Top 25 Minnesota high school boys hockey rankings (2/27/2024)

See where the top teams rank headed into the final week of the section tournaments

The Minnesota high school boys hockey season is in its final season of the section tournament, and only a handful of teams remain with a chance to reach the state tournament. 

MINNESOTA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS HOCKEY SECTION TOURNAMENT BRACKETS

No. 3 Edina had a tough draw against No. 5 Benilde-St. Margaret's in the Section 6AA semifinal , but the Hornets won 2-1 to reach the section final against No. 2 Wayzata.

Here is the Minnesota high school boys hockey Power 25.

---

Minnesota high school boys hockey Power 25

No. 1 Minnetonka (25-0-2)

Everything went according to plan last week for the Skippers, who took down Chaska in the quarterfinals before outlasting Eden Prairie in the semifinals on Saturday. The two wins set up a rematch with new-found rival No. 4 Chanhassen this Thursday, where the Skippers will look to make it two straight Section 2AA championships.

No. 2 Wayzata (23-2-2)

By virtue of taking down Edina in the season finale, the Trojans had a much easier path to the championship in Section 6AA. They started the week off with a blowout win against Blake on Tuesday, then repeated that result on Saturday with a 7-0 victory over The Academy of Holy Angels. The trilogy bout with Edina will take place this Wednesday, with the Trojans looking to get revenge from last year's section final. 

No. 3 Edina (22-4-1)

Edina’s path back to the Section 6AA championship was a bit more theatrical than the aforementioned Trojans. The Hornets matched up with No. 5 Benidle-St. Margaret’s in the semifinals on Saturday where Bobby Cowan–who was last year's state tournament hero–scored the game-winning goal with just 12 seconds left in the third period to send them back to the section finals. 

The Hornets will try and make it three straight section championships on Wednesday in the rubber match versus the Trojans.

No. 4 Chanhassen (22-5)

In a game littered with division one talent, it was Chanhassen who held on to defeat Shakopee thanks to two goals from Mr. Hockey nominee Gavin Uhlenkamp. The win sets up a 2023 section final rematch against No.1 Minnetonka in what will be a sold-out Braemar Arena on Thursday. 

No. 5 Benilde-St. Margaret's (21-5-1)

It’s a bit odd to see the No. 5 team in the rankings not reach the state tournament--let alone the section finals--but that's life in Section 6AA. After defeating Edina earlier in the season, the Hornets would exact their revenge against the Red Knights on Saturday, winning a last-second thriller 2-1. After losing multiple players to other schools and junior hockey leagues, this season can still be labeled a success for Benilde-St. Margaret’s. 

No. 6 Maple Grove (21-6)

After beating six-win Blaine in the quarterfinals 3-1 had some around the state putting the Crimson on an upset watch against Champlin Park. However, a dominant 6-1 win over the Rebels proved Maple Grove is poised to make another run at a section championship. The Crimson will face off against Centennial in the section final this Wednesday. 

No. 7 Hill-Murray (16-8-2)

After an uninspiring two periods of hockey, the Pioneers rallied in the third period to take down upset-minded East Ridge in the quarterfinals of Section 4AA on Saturday. The win earns them a 2023 section championship rematch against Gentry Academy in the semifinals on Wednesday. 

No. 8 Centennial (18-7-2)

After Rogers ended its season last year in the section semifinals, Centennial returned the favor this time around with a 5-1 rout of the Royals. The win sets up a fascinating stylistic matchup between the Cougars' high-flying offense and the Maple Grove Crimson's lockdown defense. 

No. 9 Shakopee (21-5-1)

The Sabers fell to Chanhassen in a back-and-forth affair 4-2 in the semifinal at Braemar Arena on Saturday. It's a tough end to the season for the Sabers, who undoubtedly exceeded expectations with a 21-win season. If the Sabers leading point-getting duo of Cooper Simpson and Cooper Siegert return next season, they may just be one of the favorites in Section 2AA.

No. 10 Eastview (18-7-1)

Eastview came into this year's section tournament with something it has rarely faced–lofty expectations. The Lightning were awarded the top seed in Section 3AA and started their campaign off with a 7-1 rout of Hastings. 

Things start to heat up this week, though, for the Lightning with a matchup against last year's section champion, Cretin-Derham Hall, set to take place on Monday. 

No. 11 Andover (18-8-1)

It was a tough week to be a team from Duluth last week, with Andover taking down Duluth Marshall on Tuesday before dispatching Duluth East 4-1 over the weekend. The Huskies will take the trip back up to Duluth this week, only this time they’ll be taking on Grand Rapids at Amsoil Arena with a spot in the state tournament on the line. 

