Sponsored By
An organization or individual has paid for the creation of this work but did not approve or review it.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Come for the flow, stay for the show: Breaking down the 2023 Minnesota boys hockey tournament

Find out when and where all of the action will take place this week and who the favorites are to come out on top. Look for your favorite team's preview and outlook at state as well.

Warroad vs Hermantown_1535.jpg
Hermantown players skate the first place trophy over to the fans Saturday, March 12, 2022, in the State Boys Hockey Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Jason Wachter / The Rink Live

ST. PAUL — It's the best week of the year for Minnesota boys high school hockey fans.

Sixteen teams will descend on Xcel Energy Center for a chance at a state championship, and The Rink Live will have coverage in the form of stories, photos, brackets, stream links and more.

For all the most up-to-date information, check out our tournament page

Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament coverage including game recaps, photos, brackets, schedules and more from The Rink Live

TOURNEY PREVIEW PODCAST

ADVERTISEMENT

CLASS A

The Class A tournament is set to begin with the quarterfinal sessions on Wednesday, March 8 in St. Paul. Game times are scheduled for 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 and 8 p.m. Semifinals are set for Friday, March 10 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

A champion will be crowned on Saturday in Class A, with puck drop set for 12 p.m.

Consolation games are set to take place at 3M Arena at Mariucci on Thursday and Saturday.

Tickets for the games can be purchased online at mshsl.org/tickets . All the winners bracket games will be broadcast live on 45TV and streamed online at Prep45 .

Check out the full bracket, seedings and team previews below.

CLASS A TEAM PREVIEWS
Northfield is truly built from the net-out. Its success starts with senior goalie Keaton Walock, who leads the state with 10 shutouts.
With Orono’s tough schedule, their only Class A losses have come against No. 1 Warroad and No. 2 Hermantown
Luverne is heading into state on a good note, currently on an 11-game win streak.
Although the Zephyrs had a little bit of a scare in a narrow 3-1 victory over Chisago Lakes in the Section 4A championship, they are still headed back to St. Paul.
St. Cloud Cathedral is headed back to the Xcel Energy Center after missing out on the tournament in 2021 and 2022.
Alexandria lost both of its games against state tournament qualifiers this season, but it showed last season that it can pull an upset at state.
Hermantown has outscored their opponents by a whopping 147-40 margin this season.
Warroad heads to St. Paul as the undisputed Class A favorite, looking to win its first state title and complete its first undefeated season since 2005.

CLASS AA

The Class AA tournament starts on Thursday, March 9 with the quarterfinals at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The semifinals will take place on Friday night at 6 and 8 p.m., and the championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m.

Consolation games will be held on Friday and Saturday at 3M Arena at Mariucci.

ADVERTISEMENT

Tickets for the games can be purchased online at mshsl.org/tickets . All the winners bracket games will be broadcast live on 45TV and streamed online at Prep45 .

Check out the full bracket, seedings and team previews below.

CLASS AA TEAM PREVIEWS
The No. 13-ranked Cougars have established a dynasty in southern Minnesota, winning the Section 1AA championship for a fifth consecutive season and the sixth time in seven years.
Minnetonka rolls into St. Paul the winners of the most highly-anticipated section final in the state.
Led by Mr. Hockey semifinalist Jake Fisher and St. Thomas commit Attila Lippai, Cretin-Derham Hall put together a solid season.
The Pioneers rolled through the section tournament, outscoring their opponents 12-2 in three games.
Last year’s Class AA runner-up, Maple Grove comes into the state tournament on a six-game winning streak that includes victories over four ranked teams and another state tournament qualifier.
The Hornets are back at the ‘X’ after outlasting No. 7 Wayzata for a 2-1 win in the Section 6AA championship last week.
The defending state champions earned a fourth straight trip to the ‘X’ with a 7-2 battering of Duluth East in the Section 7AA final.
The Spuds are led by leading scorer Aaron Reierson and goalie Kai Weigel.

Sydney Wolf is a reporter for The Rink Live, primarily covering youth and high school hockey. She joined the team in November of 2021 and graduated from St. Cloud State University with a degree in Mass Communications and a minor in Writing and Rhetoric Studies.
What to read next
The Mr. Hockey finalist and 6-foot-2 captain for the Raiders posted 63 points this season as a senior.
John King is back for another fun-filled video following the Minnesota boys state hockey tournaments.
Multiple skaters who are either from Minnesota or North Dakota, or currently play in those respective states, are headed to the National Team Development Program's annual tryout camp.
Slukynsky, a senior captain, earned a .941 save percentage this season with a 1.47 goals against average. He helped backstop Warroad to two runner-up finishes in Class A.
Get Local

ADVERTISEMENT