Boys Hockey 2025: Key things to know

Since 1945, the Minnesota State High School League’s Boys Hockey State Tournament has been arguably one of the most heralded high school athletic events in the nation. 

From that first state tournament to 2024, more than 6.6 million fans have witnessed ice hockey at its finest. Those fans aren’t just limited to Minnesota’s borders. Fans from all destinations are intrigued by the rivalries, the magical play on ice, the celebration of traditions and the chance to see rising stars.

45TV, the League’s broadcast partner, will televise the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship games in each enrollment classification. Those games will also be streamed free of charge at www.prep45.com . The consolation rounds and third place games are streamed by NSPN.tv . Find the stream at www.nspn.tv . 

Here is a look at this latest edition of the League’s Boys Hockey State Tournament: 

The Schedule

Wednesday, March 5

At Xcel Energy Center

Class A quarterfinals

• No. 7 Mahtomedi (11-15-2) vs. No. 2 St. Cloud Cathedral (18-8-2), 11 a.m.
• No. 6 Orono (15-10-3) vs. No. 3 Northfield (22-4-2), 1 p.m.
• No. 8 Luverne (22-4-2) vs. No. 1 Hibbing/Chisholm (19-9-0), 6 p.m.
• No. 5 Northern Lakes (19-8-1) vs. No. 4 East Grand Forks (13-13-2), 8 p.m.

Thursday, March 6

At Xcel Energy Center

Class AA quarterfinals

• No. 7 Andover (15-13-0) vs. No. 2 Stillwater Area (22-6-0), 11 a.m.
• No. 6 Shakopee (22-5-1) vs. No. 3 St. Thomas Academy (23-5-0), 1 p.m.
• No. 8 Lakeville South (18-9-0) vs. No. 1 Moorhead (25-2-1), 6 p.m.
• No. 5 Edina (20-6-2) vs. No. 4 Rogers (23-3-2), 8 p.m.

At 3M Arena at Mariucci

Class A consolation semifinals

• 10 a.m., noon

Friday, March 7

At Xcel Energy Center

Class A semifinals

• 11 a.m., 1 p.m.

Class AA semifinals

• 6 p.m., 8 p.m.

At 3M Arena at Mariucci

Class AA consolation semifinals 

• 10 a.m., noon

Saturday, March 8

At Xcel Energy Center

• Class A third place --- 9:30 a.m.
• Class A championship --- Noon
• Class AA third place --- 4 p.m.
• Class AA championship --- 7 p.m.

At 3M Arena at Mariucci

• Class A consolation final --- 10 a.m.
• Class AA consolation final --- noon

Things to know

Class A

• Prolific scoring has guided Northfield’s return journey to the Class A state tournament. The Raiders average five goals per game while surrendering just 1.79. Senior forward Will Cashen has 30 goals and 29 assists while sophomore defender Ben Geiger has 20 goals and 35 assists. 
• Orono gets another shot at Northfield this season, albeit with much more riding on the outcome. Northfield topped the Spartans 4-1 in early December when Orono was in a 0-3-2 stretch. The Spartans won the consolation final a year ago. 
• It took two overtimes, but Luverne was able to outlast Mankato East for a 3-2 victory in the Section 3A final and a fourth trip to the state tournament. The Cardinals score an average of six goals per game. Junior forward Maddux Domagala has 34 goals and 39 assists while junior forward Landyn Lais has 28 goals and 37 assists. 
• Mahtomedi was the Class A runner-up in 2024 to St. Cloud Cathedral. The Zephyrs ended this current regular season with a 4-3 loss in overtime to the Crusaders. Mahtomedi then won three consecutive in the postseason to earn another shot at St. Cloud Cathedral in the quarterfinals. 
• St. Cloud Cathedral’s 7-0 shutout of Monticello in the Section 5A championship marks the school’s fifth team this school year to qualify for a state tournament. The others are Boys and Girls Soccer, Dance Team and Gymnastics. Senior John Hirschfield is the Crusaders’ outstanding playmaker with 25 goals and 51 assists. 
• Legendary head coach Mike Randolph set the Minnesota prep hockey record for career victories with 708 in late November. He is now one of 24 coaches in state history to lead two different schools to the state tournament. He made 18 trips with Duluth East. Senior forward Drew Paulbeck has 38 goals and 23 assists in 27 games.
• In the second half of the regular season, Hibbing/Chisholm was on the short end of a 6-3 loss to Hermantown, a perennial entrant in the Class A tournament. But the Bluejackets reversed that result with a 5-3 win in the Section 7A semifinals to deny Hermantown a trip to the state tournament for the first time since 2019. Junior forward Tate Swanson leads a potent attack with 19 goals and 40 assists. 
• East Grand Forks denied Warroad a repeat trip to the Class A tournament with a 3-2 victory in overtime in the Section 8A championship game. It is the Green Wave’s first state tournament journey since 2021. East Grand Forks won consecutive Class A crowns in 2014 and 2015.

Class AA

• Lakeville South returns after a one-year hiatus following a 5-1 victory over district rival, Lakeville North, in the Section 1AA championship game in Rochester. The Cougars are on an eight-game winning streak. 
• Junior goalie Owen Lunneborg made 32 saves to lead the Shakopee to a 4-0 victory over Holy Family Catholic in the Section 2AA championship game and a first-ever trip to the state tournament for the Sabers. Shakopee, on an eight-game winning streak, won the tough South Suburban Conference with a 14-0-0 record. 
• It took two overtimes before St. Thomas Academy outlasted Cretin-Derham Hall for a 3-2 victory in the Section 3AA championship game. The victory ended a mini-drought of state tournament trips for the Cadets, who hadn’t qualified since 2021. Senior forward Jackson Rudh has 29 goals and 29 assists while junior forward Cole Braunschausen has 21 goals and 35 assists. 
• Stillwater upended top-ranked Hill-Murray with a 4-3 victory in double overtime in the Section 4AA championship game. The Ponies are on a 10-game winning streak entering the state tournament for the first time since 2016.  
• Rogers is also making its state tournament debut. The Royals earned this memorable first trip with a 4-3 victory over Champlin Park in the Section 5AA championship game. Of the 167 goals the Royals scored this season, 63 have come in the second period. They have surrendered just 57 goals this season. 
• If Edina is going to repeat as the big-school champion and add to a golden program legacy, it must do so from the No. 5 seed position. Junior forward Casey Vandertop leads four Edina players with at least 40 points. He has nine goals and 38 assists. The others are: junior forward Mason West (23 goals, 21 assists); junior forward Caleb Pittsley (20 goals, 22 assists) and sophomore forward Freddie Schneider (13 goals, 28 assists). 
• Andover, the Section 7AA champion, opened the season with nine losses. Since the end of December, the Huskies are 15-4 and in the state tournament for the fifth time since 2020. Andover was the big-school champion in 2022.  
• Moorhead has reached the state tournament 21 times but hasn’t returned with a state championship. The seedings suggest that drought will end this weekend. Senior forward Mason Kraft leads the way with 37 goals and 50 assists. The Spuds are an eight-time runner-up in the state tournament. 

Herb Brooks Award

• Following each championship game, a recipient of the Herb Brooks Award will be announced. The recognition award is presented to a state tournament participant that displays the same leadership characteristics instilled by Herb Brooks, an international coaching legend from St. Paul’s East Side. NSPN.tv, the League’s streaming partner, will present a live interview with the recipients as part of its coverage of Championship Saturday.