I would have bit on that.

Now, I kind of feel bad for you.

Am I wrong? We’d get a better team from northeast MN playing in AA tourney this year if 7A was 7AA this season. No?

We would have had a different champion in AA many times in the last 30 years if we had 1 class. No doubt about it.

Warroad and Hermantown would have depleted a few AA trophy cases alone.

So your point is………..?

[grindiangrad-80]

Not to mention EGF and Mahtomedi.

[ClassAGuy]

Some Notes from (12/9/25) in Class A
- #14 Orono picks up a big OT 2A win over #11 Breck. Mustangs were wearing down the Spartans but the the 3 time defending Section Champs find a way to win

- #6 Blake blows out #13 St Louis Park 7-1 Final. Bears flying and SLP has defensive issues...

- #8 Northfield takes down #23 Mankato West 4-1 Final... Raiders just continue to win..

Surprise of the Night
#1 Hemantown blows a 5-2 3rd period lead and had to settle for a 5-5 vs Duluth Marshall... Very un-Hawks like

Stat of the Night
#2 Hibbing/Chisholm beats Grand Rapids 5-2 Final
Hibbing came out very flat and trailed 0-2 after 1 period... Switched up the lines rolled to a road win from there...
Was told its been a long time since Hibbing beat Rapids in GR... maybe rainier knows?

Hibbing/Chisholm first win over Grand Rapids since 2012.... WOW

[grindiangrad-80]

Some Notes from (12/9/25) in Class A
- #14 Orono picks up a big OT 2A win over #11 Breck. Mustangs were wearing down the Spartans but the the 3 time defending Section Champs find a way to win

- #6 Blake blows out #13 St Louis Park 7-1 Final. Bears flying and SLP has defensive issues...

- #8 Northfield takes down #23 Mankato West 4-1 Final... Raiders just continue to win..

Surprise of the Night
#1 Hemantown blows a 5-2 3rd period lead and had to settle for a 5-5 vs Duluth Marshall... Very un-Hawks like

Stat of the Night
#2 Hibbing/Chisholm beats Grand Rapids 5-2 Final
Hibbing came out very flat and trailed 0-2 after 1 period... Switched up the lines rolled to a road win from there...
Was told its been a long time since Hibbing beat Rapids in GR... maybe rainier knows?

Hibbing/Chisholm first win over Grand Rapids since 2012.... WOW

Not a fluke. Hibbing is really good.

[grindiangrad-80]

Also, 7A is far superior to 7AA this year. Can they flip come playoffs so we have a good team out of northeast MN playing in the 7AA state tourney this year?

Rapids is 14-3 on Thursday night in St. Paul.
10-4 on Friday night.
4-6 on Saturday night.

I’m all ears.

[SpreadOut!]

In my younger days I would have bit on that.

Now, I kind of feel bad for you.

Am I wrong? We’d get a better team from northeast MN playing in AA tourney this year if 7A was 7AA this season. No?

We would have had a different champion in AA many times in the last 30 years if we had 1 class. No doubt about it.

Warroad and Hermantown would have depleted a few AA trophy cases alone.

So your point is………..?

7AA is now as weak as 1AA without Andover and the other metro teams the MSHSL has shipped out of the section in recent years. We basically have two meaningless sections now in AA whose teams will get beat in the quarterfinals of state every year. Meanwhile, the metro sections are packed. We’ve gotten to the point where we should just have one northern MN section and seven metro sections at AA level (yes, that means blowing up the pathetically weak 1AA, too). Unless Hermantown finally grows a spine and moves up to AA, 7AA is gonna be a doormat for years. Northeastern MN youth teams who play AA at high school level aren’t doing much at youth level, so the cupboard appears bare for the foreseeable future. Another option would be to have one combined northern AA section that sends two teams to state (a northern regional like is done at youth level) and six metro sections. Then, in years when AA teams in NE MN are down (like this year), a better, second northern MN team can make state. It appears East Grand Forks, which competes at AA level in youth and is very strong, may be heading to AA at high school level soon. They will give Moorhead a run in 8AA and will be better than all current 7AA teams most seasons for the foreseeable future.
Level

[SpreadOut!]

Also, 7A is far superior to 7AA this year. Can they flip come playoffs so we have a good team out of northeast MN playing in the 7AA state tourney this year?

Rapids is 14-3 on Thursday night in St. Paul.
10-4 on Friday night.
4-6 on Saturday night.

I’m all ears.

