Top 25 Minnesota high school boys hockey rankings (12/28/23)

Rosemount continues to rise in SBLive's Minnesota high school boys hockey Power 25

Minnesota high school boys hockey continues over the Holidays as teams begin to enter the heart of their schedule. 

Rosemount has won nine games in a row after falling to No. 1 Minnetonka 10-3 in its first game of the season. The Irish defeated Andover 4-3 on Wednesday and will look to continue the win streak this week with games against Maple Grove and Champlin Park. 

Here is the Minnesota high school boys hockey Power 25. 

Minnesota high school boys hockey Power 25

No. 1 Minnetonka (8-0)

The Skippers took care of business in last week's slate of games, but things are starting to tighten up for coach Goldsworthy’s squad. Minnetonka used a big second period to get past Grand Rapids 3-1 and held on against Shakopee 4-3 to stay perfect on the year. Goaltending remains the biggest question for the Skippers as they head into the Premier Holiday Classic this week.

No. 2 Wayzata (8-0-1)

The eight-game win streak the Trojans amassed to start the season was snapped against Eden Prairie on Friday as they were unable to convert in overtime, settling for a 2-2 tie. Like Minnetonka, Wayzata will also compete in the Premier Holiday Classic and will face off against the Skippers on Friday, with the top spot in the rankings likely on the line. 

No. 3 Rosemount (9-1)

This Irish squad just keeps winning, giving me no choice but to put them in the top three. Last week they took the trip up I-35 and handed the top team in Class 1A Hermantown its first loss of the season. Like most of the Power 25, Rosemount will have its hands full this week in the PHC as a slew of top teams await it. 

No. 4 Chanhassen (7-3)

To no fault of their own, the Storm dropped a spot in this week's rankings. A 2-0 week highlighted with a win against a gritty Eastview squad keeps them in the top five, but the head-to-head loss earlier in the year against Rosemount keeps them out of the top three. The Storm will look to strengthen their resume this week as they play three top-25 teams in the PHC. 

No. 5 Benilde-St. Margaret's (6-1)

It was a quiet week for the Knights as they played the lone game against winless Blake, handling them accordingly. The season will ramp up for BSM as it will take on Holy Family, Holy Angels and Champlin Park in the PHC, all of whom are above the .500 mark. 

No. 6 Edina (7-1)

After a sluggish first two periods, Edina came alive in the third and scored four goals to beat Chaska 4-0 and extend their win streak to four. The Hornets will head down to Prior Lake this week to compete in the Traditions Tournament with Moorhead, St. Thomas Academy and Cretin-Derham Hall on the docket. 

No. 7 Holy Family (5-0-1)

One game, one victory for the Fire last week as they outlasted Eastview on Thursday which is arguably their best win of the year. With Benilde St. Margaret and Maple Grove on tap in the PHC, Holy Family will have a chance to slide into the top five with two victories. 

No. 8 Maple Grove (6-2)

The Crimson were idle last week but take a complete 180 heading into this week as they’ll play Chanhassen, Rosemount and Holy Family in the PHC. Riding a five game win streak that's seen them outscored opponents 37-4, they will be a confident group heading into the tournament. 

No. 9 Rogers (7-1-1)

After losing its previous game to Chanhassen 8-1, Rogers got the bad taste out of its mouth as it crushed a strong Buffalo squad 7-1. The Royals will get another crack at the top teams in the state of hockey as they will take on No. 1 Minnetonka and No. 2 Wayzata back-to-back in the PHC.

No. 10 Warroad (8-1)

The top spot in class A has gone back and forth between Warroad and Hermantown, but with the Hawks loss to Rosemount, Warroad takes back the reigns for now. East Grand Forks took the Warriors to overtime on Friday, but Carson Pilgrim – who else – scored the overtime winner, extending the Warriors win streak to six games and getting them the top spot heading into the new year. 

No. 11 St. Thomas Academy (5-3-1)

The Cadets shot up the rankings this week as wins versus Cretin-Derham Hall and Centennial last week have proved they are a borderline top-ten team. A clash with Edina late this Friday will give them a chance to take “borderline” out of the last sentence.

