Top 25 Minnesota high school boys hockey rankings (1/15/2024)

Warroad, Rogers and others had strong weeks to add to an impressive resume

The Warroad Warriors (14-3) remain the top Class 1A team after a win against No. 17 Hermantown (10-3-2) 4-1 last week. The Warriors come in this week just outside the top-10 at No. 11

No. 12 Rogers had a strong week with wins over No. 9 Maple Grove and Champlin Park. 

This week, No. 1 Minnetonka faces No. 3 Edina on Thursday in the top game this week.

Here is the Minnesota high school boys hockey Power 25.

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Minnesota high school boys hockey Power 25

No. 1 Minnetonka (14-0-1)

The Skippers handled two sub .500 teams accordingly last week as they defeated Buffalo and Duluth East in blowout fashion. This week, the Lake Conference gauntlet begins as Minnetonka will take on No. 3 Edina on Thursday, then No. 6 Eden Prairie on Saturday. 

No. 2 Wayzata (13-0-2)

The Trojans are in the midst of a lull period as they played just one game last week against a 3-11 St. Michael-Albertville squad–a game they won convincingly, 6-0. The lull period will continue this week as they will play just one game against (4-8-1) Buffalo. It's a time to heal up and get right for Wayzata, as after this week, multiple top teams are on the docket.

No. 3 Edina (13-2)

Edina brought its C-game and its A-game this week; luckilyy for the Hornets, they brought their A-game against St. Thomas Academy on Friday. They used a three-goal second period to breeze past the former No. 5-ranked Cadets, claiming a 4-1 victory. 

It was a different story on Saturday as the Hornets needed a big third period to get past a stingy Buffalo squad. A Barrett Dexheimer goal with under four minutes to go helped end Buffalo's upset bid as Edina hung on 3-2. The Hornets will try and slay the beast this week as they get their first crack at top-ranked Minnetonka on Thursday.

No. 4 Chanhassen (13-4)

The Storm are firing on all cylinders as we hit the season's midway point. Last week, they blew out Waconia and Chaska to improve to an impressive 13-4 on the season. As with many of the top teams, Chanhassen's schedule starts to toughen up this week as it will go on the road to face a top-10 team in Benilde-St. Margaret's. 

No. 5 Shakopee(12-3-1)

Shakopee continues to impress as it enters the top five for the first time this season. The Sabers shutout a strong Rosemount squad before routing Farmington 10-0. A lone game this week versus a struggling Lakeville North squad means there is a strong likelihood the Sabers will retain their spot in the top five.

No. 6 Eden Prairie (9-4-1)

While other teams in their section are failing to hold serve, the Eagles have been an outlier, remaining stout, especially on the defensive end. They posted two clean sheets this week as they shutout both BSM and STMA to improve to 9-4-1 on the season. It will be a tall order this week as Eden Prairie will play last year's state champions Mahtomedi and Minnetonka–both on the road. 

No. 7 Andover (9-4-1)

The Huskies fought to a 2-2 draw versus a tricky Centennial squad on Thursday. They would bounce back with a 6-1 win over Totino-Grace to hit the double-digit mark in the win column. With just one game versus a 3-14 Anoka squad, expect little movement in the rankings from Andover come next week. 

No. 8 Stillwater (7-5)

The Ponies have enjoyed what has been a rapid ascension up the ranks in the past few weeks. Last week they blasted previously No. 8 Cretin-Derham Hall and followed that up with a 7-0 shutout of East Ridge. A matchup this Tuesday at Aldrich Arena versus Hill-Murray is shaping up to be a battle for the number one seed in Section 4AA. 

No. 9 Maple Grove (10-4)

The Crimson made the trip up to Rogers and were stymied by a young Royals squad. They would bounce back later in the week against Robbinsdale Armstrong/Cooper, winning 5-0. Goal scoring still remains a question for the Crimson, who will play host to a struggling Champlin Park squad on Thursday. 

No. 10 Benilde-St. Margaret's (10-3-1)

It was a split last week for Benilde-St. Margaret's, who first took down St. Louis Park 7-1 before falling to Eden Prairie 2-0. This week's games follow a similar formula: a tune-up game to start the week, then a tough one to close out the week. The Knights will face off against two-win Chaska Before welcoming Chanhassen to town on Saturday. 

No. 11 Warroad (14-3)

Last week was a busy one for Warroad, who played three games, going 2-1 in the process. The Warriors started the week with a 3-2 loss to rival Roseau, then bounced back against Crookston. They finished the week winning a No. 1 versus No. 2 Class 1A matchup against Hermantown. Warroad will take most of the week off before facing Duluth Denfeld on Friday. 

