Boys State HS Hockey

I agree with the thought that the burbs have taken over class AA.

The last non metro champ was Grand Rapids back in 2017, but that appears to be an isolated event because according to my math, a metro area team has won class AA 23 out of the last 25 years now.

Several teams in recent memory have also voluntarily moved from A to AA. Benilde and St Thomas come to mind.

I’m still bitter about Minnetonka losing to Chan last year in the sections. That team was the all star version of a varsity squad.

Cool stories that would have been cooler if they had worked out in the end. I think it was Pine City and I forget who they were playing but they took them to double overtime on the back of their goalie. He had like 54 saves and that team really had no business being in that game at all, but he kept them in it.

Ripjiggen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>IceNEyes1986 wrote:</div>
Rip, Is that true? If so how much hypocrisy is that!?

On a side note, what happened to Duluth East over the last few years? They used to always be a power house..

It was a joke but a funny one.

What happened to Duluth East?
Randolph left and they all went to Hermantown.

Most of them went to Marshall

Dutchboy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tswoboda wrote:</div>
The burbs have taken over AA and it’s not turning back. Enjoy the A tournament for what it is. Look at Andover… wasn’t even a school in the 90s and now they’re perennial state contenders out of one of two “Northern” sections. They were in my section in high school, but we never played them because they were in the play in game every year. And I remember having no clue whatsoever where Andover was. 15 years later they’re double state champs in boys and girls.

It’s funny you mention Andover. I was there little over a week ago for a district squirt tournament. It was held at the community center, they had 2 rinks, pool and who knows what all else under one roof. I recall thinking I wonder what this buiding costs. One thing about hockey…the associations will spend whatever they need to too try and compete.

Andover’s facility is top notch buts its not all ice arena. Its connected with a YMCA. Pool, Gyms, exercise facility, offices. It was spendy but for community health I bet its a cheap price to pay keeping people healthy and in shape over healthcare costs.

The C-E-C / Hibbing Section 7A final was a classic!

Gopherhawk wrote:

The C-E-C / Hibbing Section 7A final was a classic!

That Hibbing kid dropping the F bomb in his live post game interview was pure gold. That’s a true iron ranger right there

Looks like the cake eaters won their section again too. Where’s my puking emoji

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Gopherhawk wrote:</div>
The C-E-C / Hibbing Section 7A final was a classic!

That Hibbing kid dropping the F bomb in his live post game interview was pure gold. That’s a true iron ranger right there

And he’s a freshman! Kid can’t even drive, probably got a timeout and a spanking from his parents after they drove him home. OK it’s the range so more likely a fist bump and one of dad’s busch lattes

gim wrote:

Looks like the cake eaters won their section again too

I’m no Edina apologist by any stretch, but is it time to add some teams to the Cake Eater name? Cake Eater is a derogatory term insinuating wealth, and while I know Edina is a little more old money, Wayzata, Minnetonka, WBL, Hill Murray, Chanhassen etc. have plenty of cake too!

Haha. You’re not wrong.

There’s a reason why these “cake eating” burbs are often in the mix for class AA state titles. Follow the money.

Many are deserving of the cake eater name, but there can only be one true eater of the cake and it will always be Edina

I consider any of the city schools cake eaters (Tonka, HM, WBL, EP among others including the Academies and Private schools), but Edina is the cake topper.

Fair enough. Plus we don’t want to ruin the hierarchy, everyone loves the outstate, then dislikes metro public a little, metro private a lot, and everyone hates the Cake Eaters, Edina.

BigWerm wrote:

Fair enough. Plus we don’t want to ruin the hierarchy, everyone loves the outstate, then dislikes metro public a little, metro private a lot, and everyone hates the Cake Eaters, Edina.

It’s science

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Only 2 section final games left in class AA. Class A is all done.

Cretin vs Stillwater in section 3, and Hill Murray vs Stillwater in section 4.

The brackets for the state tournament will be revealed tomorrow.

Dang Stillwater has a chance to win two sections that’s impressive.

gim wrote:

Only 2 section final games left in class AA. Class A is all done.

Cretin vs St. Thomas in section 3, and Hill Murray vs Stillwater in section 4.

The brackets for the state tournament will be revealed tomorrow.

Fixed it – should be a couple of really good games.

gim wrote:

Only 2 section final games left in class AA. Class A is all done.

Cretin vs Stillwater in section 3, and Hill Murray vs Stillwater in section 4.

The brackets for the state tournament will be revealed tomorrow.

St. Thomas Academy plays Cretin DH for the Section 3AA championship at Braemar tonight.