No. 12 Shakopee (8-2-1)

Aleksi Huson, take a bow. The senior goaltender stopped 57 of 61 shots against top-ranked Minnetonka on Thursday in a losing effort as the Sabers fell 4-3. With a win earlier in the week against previously undefeated Lakeville South, the Sabers jumped up two spots in the ranking and will face Hermantown on Friday with a chance to make an even bigger jump.

No. 13 Hill-Murray (4-1-2)

The Pioneers needed some late-game heroics from forward Casper Lane to tie rival White Bear Lake as Lane scored with under ten seconds to go in the third period to level the game at three. Hill-Murray will face Andover, Chanhassen and Champlin Park this week in the PHC, all of whom are above .500.

No. 14 White Bear Lake (6-2-1)

Fittingly, the Bears come just one spot below Hill-Murray after their tie last Thursday. Since an early season slip-up to Champlin Park, White Bear Lake has been playing some of the best hockey in the entire state. Unlike most of the power 25, the Bears will not be playing in a tournament, instead, they'll face a competent Mounds View on Saturday.

No. 15 Hermantown (4-1-2)

After playing mostly class AA teams to start the season, the Hawks finally meet their match on Friday against Rosemount. The Irish’s speed was too much for the Hawks to overcome as they were handed their first defeat of the season, falling 4-2. The Hawks will head down to the metro and get another crack at a top Class AA team as they will play No .12 Shakopee on Friday. 

No. 16 Andover (5-4)

The Huskies seemed to work through their earlier season growing pains as after starting off 2-4, they've won three straight and climbed back to above .500. To keep the win streak going though they'll have to defeat No. 3 Rosemount and No. 13 Hill-Murray in the PHC. 

No. 17 Eden Prairie (4-3)

As if section 2AA needed another contender, Eden Prairie now looks to be a legit threat in the section. The Eagles beat Prior Lake on Wednesday before snapping No. 2 Wayzata’s winning streak on Friday as they skated to a 2-2 tie with the Trojans. With a lighter tournament schedule than most, the Eagles will be in a good position to climb the ranks come next week.

No. 18 Cretin-Derham Hall (3-3)

Two steps forward and one step back has been the theme of the season for last year's state semi-finalists Cretin Derham-Hall. Thankfully for the Raiders, after this week's Traditions tournament things will start to lighten up scheduling-wise, so expect this team to take more steps forward. 

No. 19 Delano (7-2)

If there were a team of the week award in high school hockey, Delano would've gotten my vote. Last week, the Tigers took down defending state champion Mahtomedi and then thrashed St Cloud Cathedral 5-0 to extend their win streak to seven. The Tigers have Hermantown and Rock Ridge on the schedule for this week, which gives them more chances to collect impressive wins.

No. 20 Luverne (8-0)

Southwest Minnesota has belonged to the Luverne Cardinal so far this season as they are the last remaining undefeated team in class A. The resume may not be the most inspiring, but the Cardinals are beating every team put in front of them.

No. 21 St. Cloud Cathedral (7-2-1)

The Crusaders have hit a bit of a rough patch in the young season, losing two of their last three games. It’s important to note that the Crusaders were without their starting goaltender Nick Hanson for both losses, so expect them to get back on track whenever Hanson returns. 

No. 21 Eastview (6-5)

Eastview has been a tough out for just about anyone, and last week was no different. The Lightning skated with both Chanhassen and Holy Family, but ultimately fell in both contests. They would get back in the win column later in the week against Lakeville South, which ultimately keeps in the rankings for this week.

No. 23 Rock Ridge (8-1)

The Wolverines have held their opponents to one goal or less in seven of their nine games so far this season, which is in part why they are an impressive 8-1 to start the year. With Delano and Hermantown scheduled for next week, their defense will have to remain stout in order to get to the ten-win mark.

No. 24 Lakeville South 

The Cougars saw their undefeated season come to an end last week as they lost a track meet to Shakoppe and then fell to Eastview, a team they had beaten earlier in the season. It's not going to get any easier for Lakeville South as it will play Minnetonka, Wayzata and Rogers in the PHC. 

No. 25 Holy Angels (7-1)

After an opening night loss to Shakopee, the Shiners have not lost since, winning their last seven games. Whether the Shiners will stay in the rankings is contingent upon this week's slate of games as they'll face two top-five teams in Chanhassen and Benilde St Margarets in the PHC. 

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