This weekend, Maple Grove will host a bevy of talented teams from Minnesota and North Dakota, and Minnesota hockey fans would do well to check out the action.

The 2017 Battle for the Blue Ox field is loaded, headlined by the top-ranked Osseo-Maple Grove squad that went 6-1 in the CCM World Invite this past weekend in Orland Park, IL. 

Twenty-four teams make up the Blue Ox field, with standout squads Wayzata, Cloquet, and Eden Prairie all vying for the hardware in addition to the Leafbirds, Centennial Cougars, and Grand Forks (ND) Aviators.

Will we see another run like Elk River's to the title last season? Can the Most Valuable Player award go to the runner-up team as it did in 2016 to Jackson Kunz of Grand Forks?

We'll find out in a matter of just three days this weekend in Maple Grove. 

Osseo-Maple Grove

Key Players: Kyle Kukkonen, Brock Faber, Henry Nelson

Keys to Victory: Ratchet up the physical play. The Leafbirds can blow most teams away with sheer talent and depth, but imposing their physical will on opponents could make them unbeatable. 

Eden Prairie

Key Players: Drew Holt, Carter Batchelder, Jacob Casey

Keys to Victory: The Eagles' lineup is capable of scoring in droves, and if Casey and Co. on the blue line can limit the opposition's scoring chances, the Eagles could make a serious run at first-place hardware.  

Cloquet

Key Players: Christian Galatz, Mason Langenbrunner, Cade Anderson

Keys to Victory: Unlike some of the metro area teams that have already squared off in either games or scrimmages, the Lumberjacks enter the Blue Ox with no game tape for opposing teams to dissect and detect weaknesses. The Lumberjacks could look to exploit their status as relative unknowns. 

Wayzata

Key Players: Tucker Ness, Gavin O'Connell, Adam Marshall

Keys to Victory: Do as Wayzata does. That means play tough defense, block shots, and clog the neutral zone. Those traits could enable the Trojans to frustrate those teams who want to turn games into track meets. 

Grand Forks (ND) Aviators

Key Players: Hayden Helgeson, Cole Spicer, Drew Montgomery

Keys to Victory: Rely on the veterans. The Aviators return several players from last season's runner-up team, including powerful forward Hayden Helgeson who tallied four points in last year's Blue Ox. Toss in Cole Spicer and several other talented newcomers, and you have an impressive balance of experience and new blood in the Aviators' lineup.