That’s the past. I’m focused on the current and future. Rapids isn’t strong at AA Bantam and AA Peewee level now, correct?

[SpreadOut!]

Also, 7A is far superior to 7AA this year. Can they flip come playoffs so we have a good team out of northeast MN playing in the 7AA state tourney this year?

Rapids is 14-3 on Thursday night in St. Paul.
10-4 on Friday night.
4-6 on Saturday night.

I’m all ears.

That’s the past. I’m focused on the current and future. Rapids isn’t strong at AA Bantam and AA Peewee level now, correct?

Grand Rapids Bantam AA team was 14-20-1 last season, and Peewee AA team was 21-20-5. And both were not competitive against strong teams.

That’s not state-tourney caliber.

[grindiangrad-80]

Not sure but I think they are competitive.

Changes are constant and have always been. Jefferson was a super power for a good time and have since faded away. I don’t rip on them for going away. Maybe something will change and they’ll be back.

Eveleth and International Falls have storied histories. I guess they don’t matter according to you. Roseau is such a great story it’s not even arguable.

Just because times change it doesn’t mean those people are crap.

Roll with the current and enjoy the ride.

I get it. The tournament is kind of bland when the North isn’t there.

By the way, the greatest moment in US sports history had 7 guys on the team out of the roster, all from north of Highway 2.

Looking forward to when the rest of the state tops that.

[rainier2]

Am I wrong? We’d get a better team from northeast MN playing in AA tourney this year if 7A was 7AA this season. No?

We would have had a different champion in AA many times in the last 30 years if we had 1 class. No doubt about it.

Warroad and Hermantown would have depleted a few AA trophy cases alone.

So your point is………..?

7AA is now as weak as 1AA without Andover and the other metro teams the MSHSL has shipped out of the section in recent years. We basically have two meaningless sections now in AA whose teams will get beat in the quarterfinals of state every year. Meanwhile, the metro sections are packed. We’ve gotten to the point where we should just have one northern MN section and seven metro sections at AA level (yes, that means blowing up the pathetically weak 1AA, too). Unless Hermantown finally grows a spine and moves up to AA, 7AA is gonna be a doormat for years. Northeastern MN youth teams who play AA at high school level aren’t doing much at youth level, so the cupboard appears bare for the foreseeable future. Another option would be to have one combined northern AA section that sends two teams to state (a northern regional like is done at youth level) and six metro sections. Then, in years when AA teams in NE MN are down (like this year), a better, second northern MN team can make state. It appears East Grand Forks, which competes at AA level in youth and is very strong, may be heading to AA at high school level soon. They will give Moorhead a run in 8AA and will be better than all current 7AA teams most seasons for the foreseeable future.
Level

7 of the top 10 Class A teams are from outside the metro. Can we do the opposite of what you suggest for Class A? One combined metro section and 7 outstate sections?

[headsupsticksdown]

Sorry, EP over Shakopee gets upset of the night. After rolling Hibbing, the Sabres come home and lose 0-2 to what was supposed to be a bottom feeding EP team. EP takes down two top 10 teams in the span of 4 days.

[SpreadOut!]

We would have had a different champion in AA many times in the last 30 years if we had 1 class. No doubt about it.

Warroad and Hermantown would have depleted a few AA trophy cases alone.

So your point is………..?

7AA is now as weak as 1AA without Andover and the other metro teams the MSHSL has shipped out of the section in recent years. We basically have two meaningless sections now in AA whose teams will get beat in the quarterfinals of state every year. Meanwhile, the metro sections are packed. We’ve gotten to the point where we should just have one northern MN section and seven metro sections at AA level (yes, that means blowing up the pathetically weak 1AA, too). Unless Hermantown finally grows a spine and moves up to AA, 7AA is gonna be a doormat for years. Northeastern MN youth teams who play AA at high school level aren’t doing much at youth level, so the cupboard appears bare for the foreseeable future. Another option would be to have one combined northern AA section that sends two teams to state (a northern regional like is done at youth level) and six metro sections. Then, in years when AA teams in NE MN are down (like this year), a better, second northern MN team can make state. It appears East Grand Forks, which competes at AA level in youth and is very strong, may be heading to AA at high school level soon. They will give Moorhead a run in 8AA and will be better than all current 7AA teams most seasons for the foreseeable future.
Level

7 of the top 10 Class A teams are from outside the metro. Can we do the opposite of what you suggest for Class A? One combined metro section and 7 outstate sections?

