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What kind of a year for each section or just your favorite sections. Exciting, lame, or competitive. 7AA and 7A or 1 horse races really. Grand Rapids and Greenway could make tings interesting.

Section 7A
1 Hermantown
Key players
Forwards
Mama’s Boy Biondi Kilen Pionk Lund Dowd
Defense
Pierce? Sams? Dowd
Weakness Goalie
2.Denfeld
Key players
Forwards
Shea Lehet McClure Twins
Defense
Jouppi
Goalies
Easty Schneider
Weakness Youth
3.Eveleth
Key Players
Forwards
Van Orsdel
Defense
Troutwine*2 Beaudette Everson
Weakness Goalie and eligibility
4.Greenway
Key players
Forwards
Troumbly Vekich Gernader
Defense
Miller Trboyevich
Goalie
Wright
Weakness Depth
5.Virginia
Zadnikar Oakland
6.Hibbing
Ziemba Allison
7. I Falls
8. North Shore
9. Proctor
10. Ely

6AA going to be bloodbath with Edina, Blake, BSM, CDH and Wayzata. Section Semis Saturday is going to be crazy. A shame that only one can make State.

Same on the girls side. Probably have 4 teams rated in the top-15 in the state when the section rolls around.

6AAGuy wrote: ↑Tue Aug 13, 2019 9:05 am 6AA going to be bloodbath with Edina, Blake, BSM, CDH and Wayzata. Section Semis Saturday is going to be crazy. A shame that only one can make State.

You won't have to worry for too long. The next section realignment will have the top 32 teams like football.

StanleyCup55 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 14, 2019 11:21 am

6AAGuy wrote: ↑Tue Aug 13, 2019 9:05 am 6AA going to be bloodbath with Edina, Blake, BSM, CDH and Wayzata. Section Semis Saturday is going to be crazy. A shame that only one can make State.

You won't have to worry for too long. The next section realignment will have the top 32 teams like football.

Please explain, lord Stanley. I’m a dumb dumb.

I don't proclaim to be the smartest person in the world but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to see the way it's going after the section realignments this year i.e. Anoka to Section 7AA, Tartan to Single A, etc... Just seems to me that the league wants to go to 3 classes or do the Top 32 teams like football which I think will kill the state tournament excitment. But that's just my problem I guess since I seem to be the only one freaking out about the way HS seems to be going. It's also off topic from this thread so I apologize and will try to contribute.

2AA was the toughest
1AA was the weakest

2AA was pretty much a state tournament after the first round. Will this be the toughest again next year or will 6AA give it a good run?

StanleyCup55 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 14, 2019 2:24 pm I don't proclaim to be the smartest person in the world but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to see the way it's going after the section realignments this year i.e. Anoka to Section 7AA, Tartan to Single A, etc... Just seems to me that the league wants to go to 3 classes or do the Top 32 teams like football which I think will kill the state tournament excitment. But that's just my problem I guess since I seem to be the only one freaking out about the way HS seems to be going. It's also off topic from this thread so I apologize and will try to contribute.

2AA was the toughest
1AA was the weakest

2AA was pretty much a state tournament after the first round. Will this be the toughest again next year or will 6AA give it a good run?

I would like the top 32 teams. 2AA, 6AA. 1 and 2

Top 32 teams
Wayzata High School 3276
Minnetonka High School 3198
Eden Prairie High School 2732
Blaine High School 2652
Prior Lake High School 2648
Stillwater Area High School 2636
Edina High School 2628
Champlin Park High School 2474
Shakopee High School 2281
Rosemount High School 2271
Maple Grove High School 2218
White Bear Lake Area High School 2105
Eastview High School 2085
Farmington High School 2082
Burnsville High School 2079
Anoka High School 2037
St. Michael-Albertville H.S. 1989
Roseville Area High School 1951
Centennial High School 1937
Eagan High School 1916
Woodbury High School 1864
Hopkins High School 1856
Forest Lake High School 1828
Coon Rapids High School 1775
East Ridge High School 1757
Osseo High School 1756
Buffalo High School 1720
Lakeville North High School 1716
Lakeville South High School 1711
Robbinsdale Armstrong High School 1703
Mounds View High School 1693
Brainerd High School 1685
Park High School 1685

Here’s my shot at ranking the strongest Class A sections, based on competitiveness near the top. There is a pretty clear gap between the top three sections and the others, though 5A is always an interesting ride.