No. 12 Rogers (10-4-1)

The imaginary team of the week award goes to Rogers after it went a perfect 2-0. Not only did the Royals beat Maple Grove, but they did so in a convincing fashion. The youth and speed were too much for the Crimson as Rogers waltzed to a 4-1 victory. The Royals finished the week with a 6-4 dispatching of previously ranked Champlin Park. Rogers will look to continue this positive momentum into this week where it will play Osseo and Centennial.

No. 13 St. Thomas Academy (10-5-1)

Life comes at you fast. Ask St. Thomas Academy. The Cadets were in a position to move into the top three if they defeated Hill-Murray and Edina last week. Two losses later, they find themselves outside of the top ten for the first time this year. However, the Cadets' big early season wins speak for themselves, so expect last week just to be a bump in the road. 

No. 14 Eastview (9-6)

They may not get any style points for their performances this week, but most importantly, it was a 2-0 week for the Lightning. They started with a convincing 4-0 win over Lakeville North before narrowly hanging on against a three-win Apple Valley Squad. An intriguing battle versus a falling Cretin-Derham Hall team awaits them on Tuesday. 

No. 15 Rosemount (11-5)

The Irish ended their four-game losing streak with a thrashing of previously ranked Lakeville South 7-1. This week, they'll have to be on their feet as a tricky Eagan squad awaits them. 

No. 16 Hill-Murray (7-5-2)

 In typical Hill-Murray fashion, the Pioneers are starting to come alive later in the season. Hill-Murray blitzed a St. Thomas Academy squad that was in the top five at the beginning of last week, winning 5-2. They followed that performance up with an 11-1 win over Simley. The big one is this week as the Pioneers host Stillwater with the top seed in Section 3AA likely on the line. 

No. 17 Hermantown (10-3-2)

A tough week scheduling-wise ends in a split for the Hawks as they beat St. Cloud Cathedral then fell to Warroad at home. This loss for Hermantown was its first loss at home to a class A team since 2008. The Hawks will be thrown back into the fire this week, with Hibbing and White Bear Lake coming to town. 

No. 18 Gentry Academy (14-3)

Three straight games with six or more goals sees Gentry Academy’s win streak swell to 11. Last week the Stars handled Chaska at home then went on the road and outlasted Lakeville North 7-5. While the offense is special, the Stars will need to tighten up on the defensive end with both Shakopee and Chanhassen on the Horizon.

No. 19 Holy Family (7-4-1)

It was just the one game last week for Holy Family, a puzzling 3-1 loss to Delano. The slide for the Fire continues as they have lost three of their last four. The talent is there, but for now, the Fire remains in the bottom half of the rankings. A busy three-game week will give Holy Family a chance to rebound and get last week's bad taste out of its mouth. 

No. 20 Roseau (12-3)

Section 8AA is gaining some mid-season momentum, and Roseau is at the forefront of it. The Rams defended home ice in a rivalry game and upset Warroad in overtime 3-2. Later in the week, they defended home ice again, this time against an 11-win Sartell team, winning 4-3. The tough schedule continues for the Rams as they will travel to East Grand Forks on Tuesday to face the red-hot Green Wave. 

No. 21 White Bear Lake (9-3-1)

The Bears went 2-0 on the week, defeating Park of Cottage Grove and Woodbury in tight fashion. The win versus Park looks much better now since the Wolfpack took town Cretin-Derham Hall, but the Bears remain on the outside of the top 20 due to the blowout against Stillwater earlier in the month. WBL will take on Grand Rapids and Forest Lake this week–two very winnable games. 

No. 22 East Grand Forks (11-5)

Northern Minnesota is starting to strengthen up here at the midway point of the season, and East Grand Forks is no exception. The Green Wave is currently riding a four-game win streak after they thrashed previously No. 25 Holy Angels 6-1 last Friday. A huge matchup against another hot northern Minnesota team in Roseau awaits for East Grand Forks. 

No. 23 Cretin-Derham Hall (7-6)

The biggest fallers from last week, the Raiders dropped both games last week after gaining some positive momentum from the week prior. Both Park of Cottage Grove and Stillwater used big second periods to get past the former No. 8 Raiders. Cretin-Derham Hall will hit the road this week and take on Eastview and Woodbury. 

No. 24 Luverne (13-0)

The Cardinals played just one game last week, and won about as impressively as possible, thumping Redwood Valley 14-0. Luverne will face its toughest test of the season this week as it will take on a 9-3 New Prague squad that's won four of its last five. 

No. 25 Elk River/Zimmerman (8-6-1)

The Elks have been a pleasant surprise this season, posting an 8-6-1 record at the midway point of the season. Last week, they continued their surge with a 7-2 beatdown of previously ranked Champlin Park. A matchup with No.9 Maple Grove this Saturday will tell us just how good the Elks really are.

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