I’d be totally fine with that. I’d also be totally fine going back to a single class tourney, but that’ll never happen. In a perfect world teams that play in A but should be AA would make the jump. I hope it happens some day. Warroad and Roseau should swap classes in Section 8 (Warroad gets enough move ins to make the jump, and Roseau has moved down to A in youth). EGF should also jump to AA in 8, and I think will soon (have at youth). Hermantown and maybe even Hibbing if they can sustain what they got going should jump to 7AA and Denfeld should move back down to A. This would help strengthen AA sections up north. I am all for two AA teams making state every year from up north, but the northern schools need to cooperate and play where they belong competitively for the good of the high school game. Hermantown, as usual, is the biggest uncooperative thorn. It’s ridiculous they play AA at youth but refuse to at high school. Maybe if Hibbing keeps them out of A tourney for a couple more years they’ll finally see the light.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Also, 7A is far superior to 7AA this year. Can they flip come playoffs so we have a good team out of northeast MN playing in the 7AA state tourney this year?

Rapids is 14-3 on Thursday night in St. Paul.
10-4 on Friday night.
4-6 on Saturday night.

I’m all ears.

Some of those games were on Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon. I was at most them, one time seated near Scotty Bowman at the Civic Center.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

We would have had a different champion in AA many times in the last 30 years if we had 1 class. No doubt about it.

Warroad and Hermantown would have depleted a few AA trophy cases alone.

So your point is………..?

7AA is now as weak as 1AA without Andover and the other metro teams the MSHSL has shipped out of the section in recent years. We basically have two meaningless sections now in AA whose teams will get beat in the quarterfinals of state every year. Meanwhile, the metro sections are packed. We’ve gotten to the point where we should just have one northern MN section and seven metro sections at AA level (yes, that means blowing up the pathetically weak 1AA, too). Unless Hermantown finally grows a spine and moves up to AA, 7AA is gonna be a doormat for years. Northeastern MN youth teams who play AA at high school level aren’t doing much at youth level, so the cupboard appears bare for the foreseeable future. Another option would be to have one combined northern AA section that sends two teams to state (a northern regional like is done at youth level) and six metro sections. Then, in years when AA teams in NE MN are down (like this year), a better, second northern MN team can make state. It appears East Grand Forks, which competes at AA level in youth and is very strong, may be heading to AA at high school level soon. They will give Moorhead a run in 8AA and will be better than all current 7AA teams most seasons for the foreseeable future.
Level

7 of the top 10 Class A teams are from outside the metro. Can we do the opposite of what you suggest for Class A? One combined metro section and 7 outstate sections?

Speaking about the 'top ten class A teams' is pretty weak tea. I say that because it's been discussed frequently how the class A tournament is typically a matter of 3 teams with a realistic chance of winning the championship, and that the Wednesday games are snoozers. In the class A quarters, an 'upset' is when 5 beats 4.

[rainier2]

7AA is now as weak as 1AA without Andover and the other metro teams the MSHSL has shipped out of the section in recent years. We basically have two meaningless sections now in AA whose teams will get beat in the quarterfinals of state every year. Meanwhile, the metro sections are packed. We’ve gotten to the point where we should just have one northern MN section and seven metro sections at AA level (yes, that means blowing up the pathetically weak 1AA, too). Unless Hermantown finally grows a spine and moves up to AA, 7AA is gonna be a doormat for years. Northeastern MN youth teams who play AA at high school level aren’t doing much at youth level, so the cupboard appears bare for the foreseeable future. Another option would be to have one combined northern AA section that sends two teams to state (a northern regional like is done at youth level) and six metro sections. Then, in years when AA teams in NE MN are down (like this year), a better, second northern MN team can make state. It appears East Grand Forks, which competes at AA level in youth and is very strong, may be heading to AA at high school level soon. They will give Moorhead a run in 8AA and will be better than all current 7AA teams most seasons for the foreseeable future.
Level

7 of the top 10 Class A teams are from outside the metro. Can we do the opposite of what you suggest for Class A? One combined metro section and 7 outstate sections?

Speaking about the 'top ten class A teams' is pretty weak tea. I say that because it's been discussed frequently how the class A tournament is typically a matter of 3 teams with a realistic chance of winning the championship, and that the Wednesday games are snoozers. In the class A quarters, an 'upset' is when 5 beats 4.