Stillwater plays Hill Murray for 4AA at Aldridge Arena. This game sold out in 5 minutes.

My boy and his friends are going to the STA v CDH game tonight. We have no affiliation with either school nor live anywhere close to them, but they’re going to get in on the electric atmosphere and watch some super-competitive hockey. Stillwater v Hill Murray is the real barnburner, though!

Glad to see were getting very few returning schools to the big show this year. It’s going to be a REALLY fun tournament.

How about this idea, Metro Section Finals at the X or Mariucci during the week? Tell me those wouldn’t be close to sellouts for the top matchups. Plus they could more easily televise them, like they do in Duluth at the DECC.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Dang Stillwater has a chance to win two sections that’s impressive.

BigWerm wrote:

How about this idea, Metro Section Finals at the X or Mariucci during the week? Tell me those wouldn’t be close to sellouts for the top matchups. Plus they could more easily televise them, like they do in Duluth at the DECC.

I think that is great idea and I am sure they could be close to sell outs.

BigWerm wrote:

How about this idea, Metro Section Finals at the X or Mariucci during the week? Tell me those wouldn’t be close to sellouts for the top matchups. Plus they could more easily televise them, like they do in Duluth at the DECC.

They’ve already been doing that for at last 15 years in some sections because I’ve been to a bunch at Mariucci Arena and the National Hockey Center in St Cloud. The problem is that they would schedule two section finals on the same night – one at 6pm and the other at 8:30pm, with no reserved seating. It was all general admission. Then the first game would go into OT or something, so the second wouldn’t start until 10pm. It was a very disorganized event to be honest.

I see this past week they scheduled games at Ridder Arena. I don’t know what the capacity is there but they only played one game each night.

BigWerm wrote:

How about this idea, Metro Section Finals at the X or Mariucci during the week? Tell me those wouldn’t be close to sellouts for the top matchups. Plus they could more easily televise them, like they do in Duluth at the DECC.

Love this idea-
Also, I live a little further out so we don’t get 45 through the air very well, and Hulu live doesn’t stream 45. I wish they’d just have it on a standard local channel like way back in the day, but I suppose the networks would take issue. We will stream it to the TV from our phones, seems to work better than the internet app on the TV itself.

BigWerm wrote:

How about this idea, Metro Section Finals at the X or Mariucci during the week? Tell me those wouldn’t be close to sellouts for the top matchups. Plus they could more easily televise them, like they do in Duluth at the DECC.

This has been brought up before, but it would take much-needed revenue away from local arenas. The sections are the biggest earners of the year for the arenas and one of the few times that most of them actually sell completely out during the course of the season.

Also, the jam-packed local arena section final is a high school experience in itself. I’ve been to so many of these at classic MN venues, some now are sadly gone. The big league venues are for the state tournament.

Even with the section 7a final televised, amsoil was PACKED, probably 6k+ there. Took 45 minutes to get a ticket and through the gates.

ThunderLund78 wrote:

My boy and his friends are going to the STA v CDH game tonight. We have no affiliation with either school nor live anywhere close to them, but they’re going to get in on the electric atmosphere and watch some super-competitive hockey. Stillwater v Hill Murray is the real barnburner, though!

Glad to see were getting very few returning schools to the big show this year. It’s going to be a REALLY fun tournament.

KSTP App streams the games

gim wrote:

The problem is that they would schedule two section finals on the same night – one at 6pm and the other at 8:30pm, with no reserved seating. It was all general admission. Then the first game would go into OT or something, so the second wouldn’t start until 10pm. It was a very disorganized event to be honest.

you’re describing the state tournament to a T except the games are scheduled only 2 hours apart and there is reserved seating for half the games

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

you’re describing the state tournament to a T except the games are scheduled only 2 hours apart and there is reserved seating for half the games

I believe it’s called “session” events. So your ticket is good for 2 games, either the afternoon or evening session (until Saturday which are the championships).

I looked up the capacity for Ridder Arena. It’s 3400 seats. I wasn’t there this past week for either of the section finals held there so I can’t comment on if it was more organized, or if the tickets were reserved versus general admission. Seems like a more viable location for sections moving forward though.

Edina/Wayzata was on Wed and Shakopee/HF was on Thurs.

On a related note to the suburb dominance, another inner city historical power folds up and co-ops again to one St Paul HS team total.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/st-paul-high-schools-to-fold-into-one-boys-hockey-team/ar-AA1zVBSH?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=b33c9ff6978b471ddb5f19726a1eb233&ei=35