1. 8A
EGF, Warroad, TRF, Cannon Fodder
2. 6A
SCC, Alexandria, Sartell, Little Falls
3. 7A
Hermantown, Denfeld, Greenway, Eveleth-Gilbert
4. 4A
Mahtomedi, Tartan, SPA, Johnson
5. 5A
North Branch, Monticello, Princeton, Pine City
6. 2A
Orono, Delano, Breck, Robbinsdale
7. 1A
Mankato East, Dodge County, Albert Lea, Minnesota River
8. 3A
Marshall, LDC, Hutchinson, New Ulm

I have been all over northwest MN but I have never been to Cannon Fodder.
I will have to check it out.

elliott70 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 14, 2019 3:35 pm I have been all over northwest MN but I have never been to Cannon Fodder.
I will have to check it out.

It’s everywhere but yet nowhere, at least this year

Stang5280 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 14, 2019 3:33 pm Here’s my shot at ranking the strongest Class A sections, based on competitiveness near the top. There is a pretty clear gap between the top three sections and the others, though 5A is always an interesting ride.

1. 8A
EGF, Warroad, TRF, Cannon Fodder
2. 6A
SCC, Alexandria, Sartell, Little Falls
3. 7A
Hermantown, Denfeld, Greenway, Eveleth-Gilbert
4. 4A
Mahtomedi, Tartan, SPA, Johnson
5. 5A
North Branch, Monticello, Princeton, Pine City
6. 2A
Orono, Delano, Breck, Robbinsdale
7. 1A
Mankato East, Dodge County, Albert Lea, Minnesota River
8. 3A
Marshall, LDC, Hutchinson, New Ulm

I would have to disagree with you.

This year it goes...
1. 8A- 3 very good teams.
2. 7A- Great Depth with the Giant of Class A never allowing us to see it much.
3. 6A- Down a little this year but always a great battle
4. 4A- Mahtomedi has dominated this Section need someone else to start pushing them. TG went AA and SPA had the one year. But Mahtomedi would win most other sections.
5. 2A- Orono State Champ Two years ago Breck all those years Delano 2A is tougher than 5A.
6. 5A- Getting better still Besides the Moose Magic Run two years ago they never have enough to get a seed.
7. 1A- VERY DOWN of late. The old Lourdes teams were tough.
7. 3A- Really Luverne has been the only team that brought enough to be competitive but they look to be a dead program.

StanleyCup55 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 14, 2019 2:24 pm I don't proclaim to be the smartest person in the world but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to see the way it's going after the section realignments this year i.e. Anoka to Section 7AA, Tartan to Single A, etc... Just seems to me that the league wants to go to 3 classes or do the Top 32 teams like football which I think will kill the state tournament excitment. But that's just my problem I guess since I seem to be the only one freaking out about the way HS seems to be going. It's also off topic from this thread so I apologize and will try to contribute.

2AA was the toughest
1AA was the weakest

2AA was pretty much a state tournament after the first round. Will this be the toughest again next year or will 6AA give it a good run?

There will NEVER be 3 classes in boys hockey. And it’s unlikely they ever abandon the 8 sections based on geographic location

hockey59 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2019 9:49 am

StanleyCup55 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 14, 2019 2:24 pm I don't proclaim to be the smartest person in the world but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to see the way it's going after the section realignments this year i.e. Anoka to Section 7AA, Tartan to Single A, etc... Just seems to me that the league wants to go to 3 classes or do the Top 32 teams like football which I think will kill the state tournament excitment. But that's just my problem I guess since I seem to be the only one freaking out about the way HS seems to be going. It's also off topic from this thread so I apologize and will try to contribute.

2AA was the toughest
1AA was the weakest

2AA was pretty much a state tournament after the first round. Will this be the toughest again next year or will 6AA give it a good run?

There will NEVER be 3 classes in boys hockey. And it’s unlikely they ever abandon the 8 sections based on geographic location

Agree, hockey and football are so different from a geographical and cultural perspective in the state - they would never get rid of 7/8 and make it a 'metro' state tournament.

