High School

Top 25 Minnesota high school boys hockey rankings (12/2/2024)

The Hill-Murray Pioneers begin the season as the top team in Minnesota high school boys hockey

Carter Dooner

Edina, the defending Class 2A champions, starts the season as the No. 3 team
Edina, the defending Class 2A champions, starts the season as the No. 3 team / Jeff lawler

The 2024-25 Minnesota high school boys hockey season is underway, and High School on SI will have all-classification rankings every week.

The Hill-Murray Pioneers (2-0) start the season as the top team in the initial High School on SI rankings, while defending Class 2A champion Edina begins the season at the No. 3 spot.

St. Cloud Cathedral (0-0-1), the defending Class 1A champion, is the No. 25 team in the initial rankings.

Top 25 Minnesota high school boys hockey rankings

1. Hill-Murray

The lofty expectations bestowed upon the Pioneers have been passed with flying colors thus far through two weeks. Opening with a 9-1 victory over Mahtomedi raised a couple of eyebrows, but the 7-2 victory over last year's Class 1A runner-up Hermantown is what bolsters them up to the top spot this week. Two meetings with the upper-echelon of Class 2A in Holy Family and Maple Grove will give us a better idea of just how strong Bill Lechner’s squad is.

2. St. Thomas Academy

St. Thomas Academy and Hill-Murray draw extremely close parallels to one another: both have blazed through their competition and are led by a strong forward-goaltender tandem. The Cadets picked up Park transfer Jackson Rudh in the offseason, which has paid immediate dividends thus far. With a softer schedule in the coming weeks, look for the Cadets to remain in the upper tier of the rankings. 

3. Edina

The preseason number one team in Class 2A has gotten off to a bit of a shaky start. The Hornets split their two games in the Turkey Trot, blasting No. 20 Maple Grove before being handled by No. 6 Moorhead 4-1. These results shouldn't sound any alarm bells, and a rematch from last year's state championship against Chanhassen should give us more clarity as to where this team is at. 

4. Rogers

Rogers came out of the gates firing this season, collecting wins over Andover, No. 5 Shakopee and No.24 White Bear Lake. That momentum, however, was brought to a halt after getting stymied by No. 2 St. Thomas Academy 7-3. The Royals will have a chance to catch their breath this week, with just one game against Robbinsdale Cooper on the schedule. 

5. Shakopee

The frontrunners in Section 2AA looked the part after a 6-0 drubbing of a strong Eagan squad, but a thorough 5-2 loss to No. 4 Rogers has hampered expectations. The Sabers are undoubtedly still a top-five team and will have a chance to prove it with three games on the schedule this week against solid opposition.

6. Moorhead

There's a lot to be excited about in Moorhead, a sentence I’d never thought I’d utter. The Spuds started their season with a resounding 4-1 victory over No. 3 Edina. A loss to Wayzata slightly halted the hype, but a bounce-back win over No. 15 Grand Rapids puts them in the top 10 for the foreseeable future. A trip to the metro this weekend against Andover and No. 13 Minnetonka gives this young team a chance to gain more valuable experience.

7. Cretin-Derham Hall

The Raiders needed a last-second goal to salvage a tie against No. 18 Hermantown on Friday. They would bounce back with a drubbing of a solid No. 22 Hibbing/Chisholm squad to finish the weekend in the win column. This Friday’s matchup against an underrated Lakeville South squad will give us a better understanding of exactly where this team stacks up against the state's best. 

8. Rosemount

Rosemount being a top 10 was not on many people's bingo cards this season. The Irish currently stand at 4-0 on the young season, with an early signature win against No. 13 Minnetonka on Saturday flying them up the ranks. A couple of middling teams await them this week, making their spot in the top 10 likely locked down for the time being.

9. Stillwater

The Ponies have been a blast to watch this season, averaging seven goals per game en route to a 3-0 start on the young season. They’ll need to clean this up on the defensive end, but playing in a weaker conference should allow them to work on those flaws. A matchup against pesky No.14 Eden Prairie highlights a busy week for coach Zanon’s squad.

10. Wayzata

The Trojans lost the most production among any top team coming into this season. However, it looks like they reloaded rather than rebuilt. A win over No. 6 Moorhead solidifies their spot in the top 10, and they'll have the opportunity to continue building their resume with matchups against Centennial and No. 24 White Bear Lake this week. 

