Top 25 Minnesota high school boys hockey rankings (2/12/2024)
The No. 1 Minnetonka Skippers (21-0-2) won the battle between them and the No. 2 Edina Hornets (19-3-1) with a 3-1 victory on Saturday, February 10.
Rogers (16-6-2) had a strong week with wins over White Bear Lake, Duluth East and Spring Lake Park.
Here is the Minnesota high school boys basketball Power 25.
Minnesota high school boys hockey Power 25
No. 1 Minnetonka (21-0-2)
The Skippers took care of Edina on Saturday and now find themselves on the precipice of an undefeated regular season with just two games to go. There is still work to be done, though, with section foe Eden Prairie on the docket for Thursday, February 15.
No. 2 Edina (19-3-1)
A competitive 3-1 loss to the top-ranked Skippers keeps the Hornets at the two spot for the time being. Early in the week, they took care of an always-game Buffalo squad 5-3 to inch themselves closer to the 20-win mark. A Saturday night primetime tilt against Wayzata will give the Hornets a chance to hit the 20-mark, but more importantly, the one seed in Section 6AA.
No. 3 Wayzata (19-2-2)
The Trojans bounced back nicely after a heartbreaking loss in overtime to Minnetonka with two clean wins this week. They started the week with a 6-1 win over Blake and then closed it out with a convincing 3-0 victory over a tough No. 11 Eden Prairie squad. A game against The Academy of Holy Angels on Thursday should give the Trojans a decent challenge before their tilt with No. 2 Edina on Saturday.
No. 4 Chanhassen (19-4)
Here's an interesting stat: Chanhassen's 2-1 win over Orono on Saturday was its first one-goal win of the entire season. While it may not be the most encouraging result, winning close games is something the Storm will need to do with postseason hockey on the horizon. With No. 6 Benilde-St. Margaret’s on the books for Thursday, it could be another tight one for the Storm.
No. 5 Shakopee (19-3-1)
It was a strong week for the Sabers, as they avenged an earlier in-the-season loss versus Prior Lake on Tuesday before almost blowing a four-goal lead in a 5-4 win over Rosemount on Saturday. An improving Farmington squad awaits the Sabers on Tuesday before a top-15 matchup against Eastview on Saturday.
No. 6 Benilde-St. Margaret's (19-4-1)
The Knights showed last week that it's not just a two-horse race in Section 6AA as they picked up two top 25 wins over Hermantown and Grand Rapids. This week, they close out their regular season against No. 4 Chanhassen--a team they lost to early in the season 6-2.
No. 7 Maple Grove (18-5)
The team of the week award goes to Maple Grove, who took down three top 25 teams in Centennial, St. Thomas Academy and Lakeville South. While they rode the back of goaltender Zach Price in the first two games, it was the offense who showed out against Lakeville South in a 5-3 win. The end-of-season gauntlet concludes this week, with the Crimson heading on the road to No. 8 Andover and No. 9 Hill-Murray.
No. 8 Andover (16-7-1)
A brief hiatus from the top ten ends after just one week for the Huskies, who went a perfect 2-0 on the week. It began with a 6-1 thrashing of Blaine before defending home ice against previous No. 8 Centennial 3-1 on Saturday. The season finale against No. 7 Maple Grove this Friday will decide who takes home the Northwest Suburban Conference crown.
No. 9 Hill-Murray (13-8-2)
It may have been more tumultuous than normal, but Hill-Murray once again finds itself in the top ten as the season winds down. A blowout win over Blake, and an overtime thriller versus St. Thomas Academy, sees the Pioneers strengthen their grip on the top seed in Section 4AA. They'll look to cement their spot further this week with two ranked matchups against Maple Grove and Moorhead.
No. 10 Rogers (16-6-2)
The Royals proved they could do a bit of everything last week. It started with a solid 2-1 defensive battle over White Bear Lake, then concluded with blowout wins over Duluth East and Spring Lake Park. With Cole Bumgarner back and a newly improved defense, the sky's the limit for this young and hungry Rogers squad.
No. 11 Eden Prairie (15-7-1)
The Eagles hold steady at the number 11 spot this week with a win over St. Michael-Albertville and a loss to No. 3 Wayzata 3-0. The number four spot looks to be a formality for Eden Prairie in Section 2AA, but it will have one last chance against No. 1 Minnetonka this Thursday to try and sneak into the number three spot.
No. 12 Eastview (15-7-1)
I’m not sure who had Eastview as the recipient of the number one seed in Section 3AA, but here we are. The Lightning grinded out a 2-1 victory over Rosemount on Tuesday to likely solidify their spot as the top seed. This week, they'll take the short drive to Apple Valley on Tuesday before welcoming a surging Shakopee squad to finish out the season on Saturday.
