Top 25 Minnesota high school boys hockey rankings (1/29/2024)

The Edina Hornets are the new team at the No. 2 spot

The No. 2 Edina Hornets (16-2-1) and the No. 3 Wayzata Trojans (16-1-2) swap places after the Hornets defeated the Trojans 4-1 last week. 

Grand Rapids (12-9) rises to No. 20 in the rankings after defeating No. 9 Maple Grove and No. 11 St. Thomas Academy.

Here is the Minnesota high school boys hockey Power 25.

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Minnesota high school boys hockey Power 25

No. 1 Minnetonka (17-0-2)

Finding an appropriate adjective to describe what the Skippers did to their opposition last week is difficult, but the word dominant should suffice. Minnetonka outscored Chaska and St. Michael-Albertville by a combined 28 goals to improve to 17-0-2 on the season. The strength of schedule will take a complete 180 this week, with the Skippers welcoming No. 3 Wayzata to town on Thursday.

No. 2 Edina (16-2-1)

For the first time this season, we have a new number two in the rankings. The Hornets earned this distinction by surging past No. 3 Wayzata on Tuesday and then dismantling No. 16 Eden Prairie on the road 9-3. It's a college hockey-esque scheduling week for the Hornets, who will play a weekend series with Hill-Murray starting this Friday.

No. 3 Wayzata (16-1-2)

Wayzata lost its zero in the lost column on Tuesday to Edina but bounced back later in the week. After the loss to the Hornets, the Trojans took the trip up north and defeated a red-hot Roseau team before dispatching Moorhead 5-2 on Hockey Day Minnesota. They'll get their second crack against No. 1 Minnetonka this week, with a win likely propelling them back into the number two spot.

No. 4 Chanhassen (16-4)

The Storm snapped the state's longest winning streak of 12 that was held by Gentry Academy on Tuesday, winning 6-1 on home ice. They finished the week with an emphatic 8-1 win over Bloomington Jefferson to extend their own win streak to nine. The lone game this week against St. Louis Park will give the Storm an opportunity to get the streak to double digits. 

No. 5 Shakopee (14-3-1)

The Sabers also got a crack at Gentry Academy and got the job done, albeit not as convincing. The Sabers used a big first period to get past the Stars, ultimately prevailing 5-3. Shakopee will have a home game on Thursday against Holy Family, likely determining who gets the number three seed in Section 2AA.

No. 6 Andover (14-5-1)

A perfect 3-0 week for the Huskies propels them to the number six spot in this week's rankings. The highlight of the week came on Saturday where they defeated an always dangerous Coon Rapids squad 6-3. A tilt this Friday against surging No. 20 Grand Rapids has all of a sudden become a potential matchup for the number one seed in Section 7AA. 

No. 7 Benilde-St. Margaret’s (13-4-1)

The Knights know how to pick themselves up, as they have not lost more than one game in a row all season. That trend continued last week as after a loss to Chanhassen, they bounced back by defeating Waconia 7-0. 

They would finish the week with a 6-2 road win over No. 12 Hill Murray to improve to 13-4-1 on the season. This week, Benilde-St. Margaret's will travel to New Prague on Tuesday and then play Orono on Thursday.

No. 8 Warroad (16-3)

The lights weren't too bright for Warroad last week as it got the job done against Roseau in front of over 3,000 people on Hockey Day Minnesota. Taven James was the star of the show as he scored three goals to help the Warriors get revenge against the Rams — a team that beat them earlier in the year 3-2.

No. 9 Maple Grove (13-5)

An eventful week for the Crimson ends in thrilling fashion as Owen Smith scored an overtime goal to defeat Hermantown 3-2. Earlier in the week, Maple Grove ran into the current buzzsaw that is No. 20 Grand Rapids, falling 3-2. The Crimson will cross the Mississippi on Thursday to play a tricky Totino-Grace squad. 

No. 10 Stillwater (10-6-1)

The Ponies continued the trend of beating teams inferior to them last week, going 3-0 against their Suburban East foes. The eye-popper of the week was a 9-1 win over a solid Park of Cottage Grove squad. This week, the Ponies will take a step up in competition, playing No. 16 Rogers on Tuesday and then finishing the week on the road against No. 15 Eden Prairie. 

No. 11 St. Thomas Academy (12-6-2)

The trip up north ends in a split for the Cadets as they started off with a 3-0 win against Hermantown before falling to Grand Rapids 4-1. The road stretch will continue this week as they will travel to Mahtomedi on Thursday before coming back home on Saturday to face Hastings.

