ClassAGuy wrote: ↑Fri Mar 21, 2025 9:57 am
And BOOM... Make one guess post and get some good information with a loaded inbox on X this morning.
Here is some updates
MPLS was NOT DENIED they will be back in Class A. Source who reached is tied to the program and they had the confirmation from the MSHSL they were not denied.
Was told by another source they heard St Paul was allowed down to Class A under the MPLS rule but they didnt have the confirmation.
Also been told Osseo was approved to go to Class A (Which looking at the map should put them in 2A and bump MPLS to 4A)
That shakes up the map in AA because someone has to fill the spot of 6AA left by Blake and someone needs to fill the spot in 1AA left when Northfield was able to drop the co-opt two years ago to get back in Class A after the map was made.
To fill gaps again i dont follow AA but this was rumor no one knows until the maps is done on 4/3 but below it what was sent.
Rosemount to 1AA
Holy Angels to 3AA
Anoka to 5AA
Bloomington Jefferson & Totino Grace to 6AA
Again all speculation but with MPLS still in Class A there will be more movement in AA below is an update GUESS
Update Class AA Guess
1AA (8 teams)
Farmington
Lakeville North
Lakeville South
New Prague High School
Owatonna High School
Rochester Century/John Marshall
Rochester Mayo
Rosemount
2AA (8 teams)
Chanhassen
Chaska
Eden Prairie
Holy Family
Minnetonka
Shakopee
Prior Lake
Waconia
3AA (8 teams)
Apple Valley/Burnsville
Cretin-Derham Hall
Eagan High School
Eastview High School
Holy Angels
Park Cottage Grove
St. Thomas Academy
Two Rivers High School
4AA (9 teams)
East Ridge
Gentry Academy
Hill-Murray
Mounds View
Roseville
Stillwater
Tartan
White Bear Lake
Woodbury
5AA (8 teams)
Anoka
Blaine
Centennial
Champlin Park
Maple Grove
Rogers
Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids
Irondale-St. Anthony
6AA (8 teams)
Armstrong/Cooper
Benilde-St. Margaret's School
Bloomington Jefferson
Edina
Hopkins
St. Louis Park
Totino Grace
Wayzata
7AA (9 teams)
Andover
Cambridge-Isanti
Duluth Denfeld
Duluth East
Duluth Marshall
Forest Lake
Grand Rapids
Rock Ridge
Northern Edge
8AA (9 teams)
Alexandria
Bemidji
Brainerd
Buffalo
Elk River/Zimmerman
Moorhead
Roseau
St. Cloud Public
St. Michael-Albertville
Updated Class A Guess
1A (10 Teams)
Albert Lea
Austin
Dodge County
Faribault
La Crescent
Northfield
Red Wing
Rochester Lourdes
Waseca
Winona
2A (9 teams)
Blake
Breck
Delano
Hutchinson
Litchfield Dassel Cokato
Mound Westonka
Orono
Osseo
Providence Academy
3A (10 teams)
Fairmont
Luverne
Mankato East
Mankato West
Marshall
Minnesota River
New Ulm
Redwood Valley
Windom
Worthington
4A (9 teams)
Chisago Lakes
Hastings
Mahtomedi
Minneapolis
Simley
South St Paul
St Paul Academy
St Paul Highland Park
SW Christian/Richfield
5A (10 teams)
Becker Big Lake
Little Falls
Monticello
Mora
Princeton
Pine City
River Lakes
Sartell
Sauk Rapids
St Cloud Cathedral
6A (8 teams)
Breckenridge/Wahpeton
Detroit Lakes
Fergus Falls
Morris Benson
Northern Lakes
Prairie Centre
Wadena Deer Creek
Willmar
7A (9 teams)
Cloquet/Esko/Carlton
Ely
Greenway
Hermantown
Hibbing
International Falls
North Shore
Moose Lake
Proctor
8A (9 teams)
Bagley Fosston
Crookston
East Grand Forks
Kittson County Central
Lake of the Woods
Park Rapids
Red Lake Falls
Thief River Falls
Warroad
Okay, with MSHSL allowing Minneapolis to play Class A again next year, I will be shocked—it would be insane!—if MSHSL requires Tartan to keep playing AA.
Why? US News & World Report publishes a lot of data on every high school in the country for rankings it does. Let’s compare Minneapolis and Tartan.
Minneapolis is a co-op of all Minneapolis public high schools. It goes without saying that the enrollment of the schools far exceeds the enrollment needed to be classified AA. So let’s look at other data the MSHSL uses to make their decision.
While all Minneapolis public high schools make up the Minneapolis co-op hockey program, the vast majority of the players on the team attend Southwest or Washburn.
Here’s data on Southwest from US News & World Report…
Enrollment: 1,484
% of students who are non-white: 36.3%
% of students who are economically disadvantaged: 29%
And here’s Washburn’s data…
Enrollment: 1,582
% of students who are non-white: 41.8%
% of students who are economically disadvantaged: 37%
Now, let’s look at the data for Tartan and North St. Paul, the two high schools that make up the Tartan co-op hockey program.
Tartan
Enrollment: 1,683
% of students who are non-white: 67.8%
% of students who are economically disadvantaged: 57%
North St. Paul
Enrollment: 1,594
% of students who are non-white: 73.1%
% of students who are economically disadvantaged: 65%
So, objectively, clearly the two main Minneapolis schools have hockey-friendlier demographics than Tartan and North St. Paul.
Okay, but what about the youth programs that feed the high school programs? Here again, Minneapolis dominates.
Minneapolis Storm Hockey 2024-25 Season
Bantam teams (7): A (made state tourney), two B1, two B2, two C
Peewee teams (8): A, two B1, three B2, two C
Squirt teams (7): A, B1, three B2, two C
East Metro Stars Hockey 2024-25 Season (note this is a co-op between Tartan, North St. Paul AND St. Paul Johnson & St. Paul Como)
Bantam teams (2): B1 and C
Peewee teams (3): B1, B2, C
Squirt teams (3): B1, B2, C
I think it’s a a big stretch to allow the Minneapolis co-op team—given their enrollment, hockey-friendly demographics, large and successful youth program and high school success (Minneapolis made state tourney a couple years ago and was #1 seed in section this year, falling to Orono in section championship)—but I assume the MSHSL continues to allow it because of the romantic idea of revitalizing urban hockey. But here’s the deal: in Minneapolis, it’s already revitalized. I can live with it, though, IF they allow programs with more challenging situations—like Tartan—also to play Class A.
Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk!