Top 25 Minnesota high school boys hockey rankings (1/22/2024)

The Skippers skated to a 1-1 draw in a state championship rematch versus Edina on Thursday. They finished the week with an emphatic 4-0 shutout of previous No. 6 Eden Prairie to become the second Class 2A team to hit the 15-win mark on the season. After last week's gauntlet, this week will be a change of pace as the Skippers are set to play St. Michael-Albertville and Chaska, both of which are well below the .500 mark.

No problems for the Trojans as they handled business in their lone game of the week, defeating Buffalo 6-0. Wayzata will now go from zero to 100 as it will take on No. 3 Edina on Tuesday, then head north to face a Roseau squad that's currently firing on all cylinders.

After a tie to the previously mentioned Minnetonka, the Hornets defended home ice against St. Michael-Albertville, winning 8-2. This week, a brutal road stretch goes as follows: Wayzata, Eden Prairie and Hill Murray. If the Hornets can somehow go undefeated during that stretch, the top spot will likely be in play.

With Chanhassen's win over previous No. 9 Benilde-St Margaret’s, it's clear now that here is a distinct gap between the top four and the rest. The Storm have now won 12 of their last 13 games–six of them coming against ranked teams. Potentially the most intriguing matchup of the season awaits the Storm, who will play host to No. 16 Gentry Academy on Tuesday. 

One game, one victory for the Sabers, who outlasted Lakeville North 2-1 on Friday. While it's the same amount of games this week, the opposition will be stronger, with the Sabers welcoming No. 16 Gentry Academy to town on Thursday. 

The Huskies' defense is starting to flex its muscle, as it has gone seven straight games allowing two goals or less. Last week, the Huskies handled business against a three-win Anoka squad to improve to 11-5-1 on the season. A busy three game week for the Huskies will end with an interesting tilt against conference foe Coon Rapids.

A promising start to the week turned sour for Eden Prairie, who first went on the road and defeated Mahtomedi but then fell to Minnetonka. A 4-0 loss to the Skippers isn't discouraging for the Eagles, but they'll need to close the gap before section playoffs as a rematch with the Skippers is likely. The next test will come on Saturday as they will take on a red-hot Edina squad.

The Crimson strengthened their case for the number one seed last week with wins over Elk River/Zimmerman and Champlin Park. Goaltender Zach Price was the star of the week, stopping 31 of the 32 shots he faced against Champlin Park. This week, the Crimson will spend the weekend up north and play Hermantown on Friday and Grand Rapids on Saturday.

While they skated with Chanhassen for two periods, the depth and experience of the Storm showed in the final frame as they outlasted the Knights 5-2. Benilde-St. Margraret's will get another crack at a top 15 team on Saturday as it will make the trip out east to take on Hill-Murray.

For the first time this season, a Class 1A school has cracked the top 10. The Warriors played just one game last week: a 5-2 dispatching of Duluth Denfeld on Friday. All eyes will be on the city of Warroad this week as it hosts Hockey Day Minnesota 2024. Fittingly, the Warriors will take on crosstown rival Roseau–a game that features two Mr. Hockey candidates in Noah Urness and Carson Pilgrim. 

After a brief departure from the rankings a couple of weeks ago, the Pioneers have cemented themselves as one of the top teams in the state. Their big win of the week came against Stillwater on Tuesday, which was likely a battle for the top seed in section 4AA. This week, they will travel to Mahtomedi before a big matchup with No. 9 Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Saturday.

Last week was a microcosm of Stillwaters' season: close, but not close enough. The Ponies dropped a narrow 3-1 game to Hill-Murray before tying St. Thomas Academy 2-2 on Saturday. There's still time for the Ponies, who play three winnable games this week versus conference foes.

The previously mentioned tie to Stillwater keeps the Cadets in the top 15 for now. Earlier in the week they took down South St Paul 9-0, which technically means it was a winning week for the Cadets. Like Maple Grove, St. Thomas Academy will take the trip up north this weekend to play Hermantown and Grand Rapids.

Without Mason Jenson and Cole Bumgarner, the Royals lose a lot of their firepower. They picked up a win earlier in the week versus Osseo but were on the wrong end of a 5-4 game against a surging Centennial squad. Rogers will look to get back on track this week with one game against Totino-Grace. 

The Irish seem to have gotten over their midseason four-game losing streak, as last week they went a perfect 2-0. With wins over Eagan and Apple Valley, the win streak is up to three, and a matchup with 6-12 Lakeville North gives Rosemount a good opportunity to extend the streak to four.

It's been rather quiet, but the Bears are in the midst of a midseason surge, having won their past five games. Last week, they took the weekend trip up north and beat Grand Rapids and Hermantown in impressive fashion. The Bears will look to continue their surge this week as they'll play Mounds View on Thursday.

The Stars took down Rochester Lourdes on Saturday and now hold the state's longest winning streak of 12 games. Now, the meat of their schedule awaits them. Gentry will face No. 4 Chanhassen on Tuesday and No. 5 Shakopee on Thursday. One win–or even a draw–will get the Stars a ton of respect around the state and will likely catapult them into the top 10.

The theme of the season for Eastview has been consistency. On Tuesday, the Lightning skated to a 4-4 draw with Cretin-Derham Hall, then concluded the week with a 4-2 dispatching over a tough Eagan squad. The Lightning will look to strengthen their resume this week as they will play Farmington and Prior Lake.

It was a much-needed 3-0 week for Holy Family, who took down Holy Angels, Mounds Westonka and Sartell. The Fire will look to get revenge against Delano this Saturday–a team they lost to 3-1 earlier in the season.

Hermantown took care of a solid Hibbing team on Tuesday before falling at home to White Bear Lake on Saturday. The Hawks won't have much time to sulk as they have a busy three-game week, highlighted by a matchup with Maple Grove on Saturday.

It may not be pretty on the defensive end, but the Cougars are finding ways to win games. They got their signature win of the season on Saturday as they outlasted No. 14 Rogers 5-4. Expect the goals to be aplenty with a matchup against Champlin Park on Thursday.

Goaltender Nick Hanson is back, which means St Cloud Cathedral is also back in the Power 25, as it is 9-0-1 with Hanson between the pipes. Things are starting to look up for the Crusaders, who have won five of their last six. This week, a possible future state tournament matchup with Northfield takes place Friday. 

You'll be hard-pressed to find a team playing better hockey right now than Roseau. The Rams are riding a nine-game unbeaten streak dating back to the last calendar year. The task this week is tough, with Wayzata on Thursday and Warroad on Saturday for Hockey Day Minnesota.

The Green Wave tied the previously mentioned Roseau on Tuesday, then bounced back with a convincing 4-0 win over Duluth Denfeld on Saturday. East Grand Forks will get the rematch versus Grand Forks Central–a team they lost to earlier in the year–this Tuesday.

Much like its Suburban East foe Stillwater, Cretin-Derham Hall has not been able to get in a rhythm this season. Last week, the Raiders let a late lead slip away against Eastview, which eventually resulted in a 4-4 tie. They'll try to find their rhythm this week as they take on two sub.500 teams in Blake and Forest Lake.