No. 12 Hill-Murray (10-6-2)

The Pioneers smoked Mahtomedi last Tuesday 9-1, which extended their win streak to five games. The streak wouldn't make it through the weekend, though, as Benilde St. Margaret’s came into Aldrich Arena on Saturday and defeated the Pioneers 6-2. Two games against Edina this week will give Hill-Murray another chance to defeat a top ten team. 

No. 13 Centennial (12-4-1)

The rapid ascension continues for Centennial, who comes in at 13 in this ranking cycle. The Cougars have now scored at least five goals in each of their last five games. With a matchup against a shaky Duluth East defense this Wednesday, expect that streak to rise to six. 

No. 14 Rosemount (14-5)

The Irish completed a perfect 4-0 road trip last week with a 6-0 victory over Lakeville North on Friday. Rosemount will host two home games this week: one on Tuesday versus Prior Lake and the other against Farmington on Thursday.

No. 15 Eden Prairie (11-6-1)

The Eagles seemed to have fallen victim to the Lake Conference gauntlet these past couple of weeks. The most recent result for Eden Prairie was its ugliest – a 9-3 blowout at the hands of Edina. There is still no reason to panic if you are Eden Prairie, as its resume proves it's still a top team in the state of Minnesota.

No. 16 Rogers (11-6-2)

The Royals are still shorthanded, but a loss last Thursday to Totino-Grace is a bit of a cause for concern. Things won't get any easier this week as they'll head out west to Stillwater to take on a tough Pony squad.

No. 17 White Bear Lake (13-3-1)

The Bears took care of business in their only action of the week, taking down a middling Mounds View squad 4-1. With Gentry Academy's two losses last week, that win likely guarantees WBL a top-three seed in Section 4AA. A game this week against Eden Prairie will give the Bears another opportunity to further cement themselves as a top team in the section.

No. 18 St. Cloud Cathedral (15-4-1)

With a buzzing first line and a goaltender who's healthy, St Cloud Cathedral enters the top 20 for the first time this season. The Crusaders took down a strong Little Falls team on Tuesday before toppling a surging Northfield squad on Friday 4-2. Another test in Northern Lakes awaits St. Cloud Cathedral, who will look to extend its win streak to five.

No. 19 Holy Family (11-4-1)

The Fire seem to have a flair for the dramatic, no pun intended. The last two games Holy Family has played both went to overtime, with the Fire coming out on top each time. Last week, they took down Grand Forks Red River 6-5, with Holden Pajor scoring the game-winner in the extra session. This week, the Fire will get another chance to climb up the rankings when they hit the road on Thursday to face No.5 Shakopee.

No. 20 Grand Rapids (12-9)

Iron sharpens iron, and Grand Rapids' late-season surge is evidence of that. The Thunderhawks have played a brutal schedule so far this season, but it’s seeming to pay off as they come down the stretch. Last week, they took down two top ten teams in Maple Grove and St. Thomas Academy to cement themselves as true contenders in Section 7AA. A win against Andover this week could give the Thunderhawks a chance at the one seed in the section.

No. 21 Cretin-Derham Hall (10-6)

Cretin-Derham Hall played Blake and Forest Lake last week and came out victorious 4-0 in both games. The Raiders will play outside the Suburban East this week and take on a fellow power 25 team in Lakeville South.

No. 22 Hermantown (12-6-2)

The Hawks were just three seconds away from escaping with a 2-1 win against Maple Grove on Saturday, but an Andrew Karkoc goal stopped that from becoming a reality. Hermantown would wind up losing the game in overtime. The Hawks will look to get back on track this week with games against Cloquet/Esko/Carlton and Moorhead. 

No. 23 Lakeville South (12-6)

After a midseason slump, the Panthers are starting to figure things out, at least on the defensive end. Last week, they took down Apple Valley/Burnsville 9-2 before grinding out a 1-0 win over their in-city rival Lakeville North. This week, the offensive will need to show up as the Panthers welcome No. 21 Cretin-Derham Hall to town on Tuesday then No. 5 Shakopee on Saturday.

No. 24 Roseau (15-5-1)

It was a tough week wins and losses wise for Roseau, but the results were still encouraging. The Rams pushed No.3 Wayzata to the limit on Thursday but ultimately fell 5-4. On Saturday they were unable to spoil Warroad on Hockey Day Minnesota, falling 6-2. The big-time matchups continue this week as Roseau will take on Moorhead on Thursday, with the number one seed in section 8AA likely up for grabs.

No. 25 Gentry Academy (15-5)

Gentry Academy faced two top five teams in Chanhassen and Shakopee last week and came up empty both times. The 5-3 loss to the Sabers proved the Stars can compete with the best of the best, which is enough to keep them in the rankings for now. This week they face Coon Rapids and Providence Academy, with both games likely to be high scoring.

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