Every once in a while I break out my best youth hockey knowledge and skills and change my  diet to Gyros, Olives, and Baklava. You see, the best prognosticator of my day was Jimmy Snyder, aka Jimmy the Greek.  This week brings a ton of great tournaments, several pitting the top teams in our YHH Staff Rankings against one another. It should be a fun week for the kids and hockey fans from all over Minnesota.

Bloomington PeeWee Showdown

PWAA

Teams: Jefferson, Burnsville, Eastview, Sartell, Woodbury, and Rosemount.

Key Pool Game: Jefferson plays Rosemount…this game will set the tone for the entire tournament in both of their pools. Any team could win this tournament.

Winner: The best team in this tourney is Rosemount, if they can put it all together they will win it all.

PWA

Blue Division: Kennedy, Hastings, Apple Valley, and Breezy Point

White Division: Mahtomedi, Centennial, Tartan, and Prior Lake

Key Pool Play: The White Division is loaded with good teams. Mahtomedi and Tartan, both from District 2, have had great seasons so far. That matchup will likely decide that pool In the Blue Division, Hastings looks to be the strongest team, but don't count out Apple Valley, the Eagles have started to play better of late.

Prediction: Mahtomedi will play Tartan in the finals and beat the Titans for the second time in one weekend, this time in the finals. 

PWB

Blue Division: TBD, Farmington, Jefferson, and Hastings

White Division: Chaska/Chan, St. Francis, Rosemount, and Burnsville

Key Pool Play: Rosemount v. Chaska/Chan…the Irish has a nice team with a lot of quality games so far.  If they can get by CC, the Irish will likely be #1 seed in this pool.  The winner of this pool will win the PWB level in B Town. CC by a nose over PL.

Paul Bunyan Invitational (Bemidji)

PWAA/A

North: Bemidji, Eagan, Champlin Park, and Grand Forks Greyhounds

South: Bismarck, Andover, Hermantown, and Calumet

East: Grand Forks Seawolves, St. Cloud, Virginia, and Crookston

West: Fargo, Rogers, Marquette, and Brainerd

Key Pool Play Game: Andover v. Hermantown should decide the South, Virginia v. Grand Forks Seawolves should be games that decide their pools.  Virginia comes in to Bemidji one of the top PWA teams in Minnesota against some good PWAA teams from MN, and some other nice teams from North Dakota and Michigan. 

Final Four: Eagan, Andover, Virginia, and Brainerd. Brainerd should repeat as Champs, the Warriors are playing as well as any PWAA team in Minnesota right now.

Edina Invitational

SQA

Pool A: Edina Green, OMG, Roseville, and Des Moines 

Pool B: Edina White, Champlin Park, Centennial, and Chaska Chan

Key Pool Play Games: CC v. Edina White (slight edge to CC) and OMG v. Edina Green (edge to OMG). Depending on how the goal differential shakes out, semis should pit OMG v. Edina White and Edina Green v. CC. No one better than OMG in Minnesota, the #1 Crimson win their second tourney of the year.

PWAA

Pool A: Edina, Blaine, Stillwater, and Lakeville North

Pool B: Chaska Chan, Elk River, Wayzata, and Lakeville South

Pool C: OMG, Eden Prairie, Sibley, and Centennial

Key Pool Play Games: Wayzata v. CC (Trojans playing much better last two weeks) and OMG v. Sibley. Final Four will be #1 Edina v. #4 Sibley and #2 CC v. #3 OMG for a great little final four and potential state tourney preview. Edina will win the tourney, goal differential in pool play will determine who gets second.

PWA

Pool A: Edina, Arrapahoe, CO, Spring Lake Park, and Mounds View

Pool B: Minnetonka, Chaska/Chan, Mankato, and Andover

Commentary: Pool A is weighted incorrectly. Edina is a solid top 10 team. SLP is also. The Invitational committee failed to notice how good the Arrapahoe Warriors might be.  This is an exclusive '01 birth year team that has been together a long time with an impressive record in CO. Pool B has highly ranked CC and a few other nice teams. 

Key Pool Play Games: All 3 games between SLP, Edina and Arrapahoe. CC is the favorite to win this new years, the StormHawks are very well balanced and have great goaltending...they will win it.

PWB

Pool A: Edina Green, OMG Crimson, OK City, and Minnetonka

Pool B: Edina White, Sibley, Mounds View, and Wayzata Gold

Key Pool Play Games: Pool A features a game between OMG and Edina…the Greenies have knocked off the Crimson twice already this year…Edina White will get challenged by a very tough Wayzata Gold team. 

Final Four: D6 v. D3…Edina Green wins it over Edina White in finals, all four games will be good ones.

Bantam AA

Pool A: Edina, Tonka, Carolina, and Buffalo

Pool B: Lakeville North, Sibley, Centennial, and Roseville

Pool C: Wayzata, Anoka, St. Cloud, and Chaska/Chan

Key Pool Play Games: Carolina '99 AAA come in very highly ranked. They will play this week in Roseau and then next week in Edina.  Team Assistant coach is former NHL'er Rod Brindamour (son Skylar). The Jr. Canes should be very good. Pool B should be won by Centennial. Pool C will be lead by Wayzata, but don't count out Anoka or St. Cloud (two teams playing very well lately). 

Final Four: Carolina, Minnetonka, Centennial, and Wayzata. Wayzata wins the tourney over Jr. Canes. 

Bantam A

Pool A: Edina, Hopkins, New Richmond, and Anoka

Pool B: Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Chask/Chan, and Elk River

Pool C: Minnetonka, Osseo Maple Grove, Mounds View, and Apple Valley

Key Pool Play Game: Minnetonka v. OMG should be best pool play match up.

Final Four: Edina, Wayzata, Tonka and OMG. Edina is easily the second best team in Minnesota behind Tartan. The Hornets will win their home tourney. 

Bantam B

Pool A: Edina, OMG, Champlin Park, and Sibley

Pool B: Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Hudson, and Wayzata (Blue)

Pool C: OK City, STMA, White Bear Lake, and Lakeville North

Commentary: this is probably the best field in the tournament as far as marquee teams by level. Number 1 Hudson and six top ten teams in a 12 team pool is impressive. Whoever wins this tourney will have earned their way to our #1 ranking by week's end. 

Key Pool Play Games: Edina has the easiest pool, but better watch out for Sibley they are tough. Pool B looks to be a match-up of Tonka and Hudson for #1, and whoever can climb out of the Pool C Death pool alive will have some confidence. 

Final Four: Edina, Hudson, Lakeville North, and Minntonka (Skippers likely to have the best goal differential and will advance). Hudson is the toughest team on paper, YHH says they win the Edina Invite, too.