11. Warroad

It’s been pure chaos in Class A, and the proverbial dart for the top spot has landed on Warroad. The Warriors defeated Delano 5-3 before tying the defending champions and No. 25 St. Cloud Cathedral 2-2. This week they’ll head south to take on two formidable Class 2A squads in Rock Ridge and No. 15 Grand Rapids. 

12. Benilde-St. Margaret’s

A shorthanded Knights squad shut out No. 21 Gentry Academy in their opening game 2-0. There's still a lot of unknowns with this team, and we will get more answers this weekend when they take on No. 3 Edina.

13. Minnetonka

Coach Goldsworthy was given the challenge of replacing nearly his entire squad from last season, and has produced mixed results thus far. Losses to No. 9 Stillwater and No. 8 Rosemount are to be expected, and a victory over Andover shows they still belong in the top half of the rankings. It doesn't get any easier this week, with Chanhassen and No. 6 Moorhead on the docket. 

14. Eden Prairie

A win over Chaska doesn't tell us too much, but so far the Eagles look the part of a top 15 team. A matchup against an exciting No. 9 Stillwater squad will help gauge just how much of a threat they’ll be in section 2AA.

15. Grand Rapids

Wins over Forest Lake and Duluth East won't turn many heads, but pushing No.6 Moorhead to the brink shows the Thunderhawks should be a mainstay in the top 20. A three-game week capped off with No.11 Warroad gives them a great opportunity to capture some quality wins.

16. Cloquet/Esko/Carlton

Coining this team the Stillwater of Class 1A feels appropriate. The Lumberjacks are averaging over eight goals per game, and a win over No. 22 Hibbing/Chisholm shows they can score with the best of them. We will see if they can keep this output up as a weekend matchup with East Grand Forks awaits them. 

17. Lakeville South

The Panthers made easy work of Apple Valley/Burnsville in their opener, winning 6-2. Things will ramp up this week with rival Lakeville North coming to town before facing off against No. 7 Cretin-Derham Hall on Saturday.

18. Hermantown

Last year's state runner-ups have gotten off to a shaky start so far in the young season. A tie against No. 7 Cretin-Derham Hall is a solid result, but a 7-2 drubbing at the hands of No. 1 Hill-Murray shows there's a lot of work to be done if they want to return to last year's form. The Hawks will search for their first win of the season on Friday against East Grand Forks.

19. Holy Angels

Holy Angels were as advertised in its trip up north, with the highlight being a 6-5 win over a gritty Bemidji squad. With two games this week against St. Paul Academy and Woodbury, look for the Stars to continue slowly climbing the rankings.

20. Maple Grove

The Crimson may have had the toughest three-game stretch among any team in the state. Losses to No. 9 Stillwater and No. 3 Edina hurt, but a win over No. 10 Wayzata shows they are still worthy of a top 20 spot. Things won't get much easier this week when they welcome No. 1 Hill-Murray to town on Saturday night. 

21. Gentry Academy

The Stars started the season off with blowout wins over Roseville and East Grand Forks before coming back down to earth with losses to No. 12 Benilde St. Margaret’s and No. 5 Shakopee. They’ll look to get back on track with road games against No. 25 St. Cloud Cathedral and Holy Family this weekend. 

22. Hibbing/Chisholm

It has been an up-and-down start to the season for Hibbing/Chisholm, who took down powerhouse Mahtomedi in its debut before falling to No.16 Cloquet/Esko/Carlton. It was the same formula last week as they took down No. 25 St. Cloud Cathedral then fell to No. 7 Cretin-Derham Hall 6-1. Things will lighten up this week with three winnable games on the schedule. 

23. Champlin Park

The Rebels have thus far built off their momentum from last season, winning their first two games over St. Louis Park and Woodbury. This week they'll welcome two winless but dangerous squads in Andover and Duluth East.

24. White Bear Lake

Last year's section 4AA champions split its first two games, defeating Duluth East and falling to No. 4 Rogers. Things will start to ramp up this week when the Bears will welcome No. 10 Wayzata on Saturday.

25. St. Cloud Cathedral

Last year's Class 1A state champions have yet to find the win column in this young season. A draw to No.11 Warroad is a formidable result, but a 6-3 loss to No. 22 Hibbing/Chisholm raises a bit of a red flag. The Crusaders will enjoy a two game homestand with Northfield and No. 21 Gentry Academy making the trip up north. 

More 2024 Minnesota high school sports coverage

Download the SBLive 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

Published
Carter Dooner
CARTER DOONER