All you need to know about The Tourney -- the 2023 Minnesota boys hockey state tournament
Mar. 7—All eyes — or many, at least — will be on downtown St. Paul this week, whether it's to check out the hair or the hockey, or both.
The Minnesota high school boys hockey state tournament — what has come to be known simply as "The Tourney" — is set to begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday when Luverne and defending state champion Hermantown meet in the first Class A quarterfinal at the Xcel Energy Center.
The Class AA tournament begins at 11 a.m. Thursday, when a pair of Mr. Hockey finalists will go head-to-head: Maple Grove forward Finn Brink and Cretin-Derham Hall forward Jake Fisher, who will play for the Fargo Force in the USHL once the state tournament is over.
Consolation games in both classes will be played at Mariucci Arena.
All championship-round games can be streamed at Prep45.com. Consolation round games and third-place games will be streamed at nspn.tv/MSHSL for a fee.
Here's a look at the 2022 boys hockey state tournament:
—Lakeville South (Section 1): The No. 13-ranked Cougars (21-6-1) are in the state tournament for a fifth consecutive season and the sixth time in seven years. They're led by standout senior goalie Jack Hochsprung (20-6-1, 2.24 GAA, .918 save pct.), who stopped 76 of 78 shots in South's three section tournament victories. Up front, the Cougars are led by a trio of high-scoring senior forwards: Aidan Willis (13-45 — 58), Tate Pritchard (28-29 — 57) and Ashton Dahms (25-20 — 45). Pritchard may not be available for state after suffering a severe hand injury in the section championship game win against rival Lakeville North.
—Minnetonka (Section 2): The No. 1-ranked Skippers (26-2-0) survived the state's most highly anticipated section championship game in the state, beating No. 3-ranked Chanhassen in double overtime. The last time Minnetonka was at The Tourney, they won it all behind star forward Bobby Brink. Hagen Burrows and Gavin Garry lead the team in points with 45 and 42, respectively, and the team has eight players in total with more than 20 points this season. Alex Lunski, a St. Thomas commit who scored the game-winner in the section final, and Minnesota commit Javon Moore are also players to watch.
—Cretin-Derham Hall (Section 3): The No. 12-ranked Raiders (18-9-1) knocked off top-seeded and No. 8-ranked St. Thomas Academy to earn a repeat trip to state. They're led by Mr. Hockey finalist Jake Fisher (34-27 — 61), who was released from his NLI with Northern Michigan last week and has re-opened his recruitment. St. Thomas commit Attila Lippai gives Cretin a nice 1-2 scoring punch; he has 16 goals and 43 points this season. Goalies Leo Miller and Owen Nelson split time during the season, though Miller, a junior, played in all three section tournament games, stopping 71 of 74 shots.
—Hill-Murray (Section 4): The Pioneers (14-13-1) are at The Tourney for fourth consecutive year. The Pioneers rolled through the section tournament, outscoring their opponents 12-2 in three games, including a 4-0 win against Gentry Academy in the championship game. Only two H-M players, Brady Ingebritson and Jackson Reeves, have 20 points or more this season and senior goalie Jack Erickson is a key in net with a .924 save percentage. This is the 33rd trip to state for Hill-Murray, which is 0-6 against state-tournament qualifiers this year, though four of those losses came by one goal.
—Maple Grove (Section 5): The No. 4-ranked Crimson, who were the state runners-up a year ago, bring a 22-5-1 record into The Tourney and the No. 4 ranking in the latest state poll. They're led by a potent lineup filled with goal-scorers and playmakers, including the team's leading scorer, Finn Brink. The senior forward and University of Wisconsin commit is a Mr. Hockey finalist who enters the Tourney with 31 goals and 68 points this season. The Crimson have four players with more than 40 points and five with more than 30. Goalie Jack Roach has been excellent, too, going 17-5-1 with a 2.19 GAA, a .914 save percentage and five shutouts.