No. 12 Rosemount (19-7)

It was rinse and repeat for Rosemount last week, as it started its section playoffs how it ended its regular season, with a 5-1 victory over the Eagan Wildcats. The semifinals will be a much taller task for the Irish, as they will take on No. 15 St. Thomas Academy on Monday with a spot in the section finals on the line. 

No. 13 Rogers (18-7-2)

Sometimes all it takes is one hot goaltender, as despite outshooting Centennial 42-35, Rogers could only manufacture one goal as its season ended with a 5-1 loss at the hands of the Cougars. With most of their players being underclassmen, look for this section playoffs to be a learning experience for the Royals.

No. 14 St. Thomas Academy (16-8-2)

There were no problems in the quarterfinals for St. Thomas Academy, who took down Two Rivers 7-0 to earn a date with Rosemount in the section semifinals on Monday. With wins earlier in the season against Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Edina, the Cadets should have supreme confidence heading into this semifinal bout. 

No. 15 Grand Rapids (16-11)

While the offense had fallen off slightly towards the end of the regular season, it’s started to pick up so far in section play. The Thunderhawks scored nine goals in the quarterfinals, then six more in the semifinals as they knocked off 20-win Rock Ridge. The real test on offense will come this week, as they will look to take down an Andover team that's won the last five section tournaments. 

No. 16 St. Cloud Cathedral (22-4-1)

It’s been business as usual for the Crusaders, who took down River Lakes over the weekend to extend its winning streak to 11 games. The win sets up a date against Monticello for a spot in the state tournament. The two teams previously met in the season finale, where the Crusaders breezed to a 3-0 victory.

No. 17 Eden Prairie (17-9-1)

Eden Prairie opened its section playoffs with a hard-fought 6-2 win over the fifth-seeded Holy Family Fire on Thursday. Unfortunately for the Eagles, they then ran into No. 1 Minnetonka in the very next round, who ultimately ended their season with a 4-1 defeat. The Eagles still exceeded expectations this year, and a 4-1 loss to the best team in the state of Minnesota is still an encouraging result heading into next season. 

No. 18 Elk Rivers (17-9-1)

The drama in the section playoffs came out of Section 8AA, where the Elk River Elks took down top-seeded Moorhead 4-2 on Saturday. The win from the Elks snapped the Spud’s six-year title reign in Section 8AA, and sets up a date with Buffalo in the section championship. The game–which is slated to take place this Wednesday– will be the first time ever in class 2A that a four-seed has played a six-seed in the section championship.

No. 19 East Grand Forks (18-8-1)

Last week was a statement week from the Green Wave as they took down Lake of The Woods 15-0 before beating Detroit Lakes 7-1 on Saturday. There is no shortage of storylines heading into the section final for East Grand Forks as it will take on Warroad this Thursday for a spot in the state tournament. 

No. 20 Stillwater (15-9-2)

After losing to Mounds View in the regular season, Stillwater got its revenge when it mattered most and took down the Mustangs 8-2 in the Section 4AA quarterfinals. The win sets up the rubber match between White Bear Lake in the semifinals on Thursday. 

No. 21 Hermantown (17-8-2)

The Hawks survived an upset bid from the Proctor Rails as they held on to win 6-3 and advanced to the Section 7A finals. Hermantown will look to make it five straight state tournament appearances on Thursday as it takes on a young and hungry Hibbing/Chisholm squad. 

No. 22 White Bear Lake (18-7-1)

It has been an up and down season so far for the Bears, but they still have an opportunity to reach the section finals. To do that, though, they’ll need to take down the Stillwater Ponies on Wednesday–a team they lost to 5-0 in their latest meeting.

No. 23 Warroad (22-5)

The Warriors have faced little resistance thus far in the Section 8A playoffs. They took down Park Rapids in the quarterfinals 6-0 before beating Thief River Falls 5-2 in the semifinals. For the fourth time in the last five years, Warroad will take on East Grand Forks on Thursday with a spot in the state tournament on the line. 

No. 24 Gentry Academy (20-6)

Gentry took down Woodbury 8-2 in the quarterfinals of the section 4AA tournament. The win gives the Stars their 20th win on the season, but more importantly, sets up a date with top-seeded Hill-Murray on Wednesday for a spot in the section finals.

No. 25 Roseau (18-7-1)

With a win over No. 19 East Grand Forks in the regular season finale, it seemed like the Rams had all momentum heading into the section playoffs. Unfortunately for the Rams, they ran into a red-hot goaltender in Ben Glaesman, who stopped 42 of the 43 shots he faced as St Cloud shocked number two-seeded Roseau on home ice. 

---

Download the SBLive Sports App

To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App