It’s mid-January. If you live in Minnesota, that means your evening involves a cold arena, a bleacher cushion that doesn't actually provide warmth, and an obsessive need to refresh your phone for the latest mn high school hockey scores.
Honestly, this is the stretch where the pretenders start to fade. The holiday tournaments are a memory, and we’re staring down the barrel of February's section playoffs. If you aren't paying attention right now, you’re missing the most chaotic part of the season. Teams like Moorhead and Minnetonka are currently duking it out for that top spot in Class AA, and the rankings are basically a revolving door.
Yesterday, January 14, saw some gritty conference matchups that actually shifted the seeding landscape. East Ridge took care of business against Park of Cottage Grove with a 3-0 shutout, proving they’re a team nobody wants to draw in Section 4AA. Meanwhile, the Class A side of things is a literal bloodbath. Hermantown just knocked off a previously top-ranked Hibbing/Chisholm squad on January 13, and if that doesn't tell you how volatile this year is, nothing will.
The Real Story Behind the Class AA Rankings
Most people just look at the win-loss column. That’s a mistake. In Minnesota, the "SOS" (Strength of Schedule) is everything. You've got teams like Edina—who recently dealt Minnetonka their first loss of the season in an OT thriller—sitting with four or five losses. Does that mean they're bad? No. It means they play a schedule that would make most college teams sweat.
As of the January 11-13 updates, here is where the heavyweights stand:
- Moorhead (16-1-0): The Spuds are the real deal this year. They took over the No. 1 spot in many polls after a relentless winning streak.
- Minnetonka (13-1-1): Still a juggernaut. Even with the OT loss to Edina, their defensive structure is arguably the best in the state.
- St. Thomas Academy (17-2-0): The Cadets are surging. Maverick McKinnon is a name you’ll keep hearing; the kid is a scoring machine.
- Hill-Murray (16-1-1): They just held off a dangerous Wayzata team. The Pioneers always seem to peak when the snow gets deep.
Shakopee and Rogers are the "new blood" trying to crash the party. Rogers is particularly interesting because they kept their best talent home this year. Usually, the top kids flee for the USHL or NAHL the second they get a whiff of a scout. But players like Jayden Kurtz—a 6-foot-3 defenseman who looks like a future NHL draft pick—decided to stay and play with their buddies. That "staying home" factor is why Rogers is a top-5 threat right now.
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Class A: Small Towns, Massive Stakes
Don't let the "A" label fool you. Some of the most technical, high-speed hockey in the country happens in these small-town rinks. Hermantown has been the gold standard for a decade, but this year isn't a cakewalk for them.
Hibbing/Chisholm has been an absolute wagon. Until the Hawks took them down 4-2 on Tuesday, the Bluejackets looked invincible. Then you have Warroad, sitting at 10-3, and Delano, who pulled off an insane three-goal comeback in OT against Holy Family earlier this month.
The depth in Class A is wild. If you're looking at mn high school hockey scores and see a team like Mahtomedi with a 5-6 or 8-6 record, don't write them off. They play up against AA powerhouses all December. By the time they hit the Class A tournament, they’re basically battle-hardened gladiators.
Players You Need to Know (Before They’re Pros)
If you’re at the rink or watching a stream, keep your eyes on these guys:
- Teddy Lechner (Holy Angels): A defenseman with a massive 6-foot-3 reach. He's a junior, but he plays like a 10-year veteran.
- Victor Plante: A Hermantown native currently with the NTDP. While he’s not on the high school roster this second, his influence and the "Plante" name still loom large over the Iron Range scores.
- Cole Bumgarner (Rogers): He left for the USHL last year but came back. Watching him on the top line with Brock Cheslock is basically a masterclass in chemistry.
How to Actually Follow the Scores Without Losing Your Mind
If you’re relying on a single app, you’re doing it wrong. Minnesota hockey is spread across several hubs, and sometimes one updates faster than the others. Honestly, the best way to keep up is a mix of these:
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The Legacy Hockey App & Website
This is the gold standard for live updates. They have the "Live Scoreboard" that tracks games in real-time. If a game goes into OT in Roseau, you’ll see it here first.
MN Hockey Hub (Star Tribune)
Great for the "Big Picture." They have the best articles, the most reliable rankings, and they often livestream the big matchups like the upcoming Wayzata vs. Rogers game on January 17.
Twitter (X) - The "Secret" Source
If you want the score the second the puck hits the net, follow the individual team accounts. Most student managers or parents run these, and they are faster than any official MSHSL site. Search for the hashtag #mn hshockey.
Why the January Slump is a Myth
People say January hockey is a "grind." It’s not. It’s the evaluation period. Coaches are messing with lines, trying to see if their sophomore goalie can handle the pressure of a rivalry game, and testing special teams.
We just saw St. Michael-Albertville upset Edina on January 8. That wasn't a fluke; it was a team finally clicking. When you check the mn high school hockey scores tonight, don't just look at who won. Look at the shots on goal. Look at the power play percentage. A 2-1 loss where a team outshot the opponent 45-12 tells a much different story than a blowout.
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What’s Coming Up Next?
The schedule for the next 72 hours is loaded. We have:
- Faribault at Mankato East (Jan 15)
- Orono vs. Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (Jan 16)
- Hockey Day Minnesota (Jan 17) - This is the "Super Bowl" of the regular season.
Hockey Day in Hastings is going to be a gauntlet. You've got Wayzata vs. Rogers at 4:00 PM, which might decide who the real No. 2 or No. 3 in the state is. Then you have Rosemount vs. Holy Angels at 7:00 PM.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, stop just looking at the final score and start looking at the section standings. In Section 2AA, for instance, the gap between the top seed and the fourth seed is paper-thin. One bad Tuesday night in January can mean the difference between a home playoff game and a long bus ride to a hostile arena.
Actionable Steps for Fans
To get the most out of the rest of the season, do these three things:
- Download the MSHSL App: It’s the official source for brackets when February hits.
- Check the "QRF" Rankings: This is a mathematical formula used for seeding. It often looks very different from the "Coaches Polls," and it’s what actually determines who plays whom in the playoffs.
- Watch a Stream: If you can’t make it to a rink, Strib Varsity and various local YouTube channels are streaming almost every top-25 matchup this month.
The road to the Xcel Energy Center is getting narrow. Every goal, every save, and every one of those mn high school hockey scores matters more than the last. Strap in, because the next six weeks are going to be loud.