It's actually extremely strong tea in this case. The complaint was that too many top AA teams don't get a chance at the tourney because of the section alignments. However bad one thinks it is in AA, it's far worse in A. Last year was a perfect example.

-The best five teams in Class A came from just two sections, 7A and 8A.
-Hibbing was the #1 seed at the tourney, but they were just the #3 seed in their own section.
-Cathedral made it to the state title game, yet went 0-3 vs the top 7A teams, losing by a combined score of 17-3.

And historically, there have been many Hibbing, Denfeld, Duluth Marshall, Virginia, and Greenway teams that were top 10 and many times top 5 in A but never got a chance at the tourney. And the runner up in 8A is usually top 5. If more of these northern teams got in the tourney, there would be far fewer snoozers in the quarters.

And as of the most current rankings, half of the top ten is from either 7A or 8A.

Again, just saying for as bad as anyone thinks it is that the northern teams get a free pass to state in AA, it's the opposite and far worse in A.

[SpreadOut!]

7 of the top 10 Class A teams are from outside the metro. Can we do the opposite of what you suggest for Class A? One combined metro section and 7 outstate sections?

Speaking about the 'top ten class A teams' is pretty weak tea. I say that because it's been discussed frequently how the class A tournament is typically a matter of 3 teams with a realistic chance of winning the championship, and that the Wednesday games are snoozers. In the class A quarters, an 'upset' is when 5 beats 4.

It's actually extremely strong tea in this case. The complaint was that too many top AA teams don't get a chance at the tourney because of the section alignments. However bad one thinks it is in AA, it's far worse in A. Last year was a perfect example.

-The best five teams in Class A came from just two sections, 7A and 8A.
-Hibbing was the #1 seed at the tourney, but they were just the #3 seed in their own section.
-Cathedral made it to the state title game, yet went 0-3 vs the top 7A teams, losing by a combined score of 17-3.

And historically, there have been many Hibbing, Denfeld, Duluth Marshall, Virginia, and Greenway teams that were top 10 and many times top 5 in A but never got a chance at the tourney. And the runner up in 8A is usually top 5. If more of these northern teams got in the tourney, there would be far fewer snoozers in the quarters.

And as of the most current rankings, half of the top ten is from either 7A or 8A.

Again, just saying for as bad as anyone thinks it is that the northern teams get a free pass to state in AA, it's the opposite and far worse in A.

I don’t disagree with you at all. There are a ton of high quality northern MN teams in Class A but not currently enough of them in Class AA to justify two teams from northern MN making the AA tourney. That was the whole point of my original post. And I’d be all for blowing the system up to ensure as many of the best teams at both AA and A—regardless of geography—make it to state tourney every year.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

7 of the top 10 Class A teams are from outside the metro. Can we do the opposite of what you suggest for Class A? One combined metro section and 7 outstate sections?

Speaking about the 'top ten class A teams' is pretty weak tea. I say that because it's been discussed frequently how the class A tournament is typically a matter of 3 teams with a realistic chance of winning the championship, and that the Wednesday games are snoozers. In the class A quarters, an 'upset' is when 5 beats 4.

It's actually extremely strong tea in this case. The complaint was that too many top AA teams don't get a chance at the tourney because of the section alignments. However bad one thinks it is in AA, it's far worse in A. Last year was a perfect example.

-The best five teams in Class A came from just two sections, 7A and 8A.
-Hibbing was the #1 seed at the tourney, but they were just the #3 seed in their own section.
-Cathedral made it to the state title game, yet went 0-3 vs the top 7A teams, losing by a combined score of 17-3.

And historically, there have been many Hibbing, Denfeld, Duluth Marshall, Virginia, and Greenway teams that were top 10 and many times top 5 in A but never got a chance at the tourney. And the runner up in 8A is usually top 5. If more of these northern teams got in the tourney, there would be far fewer snoozers in the quarters.

And as of the most current rankings, half of the top ten is from either 7A or 8A.

Again, just saying for as bad as anyone thinks it is that the northern teams get a free pass to state in AA, it's the opposite and far worse in A.

Right. I like to take on the politically correct, the sacred cows. And in boys MN HS hockey, that means class A hockey, as well as telling people I have no problems with not having a northern team in the AA tournament. It's great fun.

To a lesser extent, I like to poke fun at those here who lionoze Karl. Karl is very worthy of ionizing, what with his well researched Sunday rankings post. but I just try to keep him humble. Did I ever tell the story about touching the hem of his garment at an HM-BSM contest? (WHO touched my cloak???)