New champion to be crowned in Class A

Class A field represents all areas of the state

by Robert Brent, Let’s Play Hockey

The puck drops on the Class A State Tournament Wednesday and with it comes a guarantee of a new champion. Last year’s title winner, East Grand Forks, was bounced from the Section 8A playoffs by Detroit Lakes, who eventually lost to Warroad. The Warriors come into this tournament as the #3 seed in a good mix of teams representing all pockets of the state. No. 8 Dodge County and #7 Mankato West will represent the south, #4 Mahtomedi and #2 Delano the metro, #5 St. Cloud Cathedral central Minnesota, and #1 Hibbing/Chisholm, #6 Northern Lakes and #3 Warroad the north.

In the past 25 years, the north has won nine titles with Hermantown winning four, East Grand Forks three, and Warroad two. Hibbing/Chisholm is looking for their first title since 1973. St. Cloud Cathedral is the owner of two state titles (2019, 2024) and no stranger to the state finals having been there the past two seasons, and Mahtomedi is also winner of two of the past six championships having won in 2020 and 2023.

Northern Lakes enters the tourney after an upset win over Sartell in the Section 6A finals with a year of state experience under their belt. Mankato West went three overtimes to beat Luverne and is at their third state tourney and first since 2016. Dodge County’s last trip was in 2021 when current Gopher Brody Lamb helped put the southern co-op on the map. That was the Covid year where Hermantown was forced to send most of their junior varsity team to the tourney due to Covid-19 restrictions. Dodge County made it all the way to the finals but lost to undefeated Gentry Academy, who ironically, is making their first visit as a Class AA school after upsetting Hill-Murray and White Bear Lake in Section 4AA.

The Bluejackets are the favorites heading as the top seed, but it will be a tough go for any team to get to the finals. While some of the quarterfinal match ups may be a bit predictable, there is always room for an upset or two, as we have already seen throughout the section playoffs.

Below is a team-by-team breakdown, including rosters and leading scorers for each squad.

The puck drops Wednesday with the first game at 11 a.m. at Grand Casino Arena, an arena with a new name, but the same old tradition of hosting the greatest hockey tournament in the country.

State Tournament Notes:

1A – Dodge County Wildcats

Coach: Andrew Wilcox/Bryce Wilcox

Record: 19-8-1

Top Scorer: Gabe Coshenet (28-33-61)

Goalie: Wes Wegner (13-6-1/2.59/.896/3)

The Dodge County Wildcats will make their return to the state tournament for the first time since 2021 after pulling off a minor upset in the Section 1A playoffs. Section 1A had two teams enter the season ranked, including the reigning three-time section champions, Northfield and Waseca.

Dodge County beat both of those teams on its way to qualifying for the tournament, beating Northfield 4-2 in the Section 1A championship. The Wildcats’ Gabe Coshenet starred in that game, scoring two goals and adding an assist. If anyone was going to lead Dodge County to a title, it made sense that it was Coshenet, who was excellent for Dodge County all season. The star forward led the team’s offense in both goals and assists on his way to a 61-point season.

The Wildcats are backstopped by Wes Wegener, who had a particularly impressive run in the section playoffs. The goaltender amassed a 93.5% save percentage in the three-game run, including a 17-save shutout in the team’s opening round victory over Winona.

Dodge County was particularly strong down the stretch, earning a victory in five of its last six games. They’ll hope to continue that momentum in their opening round matchup, but face a tough draw against the top-seeded Hibbing/Chisholm.

Team Roster:

2A – Delano Tigers

Coach: Gerrit Van Bergen

Record: 22-4-2

Top Scorer: Brady Kangas (30-46-76)

Goalie: Evan Geyen (11-0-1/1.76/.919/3)

The Delano Tigers emerged out of one of Class A’s most competitive sections with an offensive explosion in the section playoffs. The Tigers averaged five goals per game this season and somehow managed to kick it up a notch, scoring 19 goals in their section tournament victory. 

The Tigers’ attack is led by a duo of talented senior forwards, Daniel Halonen (70 points) and Brady Kangas (76), who both registered eye-popping point totals this season. While both are talented goal scorers and playmakers, Halonen is more commonly the trigger-man, while Kangas excels at the passing game. 

Delano will arrive at Grand Casino Arena battle-tested, having faced one of the toughest schedules in the state. The Tigers hold wins over Warroad, East Grand Forks, St. Cloud Cathedral, Northfield and Blake. Delano also skated to a 3-3 tie with Hibbing/Chisholm, one of the top teams in the class. No matter who they face throughout the tournament, the Tigers are sure to be prepared. 