No. 13 Rosemount (16-7)
A couple of heartbreakers last week caused the Irish to stumble a bit in this week's rankings cycle. Two one-goal losses to Eastview and Shakopee hurt, but they did prove they can hang with the top teams in the state. This week, the Irish will look to close the regular season out on a high note as they welcome Lakeville South and Eagan to town.
No. 14 St. Thomas Academy (14-8-2)
A pedestrian week on the offensive side of the puck resulted in two losses for the Cadets. The losses likely put them on the three line in Section 3AA behind Rosemount and Eastview. They look to get some positive momentum for the playoffs this week as they close the season out against Two Rivers on Thursday.
No. 15 Centennial (14-7-1)
The top ten ranking of Centennial may have been a bit premature, as it was backed down to reality last week. The Cougars finished the week 0-3, coming up empty against Maple Grove, Elk River and Andover. This week is much less daunting for the Cougars, who play Blaine on Thursday before capping off the regular season against Blake on Friday.
No. 16 St. Cloud Cathedral (18-4-1)
For the first time this season, St Cloud Cathedral earns the top spot in Class 1A. The Crusaders took care of business in their only action of the week, winning 4-2 against Totino-Grace. They are now riding a seven game win streak, also boasting a perfect 11-0-1 record when their starting goaltender Nick Hanson plays. The Crusaders will need to be on their A-game this week, though, with two quality teams in Little Falls and Monticello on the docket.
No. 17 Grand Rapids (14-10)
The Thunderhawks were given a reality check on Saturday versus No. 6 ranked Benilde-St. Margaret’s, showing they're not quite in the upper echelon of Class 2A yet. The defense, though–mostly–has remained stout, and a season finale tilt against Hermantown will be a good indicator as to whether the Thunderhawks are true contenders.
No. 18 Stillwater (13-8-1)
The Ponies took care of business in their lone game of the week, taking out a former ranked team in Cretin-Derham Hall 4-3. The win gives them the inside track on the Suburban East crown with just a week left to go in the regular season. They'll have the opportunity to officially clinch this week with games against Mounds View on Tuesday and East Ridge on Thursday.
No. 19 Gentry Academy (18-5)
Gentry Academy hit the ice just once last week, and it was a big one. The Stars took advantage of a rare ranked matchup versus the previous No. 21 Holy Family, winning 4-1 to catapult them into the top 20. A compelling matchup on the road versus Sartell will conclude the Star's regular season.
No. 20 Lakeville South (15-8)
It was a valiant effort, but the Cougars came up just short against No. 7 Maple Grove on Saturday, falling 5-3. On a more positive note, a win earlier this week versus Farmington got them one step closer to the 20-win mark. If the Cougars can get past Prior Lake and Rosemount this week, they’ll hit that goal of 20.
No. 21 Moorhead (11-11-1)
The record isn't the most inspiring, but the Spuds picked up two ranked wins last week, earning them a spot in this week's edition of the Power 25. The highlight of the week was a 5-4 overtime thriller over No. 22 Warroad to get them back to the .500 mark on the season. Their final game of the regular versus Hill-Murray this Saturday will give us a good indication as to whether Moorhead is a real threat in Class 2A.
No. 22 Warroad (18-5)
The loss in overtime to Moorhead stings, but it pales in comparison to what happened earlier in the week versus East Grand Forks. The Warriors had a chance to clinch the top seed in Section 8A, but a 6-3 loss at the hands of the Green Wave put that spot in jeopardy. The Warriors will look to gain momentum back this week with games against Bemidji and Northern Lakes.
No. 23 Elk River/Zimmerman (14-9-1)
A perfect 3-0 week for the Elks vaults them back into the top 25 as we reach the final week of the regular season. The highlight of the week was a 7-5 thriller over the previous No. 8 Centennial, which will be a good win to have in the back pocket come section meeting time. The Elks will close out the season at home versus St. Cloud with a chance to hit the 15-win mark on the season.
No. 24 Hermantown (14-8-2)
The Hawks split the pair of games they played last week, losing to Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Friday before bouncing back at home against Chaska the next day. The tough games keep coming for Hermantown, who will head out west in its season finale to take on a stout Grand Rapids squad.
No. 25 Champlin Park (14-9-1)
Champlin Park has built itself a sneaky good resume as the season comes to a close, and they added to it last Saturday with a win over Holy Family. A win this week versus a struggling Mounds View squad would get the Rebels their sixth win in a row heading into the section playoffs.
Follow SBLive Minnesota on Facebook @sblivemn