When NHL legend and then-New York Rangers captain Mark Messier guaranteed victory before Game 6 of the 1994 Eastern Conference finals against the New Jersey Devils, Osseo-Maple Grove’s Dylan Dean wasn’t born yet. Not even close. 

Messier netted a hat-trick in the Rangers' win over the Devils and delivered the Big Apple its first Stanley Cup in 54 years.

On Sunday between his team’s semifinal win over Duluth East and the championship tilt against Moorhead, Dean channeled The Messiah with a bold prediction. 

“What time is your game again? One?” a YHH staffer asked. 

“Yep. And we’re gonna win,” Dean replied without a hint of irony. 

Win the Leafbirds did, erasing a 2-0 deficit en route to a 4-2 win over the high-flying Spuds, who had knocked off top-ranked White Bear Lake in Sunday morning’s semifinal.

Garrett Plaude scored the game-winning goal for Osseo-Maple Grove, banging in a loose puck in the crease with just over three minutes to play in regulation.  

Dean did his part, notching a goal and an assist in the win. Gavyn Krzoska and Emmett Reiter also recorded one goal, one assist stat lines for the Leafbirds, who finished the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record. Zach Price stopped 13 of 15 shots in the win.  

Scoring for Moorhead were Carter Huotari and Sam Laurila, while goaltenders Charles Stenehjem and Griffin Knutson combined to stop 19 shots for the Spuds.

The antonym of “pretty” could be redefined to include Sunday afternoon’s Bantam AA title game between Moorhead and Rogers. 

Seemingly and understandably exhausted after already playing four games in three days, the Spuds ground their way to a 4-2 win over the Royals to capture the Spirit of Duluth crown. 

At the arena and within the general vicinity of the Duluth Heritage Sports Center since around 8 a.m. for their respective 9 a.m. semifinal matches, both teams were feeling the effects of a packed weekend. In the end, Moorhead’s depth won out. 

The Spuds took a 1-0 lead into the second period on a goal by Aaron Reierson and appeared to be in the driver’s seat for the game, especially after Thomas Herman and Ian Ness stretched the lead to 3-0 early in the second frame. Digging deep and finding an extra reserve of energy, Carson Melquist and Keaton Weis tallied back-to-back Rogers goals 66 seconds apart to pull the Royals within one at 3-2. 

Moorhead’s Colby Krier tacked on the insurance goal midway through the third period, scoring from below the Rogers face-off dot on goalie Cade Chapman’s glove-side to give the Spuds a 4-2 lead. Oliver Judd and the Moorhead defense shut down a last-gasp effort from the Royals for the win, with Judd racking up 15 saves, including stoning a breakaway attempt in the final three minutes of the game.

For Rogers, goaltender Cade Chapman stopped 30 of 34 shots in his fifth game of the weekend.