When Delano takes the ice for the tournament, they’ll also have two strong options in net. Evan Geyen and Lincoln Traux both started double-digit games this season and formed a solid foundation for the team.

Delano’s season earned them the #2 seed in the tournament, setting up a matchup with Mankato West at Grand Casino Arena. The Tigers are looking to capture their first state championship.

Team Roster:

3A – Mankato West Scarlets

Fans will likely remember Mankato West’s entry into the state tournament as the most dramatic in the class. The Scarlets defeated last year’s section champion, Luverne, in a triple overtime thriller.

Freshman defender Brooks Baukol scored the game-winning goal, sending Mankato West to its first state tournament appearance since 2016. Baukol’s goal capped an impressive season where the blueliner scored 34 points in 28 games. The Scarlets got a significant portion of their offense from the back end this season, with fellow defender Grady Schmidt leading the team’s blueliners in scoring with 43 points.

Mankato West also excelled at keeping the puck out of its own net this year, giving up an average of 2.07 goals against per game. The effort was led by the Scarlets’ two goaltenders, Blake Brekke and Mason Schreiber. Both goaltenders started double-digit games and posted impressive numbers, with Brekke logging a .928 save percentage and Schreiber stopping 93.1% of shots on goal. Brekke started the last several games for Mankato West.

The Scarlets will be a bit of an unknown come tournament time, as they have not played a game this season against another team in their class’s bracket. It will be interesting to see if that inexperience is a negative or a positive when they face off against one of the tournament favorites Delano in the opening round of the tournament.

Team Roster:

4A – Mahtomedi Zephyrs

Coach: Jeff Poeschl

Record: 17-9-2

Top Scorer: Devin O’Donnel (15-18-33)

Goalie: Jackson Chesak (16-9-2/2.69/.914/1)

Mahtomedi enters the 2026 State Tournament on a massive hot streak, winning their last six games. During that six game stretch, they’ve outscored opponents 38-7. The Zephyrs punched their ticket to Grand Casino Arena with a four-goal first period blitz that led to a 6-1 victory over Chisago Lakes in the Section 4A Final. 

The Zephyrs are led by a balanced attack that has several players with the ability to score. 14 players registered double-digit points for Mahtomedia this season. That steady offense is led by Devin O’Donnel (33 points), Vinny Redpath (30), Brayden Fuerst (27), Cody Loida (25), Will Seevers (23), Brock Gutterman (22), and Tommy Boe (20), who all scored more than 20 points.

Mahtomedi is another team that played a gauntlet this season to prepare themselves for this moment. While they saw mixed results, the club scheduled games against mainstays like St. Cloud Cathedral, Hill-Murray, St. Thomas Academy, Warroad, Minnetonka, Hibbing/Chisholm and more this season. 

Jackson Chesak has been a steady presence throughout all those battles this season, playing all but 91 minutes for the team. While playing top competition, Chesak still registered an impressive .914 save percentage.

Mahtomedi’s first-round matchup is against St. Cloud Cathedral, a team they’ve already played this season. The quarterfinal matchup will be a rematch from the two teams’ contest on February 13th, a game where Mahtomedi won 4-3. The game was tightly contested and featured a third period that got a bit out of hand with penalties. The rematch is sure to be one of the most anticipated of the opening round.

Team Roster:

5A – St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders

Coach: Robbie Stocker

Record: 17-11-0

Top Scorer: Bo Schmidt (23-28-51)

Goalie: Hunter Moreland (13-6-0/2.72/.907/1)

St. Cloud Cathedral played until the final minute of last years’ Class A season before falling in overtime to East Grand Forks. The Crusaders have been one of the most notable teams in Class A during the last several seasons, even winning the program’s lone state title in 2024, and have continued to be a contender this year.

Despite graduating nine of the team’s top 11 scorers from last season, St. Cloud Cathedral had another strong season. Despite finishing strong, it wasn’t always an easy road for the Crusaders. The team started the season losing five of their first six games. St. Cloud Cathedral righted the ship, winning nine of their last 11 games of the season.

The team’s offense is led by a trio of scorers who all registered more than 30 points on the season. Bo Schmidt led the pack with 51 points, but Griffin Sturm (44 points) and Brandan White (37) weren’t far behind. 

Meanwhile Hunter Moreland is the bedrock of the team in net. The senior netminder went 13-6 and was especially solid when the Crusaders needed him most. Moreland came up with two big performances in the Section 5A semifinal and final making a combined 46 saves on 49 shots on goal.