—Edina (Section 6): The No. 2-ranked Hornets (20-6-1) are at The Tourney for the 30th time in program history and are chasing their 11th state championship. The Hornets have one of the state's best goaltenders, Frank Brimsek Award finalist Robbie Clarkowski, a senior who is 18-6-1 with a .942 save percentage, the third-best percentage in the state. Offensively, Edina is led by University of Minnesota commit Jackson Nevers. The junior forward has 19 goals and 19 assists this season. Fellow junior forward Bobby Cowan (12-19 — 31) is the only other Hornet with double-digit goals.
—Andover (Section 7): The No. 5-ranked and defending state champion Huskies are 21-6-1. They're at state for the fourth consecutive season and the fourth time in school history. Senior forward Cooper Conway (45-38 — 83), a Colorado College commit, is the anchor of perhaps the state's most dangerous line. Conway and seniors Gavyn Thoreson (36-54 — 90), a Mr. Hockey finalist, and Cayden Casey (21-52 — 73) have combined for 102 goals and 246 points this season alone. Goaltender Beau Altman, a transfer from Buffalo, has stepped into the crease for the Huskies and been very strong. He has a .934 save percentage and 1.66 goals-against average with a 14-3-1 record.
—Moorhead (Section 8): The Spuds know nothing else this time of year aside from being in The Tourney. No. 15-ranked Moorhead (19-9-0) is at state for the fifth straight season and the sixth time in seven years. The Spuds are still, however, chasing their first state title. Leading scorer Aaron Reierson, a senior forward, leads the team with 32 goals and 16 assists. Moorhead's next-highest goal scorers, Caleb Alderson and Ian Ness, have nine goals each. Goalie Kai Weigel has been phenomenal, playing all but 30 minutes in net this season and posting an outstanding .939 save percentage.
—Northfield (Section 1): The No. 8-ranked Raiders (23-5-0) have waited for this moment for a year, after losing a two-goal lead in the third period of a Section 1A semifinal game against New Prague last season, then losing to the eventual section champion Trojans in OT. This time, Northfield left no doubt, steamrolling three section playoff opponents by a combined score of 20-2, including a 6-0 win against New Prague in the section final. Coach Mike Luckraft's team is led by one of the top goalies in the state, senior Keaton Walock (23-4-0, 1.30 GAA, .929 save pct., 10 shutouts). Up front, the Raiders are loaded. They have eight players with 29 or more points, five with 15 or more goals. Kamden Kaiser (40-25 — 65), Jake Geiger (25-33 — 58) and Cayden Monson (19-37 — 56) have done the most damage.
—Orono (Section 2): The Spartans are 23-5-0 and ranked No. 3 in the state. They scored two goals in the final six minutes of the section championship game to beat No. 9-ranked Delano 4-1. The last time Orono was at state, in 2018, it won the first championship in program history. This year's team is led by goalie Brock Peyton (15-3-0, 1.79 GAA, .928 save pct.) and a deep offense. Bradley Walker, a 6-1, 195-pound senior forward, is the team's leading scorer (19-29 — 48). Orono has three other double-digit goal-scorers and six more players with more than 20 points.
—Luverne (Section 3): The No. 18-ranked Cardinals (21-6-1) are state for the third time in program history and the first since 2017. They're still looking for their first-ever state quarterfinal win. The only ranked teams the Cardinals have played this season are New Ulm and Two Rivers (along with Dodge County and Albert Lea, who received votes in the most recent state poll). The Cardinals have the task of facing defending state champion Hermantown in the first game of the tournament, at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Luverne does have some firepower, including four players with 40-plus points. Brock Behrend has 38 goals this season, while leading scorer Patrick Kroski has 21 goals and 65 points.
—Mahtomedi (Section 4): The Zephyrs are at state for the 14th time, and the sixth time in the past seven years; they won the program's first state championship in 2020. No. 4-ranked Mahtomedi is 20-8-0 and features five double-digit goal scorers. That group is led by senior Charlie Drage, who has 30 goals — 24 at even-strength — and 51 points. He has recorded at least a point in 25 of 28 games this year. Mahtomedi brings a nine-game winning streak into The Tourney.
—St. Cloud Cathedral (Section 5): No. 14-ranked Cathedral is 16-12-0 against a challenging schedule. It has lost to fellow Tourney entrants Warroad, Hermantown and Oronon this season. The Crusaders, who went to double-overtime to beat Little Falls in the section final, are at state for the 11th time, having won one state championship (2019). Sophomore forward John Hirschfeld is the team's leading scorer (17-28 — 45); the Crusaders have six double-digit goal-scorers. Sophomore Andrew Dwinnell and junior John Gillespie round out the top-three in scoring, as both have 40-plus points.
—Alexandria Area (Section 6): The No. 17-ranked Cardinals are 14-12-1, but have played a worthy schedule that includes wins against fellow state-ranked teams Fergus Falls and Little Falls, as well as losses to fellow Tourney qualifiers Orono and St. Cloud Cathedral. Since Jan. 19, the Cardinals are 12-2-0. Senior forwards Tyler Kludt (19 goals, 22 assists) and Nick Peterson (19 goals, 10 assists) lead the way in terms of scoring, and the team has some depth with six players over 20 points on the year.
—Hermantown (Section 7): Another March, another state tournament appearance for defending state champion Hermantown. This trip to The Tourney marks the 13th time in 14 years Hermantown has been to 'The X' in March. The No. 2-ranked Hawks are 25-2-1, their only losses this season coming at No. 1 Warroad (3-1, Jan. 14) and at St. Thomas Academy, the No. 8-ranked team in Class AA. The Hawks are deep: Six players with 12 or more goals, nine players with more than 20 points. Junior forward and Penn State commit Dallas Vieau leads the team with 21 goals and 48 points. Goaltenders Dane Callaway and Garron Opsahl have split minutes in net for Hermantown this season, but recently Callaway has started in the past two playoff games. Opsahl is averaging a .938 save-percentage and has four shutouts on the season while Callaway has a .917 with two shutouts.
—Warroad (Section 8): The top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Warriors (27-0-1) are making a habit again of being in St. Paul in March. They're at The Tourney for a second straight year and the third time in the past four years. Warroad features a Mr. Hockey finalist — Minnesota Duluth commit Jayson Shaugabay, a senior forward with 31 goals and 88 points, leads a potent top line with juniors Carson Pilgrim (45-39 — 84) and Murray Marvin-Cordes (23-24 — 47). Senior goalie Hampton Slukynsky is 26-0-1 with a 1.28 GAA and a state-best .947 save percentage, as well as nine shutouts. This season, Warroad played eight of the other top 15 teams in the final Let's Play Hockey rankings of the regular season. They beat them all. The season highlight was back-to-back wins over No. 2A Hermantown and then-No. 1AA Wayzata in January. The Warriors' last loss was their 3-2 defeat to Hermantown in last year's state championship game. Their only minor hiccup this season is a 1-1 tie at Sartell-St. Stephen on Feb. 18.
—Robbie Clarkowski, Sr., G, Edina: In his third season as a varsity starter for the Hornets, Clarkowski has put up some astounding numbers. This season he is 18-6-1 with a 1.67 GAA (10th-best in the state) and a .942 save percentage (third-best in the state). He stopped 84 of 87 total shots in three Section 6AA playoff games, including stopping 38 of 39 in a 2-1 win against Wayzata in the section championship game. Edina was outshot 39-22 in the game.
—Jake Fisher, Sr., F, Cretin-Derham Hall: The Mr. Hockey finalist has scored in eight consecutive games and has 12 multi-goal games this season. He had two goals and an assist in the 4-2 win against St. Thomas Academy in the Section 3AA championship game. Fisher recently asked to be released from his NLI at Northern Michigan University and has re-opened his college recruitment.
—Gavyn Thoreson, Sr., F, Andover: The St. Cloud State commit has been on fire from the opening drop of the puck this season. Thoreson is second in the state in goals (54) and points (90), behind only fellow Mr. Hockey finalist Tyler Hennen of Kittson Central. Thoreson has an incredible 20 points in the past five games, including a six-point game in the Huskies' 7-2 win against Duluth East in the Section 7AA championship game.
—Jayson Shaugabay, Sr., F, Warroad: The Minnesota Duluth commit is the state's leader in assists (57) this season and is third in points (88). The dynamic scorer surpassed T.J. Oshie's career scoring mark at Warroad in January. Oshie had 241 points in his high school career; Shaugabay has blown by that. He needs just three points at The Tourney to hit 300; he sits at 297 for his high school career.
—Hampton Slukynsky, Sr., G, Warroad: The Warriors' senior goalie may be the best in the state at his position. Slukynsky has played all but one game this season (1,390 minutes) and is 26-0-1 with a 1.28 GAA and a state-best .947 save percentage, as well as nine shutouts. Slukynsky is committed to Northern Michigan.
—Dallas Vieau, Jr., F, Hermantown: The Hawks' leading scorer has 21 goals and 48 points. The Penn State commit has heated up since the beginning of February, recording 21 points in 10 games. He had 31 points last season as a sophomore in helping Hermantown win a state title. He had six points in four games for the U.S. at the 2022 Five Nations Tournament in Colorado Springs, and is the fourth member of last year's state title team to commit to a Division I program.
—When: Thursday (quarterfinals), Friday (semifinals, consolation semifinals) and Saturday (fifth-place, third-place, championship)
—Where: Championship-round games at Xcel Energy Center; consolation games at Mariucci Arena.
—How to Watch: Live streaming of all championship round games available at Prep45.com. Consolation games (including third-place games) streamed at NSPN.TV/MSHSL, for a fee.
—Tickets: Available online-only at MSHSL.org/Tickets. Tickets will be made available online for each session as they become available. Watch MSHSL.org and @mshsl on Twitter for updates. Tickets are $20 for adults and $13 for students (K-12) for championship sessions, and $15 for adults and $10 for students for consolation sessions.
—When: Wednesday (quarterfinals), Thursday (consolation semifinals), Friday (semifinals) and Saturday (fifth-place, third-place and championship).
—Where: Championship-round games at Xcel Energy Center; consolation games at Mariucci Arena.
—How to Watch: Live streaming of all championship round games available at Prep45.com. Consolation games (including third-place games) streamed at NSPN.TV/MSHSL, for a fee.
—Tickets: Available online-only at MSHSL.org/Tickets. Tickets will be made available online for each session as they become available. Watch MSHSL.org and @mshsl on Twitter for updates. Tickets are $20 for adults and $13 for students (K-12) for championship sessions, and $15 for adults and $10 for students for consolation sessions.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9
Quarterfinals: No. 2 Hermantown vs. Luverne, 11 a.m; No. 3 Mahtomedi vs. Alexandria Area, 1 p.m.; No. 1 Warroad vs. St. Cloud Cathedral, 6 p.m.; No. 4 Orono vs. No. 5 Northfield, 8 p.m.
THURSDAY, MARCH 10
Consolation semifinals: Hermantown/Luverne loser vs. Mahtomedi/Alexandria loser, 10 a.m.; Warroad/SCC loser vs. Orono/Northfield loser, noon.
FRIDAY, MARCH 11
Semifinals: Hermantown/Luverne winner vs. Mahtomedi/Alexandria winner, 11 a.m.; Warroad/SCC winner vs. Orono/Northfield winner, 1 p.m.
SATURDAY, MARCH 12
Fifth-place game (Mariucci): Consolation semifinal winners, noon
Third-place game (Xcel): Semifinal losers, 9 a.m.
Championship (Xcel): Semifinal winners, noon
THURSDAY, MARCH 10
Quarterfinals: No. 2 Maple Grove vs. Cretin-Derham Hall, 11 a.m; No. 3 Edina vs. Moorhead, 1 p.m.; No. 1 Minnetonka vs. Hill-Murray, 6 p.m.; No. 4 Andover vs. No. 5 Lakeville South, 8 p.m.
FRIDAY, MARCH 11
Consolation semifinals: M.G./CDH loser vs. Edina/Moorhead loser, 10 a.m.; Minnetonka/H-M loser vs. Andover/L.S. loser, noon.
Semifinals: M.G./CDH winner vs. Edina/Moorhead winner, 11 a.m.; Minnetonka/H-M winner vs. Andover/L.S. winner, 1 p.m.
SATURDAY, MARCH 12
Fifth-place game (Mariucci): Consolation semifinal winners, 11 a.m.
Third-place game (Xcel): Semifinal losers, 4 p.m.
Championship (Xcel): Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