I would never say never, schools that opt up keep the two separate northern sections alive.
1AA was, at one time, Austin, Albert Lea, Faribault, Owatonna, Century, John Marshall, Mayo, and Winona. 3 of those schools opted up, Lakeville didn’t come in until Albert Lea stopped opting up.

Now, 1AA clearly doesn’t have the history other sections do but numbers matter, not history in assigning sections.

Godly is right on this one. While all of us high school hockey fanatics think the history is too important to change, we have to remember that the state high school league does not take this into account, and they certainly aren’t hockey fanatics. 7AA in particular, but also a bit of 8AA rely on teams opting up. If that stops, some major changes will likely happen with sections. Not saying it will stop, but as the price of the game increases and the economy of the north decreases or remains stagnant at the very least, it wouldn’t be inconceivable for schools to merge, opt back down to their designated class, or see even more of the top athletes go to one or two powerhouse teams, leaving only a couple true AA teams in the north.

ThatMNHockeyGuy62 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:35 am Godly is right on this one. While all of us high school hockey fanatics think the history is too important to change, we have to remember that the state high school league does not take this into account, and they certainly aren’t hockey fanatics. 7AA in particular, but also a bit of 8AA rely on teams opting up. If that stops, some major changes will likely happen with sections. Not saying it will stop, but as the price of the game increases and the economy of the north decreases or remains stagnant at the very least, it wouldn’t be inconceivable for schools to merge, opt back down to their designated class, or see even more of the top athletes go to one or two powerhouse teams, leaving only a couple true AA teams in the north.

I am not sure this is true.

elliott70 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:40 am

ThatMNHockeyGuy62 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:35 am Godly is right on this one. While all of us high school hockey fanatics think the history is too important to change, we have to remember that the state high school league does not take this into account, and they certainly aren’t hockey fanatics. 7AA in particular, but also a bit of 8AA rely on teams opting up. If that stops, some major changes will likely happen with sections. Not saying it will stop, but as the price of the game increases and the economy of the north decreases or remains stagnant at the very least, it wouldn’t be inconceivable for schools to merge, opt back down to their designated class, or see even more of the top athletes go to one or two powerhouse teams, leaving only a couple true AA teams in the north.

I am not sure this is true.

“Or remains stagnant...” implying it is currently stagnant without much in projections of it trending upwards. Thanks for reading the rest of the sentence.

Most hockey programs north of Hinckley don’t have expectations of a state birth. But rather to compete with the teams on their schedule from the north and maybe steal a game or two against metro team, that’s if they play any. I don’t know what that would feel like to expect a state tournament birth at years end. But that’s not why I’m a fan. Hermantown, Duluth East will be dominant forever. Grand Rapids is susceptible to a good/bad economy, being a small town in the middle of “not much.

ThatMNHockeyGuy62 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:36 am

elliott70 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:40 am

ThatMNHockeyGuy62 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:35 am Godly is right on this one. While all of us high school hockey fanatics think the history is too important to change, we have to remember that the state high school league does not take this into account, and they certainly aren’t hockey fanatics. 7AA in particular, but also a bit of 8AA rely on teams opting up. If that stops, some major changes will likely happen with sections. Not saying it will stop, but as the price of the game increases and the economy of the north decreases or remains stagnant at the very least, it wouldn’t be inconceivable for schools to merge, opt back down to their designated class, or see even more of the top athletes go to one or two powerhouse teams, leaving only a couple true AA teams in the north.

I am not sure this is true.

“Or remains stagnant...” implying it is currently stagnant without much in projections of it trending upwards. Thanks for reading the rest of the sentence.

I read the whole post - I don't think it is stagnant either.....

There are of course a couple of exceptions depending on the year, but largely the data says otherwise.

I'm just happy that the metro area allows the northern sections to play hockey at all...

ShakestheClown wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:17 pm I'm just happy that the metro area allows the northern sections to play hockey at all...

Yup, I agree. Very kind of dem dere cidiots

Wait until Marshall drops to A. They’ll put Centennial or Blaine in 7AA.