St. Cloud Cathedral will look to exact revenge against Mahtomedi, a team that defeated the Crusaders in a 4-3 matchup earlier in the season. St. Cloud Cathedral enters the tournament as a #5 seed, but won’t feel like it due to the team’s tournament experience.

Team Roster:

6A – Northern Lakes Lightning

Coach: Tom Klein

Record: 17-10-1

Top Scorer: Josiah Reier (19-25-44)

Goalie: Sam Suja (14-10-1/2.45/.917/5)

Northern Lakes pulled off a minor upset in the Section 6A finals when the Lightning took down Sartell, a team they had lost to just two weeks prior. The win over Sartell capped a monumental end to the Northern Lakes season in which they won five straight games, outscoring opponents 30-2.

Sam Suja was a stalwart for the Lightning in net, earning five shutouts on the season with three in his last four starts. The junior goaltender was particularly strong in the final game of the season, making 38 saves on 40 shots against to earn Northern Lakes their second-straight state tournament berth.

Josiah Reier (44 points) and Parker Fulton (41) lead the way for an offense that scored an average of four goals per game this season. The Lightning are especially dangerous on the power play, where their extra-attacker unit converted on 28.8% of power play chances.

If Northern Lakes is going to succeed in the tournament, they’re going to have to do so against some teams they’ve already faced this season. The Lightning lost twice to St. Cloud Cathedral and also came up short against Hibbing/Chisholm. Of course, past results are not a guarantee of future outcomes, and the Lightning are well-prepared to take on the best teams in the state. 

Northern Lakes’ season earned them the #6 seed in the tournament, setting up an opening round matchup with the Warroad Warriors. The two teams will be playing their first game against each other this season.

Team Roster:

7A – Hibbing/Chisholm Bluejackets

Coach: Aaron Jamnick

Record: 24-2-2

Top Scorer: Tate Swanson (27-41-68)

Goalie: Gavin Lamphere (22-2-2/2.22/.919/1)

Hibbing/Chisholm entered last year’s tournament as the #1 seed in Class A before bowing out in a loss to the eventual champion East Grand Forks. Now, the Iron Range’s Blue Jackets are back for revenge. The team started and ended the year ranked #1 in Class A in the Let’s Play Hockey rankings.

While Hibbing/Chisholm had an impressive season, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. The team’s most difficult win of the season came in the section finals when it took overtime to settle a 3-2 contest against Cloquet/Esko/Carlton. Isaiah Hildenbrand scored the goal to send Hibbing/Chisholm back to the Grand Casino Arena.

Hildenbrand is one cog in a ferocious Bluejackets attack that averaged 5.46 goals per game this season. Cole and Tate Swanson are two other key members of that offense, with the two scoring 61 and 68 points, respectively. Tate Swanson was named a finalist for the Mr. Hockey Award for his massively productive season.

The defense is led by veteran goaltender Gavin Lamphere, who played all but one game for the Bluejackets this season. The solid goaltender elevates his game when it matters most, which was exemplified in a section final where he made 42 saves.

Hibbing/Chisholm should be a clear favorite to take home the title this season, and they don’t have any losses against teams they’ll have to face in the tournament. They start their quest for a state championship against Dodge County.

Team Roster:

8A – Warroad Warriors

Coach: Jay Hardwick

Record: 22-5-1

Top Scorer: Gavin Anderson (30-33-63)

Goalie: Finn Hanson (17-5-1/1.50/.927/5)

Warroad is a storied hockey program with several tournament appearances in its trophy case over the last several seasons. That being said, the Warriors have gone quite a bit since their last title in 2005. With a team that returned their starting goaltender and five of their six top scorers from last season, Warroad may be poised to end that drought.

The Warriors feature the best special teams unit in the tournament, with a strangling penalty kill and ruthlessly efficient power play. The extra attacker unit scored on 34.1% of their chances this season, led by Gavin Anderson, Broden Hontvet and Ayven Hontvet, who all had 20 points on the power play.

Their penalty kill is just as effective, extinguishing 92.2% of opponents’ power-play opportunities. The Warroad PK is structured with key contributions from the team’s forwards and defenders alike, but is led by veteran goaltender Finn Hanson. Hanson, a junior who also started most of Warroad’s games last season, was sterling this year with a .927 save percentage.

Warroad is also dangerous at even strength, with five scorers who logged more than 30 points this season. Gavin Anderson (63) and Ayven Hontvet (40) are included, but so are Ryan Shaugabay (51), Broden Hontvet (38) and Rodrick Jackson. The quintent is sure to be a lot to handle for opposing teams in the tournament.

The Warriors’ opening-round matchup will be against Northern Lakes. The two teams have yet to meet this season.

Team Roster: