November 21
Rock Ridge at Brainerd - 6:00 PM

First-year Rock Ridge Head Coach Matt Niskanen and the Wolverines make the trek down to Brainerd to face the Warriors in this season-opening game. Rock Ridge was mentioned prominently in YHH's most recent episode of its Rink of Fire podcast. 

Rock Ridge returns with last year's leading scorers in seniors Grady Dimberio and Levi Flatley, as well as junior Caz Carlson, giving the Wolverines scoring and experience up front.  

On defense, seniors Aidan Rabideaux, Easton Walters, Derik Dahl, Carson Mast, Kaleb Kishel, and Jared Snetsinger bring a mix of size and puck-moving ability to the Wolverines' blue line. 6'5" junior Tyler Forsberg uses his big reach to help Rock Ridge deny the middle of the ice.  

Between the pipes, senior Steven Ranisate and junior Ryan Jonassen will handle the goaltending duties for the Wolverines.  

Brainerd lost a lot to graduation last year, and younger players will be asked to step up in more prominent roles, which will be a challenge for second-year head coach Jerr Johnson. 

Seniors Dylan Wikoff and Ryan Heinlen will be looked upon to provide secondary scoring for Brainerd, as it appears stud forward Kade Stengrim will stay with the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms for the 2024-2025 season.  

On defense, seniors Chad King and Gaje Germundson and junior Drew Haakonson are back to help lead Brainerd's blueline. Sophomore Hagelie Michael is going to step into a bigger role on the Warriors' defense.  

At goaltender, seniors Ayden Bednarek and Dylan Haar will battle it out for starts this season for the Warriors.  

November 21
Rogers at Andover - 7:00 PM

This is a big-time Northwest Suburban Conference battle to start the season as Rogers travels to take on the Huskies in Andover.  

The Royals hope to finally break the seal and take a team to the Tourney after a heartbreaking loss in the Section 5AA semifinals to Centennial. 

Rogers is led up front by talented seniors Parker Deschene (Lindenwood commit), Mason Jenson (Ohio State commit), Jake Vukich and Keaton Weis lead the way offensively for the Royals. Junior Brock Cheslock is poised for a breakout season.  

On defense, seniors Nolen Geerdes (Western Michigan commit) and 6'5" Jackson Smithknecht (Colorado College commit) give Rogers a pairing that matches an elite puck mover with a rangy shutdown defender with NHL size that few programs can match. Juniors Jayden Kurtz and Matthew Hauser are an underrated second pairing that gives the Royals quality depth on its blueline. 

Senior Wyatt Knott returns as goaltender while juniors Tyler Bacon and Connor Thomas battle for time in the Rogers' crease.  

Andover is led at forward by senior Luke Babineau, who, along with juniors KJ Sauer and Keaton Coe, will have to carry the offense for Andover, a team that sometimes struggled to score last season. Sophomore Kyle Leopold is a player to watch for.  

Senior Drew Law and juniors Owen Lutkin and Chase Nadeau will be leaned upon to log big minutes for the Huskies on defense.  

Goaltender Cal Conway transferred from Andover to Stillwater, so the Huskies are searching for a new answer between the pipes. Junior Cash Cruitt looks to be poised to take on the starting role.  

November 22
Wayzata vs. Moorhead - 7:15 PM (Plymouth Ice Center)

The annual Turkey Trot Tournament hosted by Edina brings a variety of Class AA teams from the metro area and greater Minnesota. Will Pat O'Leary's Wayzata squad prevail over Jon Ammerman's Moorhead squad?

Wayzata lost in a heartbreaker in the Section 6AA championship to state champion Edina last year, and they go into this season with a lot of new faces on the Trojans' roster.

At forward, Wayzata is led by seniors Max Luedtke and Torii Schmidt, along with junior Eli Molde, who will take on a bigger role for the Trojans offensively. Juniors Tommy Colmenaro, Andrew Peterson, and Christopher Pyle will have more opportunities than before.  

On defense, seniors Finn De St. Hubert (Yale commit), Carson Clark, Ben Neuenfeldt, and George Ericson will be leaned upon to keep games low-scoring.

At goaltender, junior Ryan Pellinger will be the Trojans' workhorse between the pipes.  

After an up-and-down season for the Spuds last year, where they were upset in the section semifinals by Elk River. Simply put, Moorhead is a team with a lot to prove and a bit of a chip on its shoulder.  

The Spuds are led at forward by seniors Mason Kraft and Brooks Cullen, as well as talented sophomore Zac Zimmerman and junior Tyden Bergeson, who carried most of Moorhead's offense a season ago.  

On defense, seniors Aiden Dufault and Carter Huotari, as well as juniors Brandon Mickelson, Brady Steffen, Hayden Reierson, and Zak Devig, play an intelligent game that moves the puck efficiently around the offensive zone with precise passes that have become a signature of Moorhead hockey. 

After Kai Weigel's graduation, the Spuds must find a new starting goaltender. Senior Charlie Stenhjem will likely get the first chance to earn the starting job.  

November 23
Warroad at St. Cloud Cathedral - 2:30PM

Warroad makes the trip down to the 763 to take on last year's state champions in St. Cloud Cathedral at the MAC.  

The Warriors may not be as deep as they have been the last few seasons, but they still have the talent to push any of the top teams in Class A.  

The Warriors lost talented junior Dominic Anthony, who took his game to Shattuck-St. Mary's. Senior Taven James and juniors Ryan Shaugabay, Taylor Humeniuk, and Ryan Chamernick return to Warroad to drive the Warriors' offense. Keep an eye on talented sophomores Ricky Rogers and Casey Hendrickson, who may emerge as impact players for the Warriors.

On defense, juniors Broden Hontvet, Mason Reed, Sam Hard, and Thomas Grapentine provide experience and poise that may make it one of the most well-rounded bluelines in Class A.  

At goaltender, Warroad will audition juniors Levi Westby, Patrick Kennedy, and sophomore Finn Hanson for the starting role.  

Up front, St. Cloud Cathedral returns with seniors John Hirschfeld (Vermont commit) and Joey Gillespie as well as Jaeger Wood who give the Crusaders one of the explosive trios in Class A. Junior Caleb Trant may be a breakout talent for St. Cloud Cathedral.  

Junior Griffin Sturm will anchor St. Cloud Cathedral's defense. Seniors Connor Stockman, Ian Bacikalong, and junior Carter Bakeberg will round out the rest of the Crusaders' defense corps. 

Junior Keaton LeGrande will be the Crusaders' starting goaltender this season.  

November 23
Hibbing/Chisholm at Mahtomedi - 3:00 PM

This is an intriguing Class A match-up as up-and-comer Hibbing/Chisholm makes the trip down to the metro area to take on the Zephyrs at St. Croix Rec Center.

These two teams did not face one another last season, but this should serve as a good early test for a club that wants to challenge Hermantown for the top of Section 7A. 

Hibbing/Chisholm is led at forward by a trio of juniors in Tate Swanson, Isiah Hildenbrand, and Kelin Elsner, whogive the Bluejackets plenty of skill and scoring. Senior Jace Kampsula and juniors Benny Galli and Hunter Gustavsson provide additional scoring depth for the Bluejackets.

The Bluejackets are without star junior Jackson Strukel on defense due to a season-ending lower-body injury. Senior Ayden Jerkovich, along with juniors Ethan Sundvall and Mason McDonald, will step into bigger roles.  

At goaltender, senior Rex Walli (three shutouts last season) returns as the Bluejackets ace between the pipes. Expect junior Gavin Lamphere and senior Tim Urdahl to battle for starts as well.

The Zephyrs finished fourth in Class A a season ago, and part of their formula is to play the toughest schedule they can.  

Mahtomedi lost a lot to graduation (Jake Hodd-Chlebeck, Gene Wegleitner), and the junior ranks as star senior Sam Harris and talented junior Jimmy Egan departed from the program early. Luckily for the Zephyrs, 28-year head coach Jeff Poeschl has dealt with situations like this before and always seems to be able to find talent. 

Expect Mahtomedi to look to seniors Ryan Lipovitz, Mac Appert, Winston Wright, and Laken Decker to lead the way. Junior Brayden Fuerst and sophomores Will Seevers, Blake Bentz, and Will O'Donnell will likely get opportunities to showcase their skills.   

On the blueline, junior Cael Brummel, along with sophomores Trevor Rogosheske and Zach Zins, will log many minutes and be tasked with shutting down Hibbing/Chisholm's offense.  

At goaltender, senior Wes Strub will likely be Mahtomedi's workhorse in the crease this season.