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Take a Seat, Here are the Seeds for Fargo

By Tony Scott, 02/11/14, 6:00AM CST

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The 16 Best Teams Heading up I94 - 2014 Edition

One of the best Squirt Tournaments each year is the Fargo Internationa Squirt Tournament. With 64 Squirt A teams and (and 64 B), it definetly has the title of largest in the five state area. Each year, the Fargo Committee does it's homework and requires teams to submit it's record to date in an effort to seed the event fairly. In what upsets some, the Committee rarely gets the seeding in the proper order. Thus leaving some teams easy routes to Sunday (Lakeville South '12) and others not so easy (Eden Prairie '13). 

Each year, YHH gives the Committee it's thoughts on how the event should be seeded. We take into account all of the Minnesota teams, all of the North Dakota teams, and of course the teams from Canada and the rest of the US. We also take into account that Minnesota teams carry '02 aged players giving them a slight age advantage over the Non-Minnesota teams a slight disadvantage. Another factor that is very important is history.  Minnesota teams have dominated the event..with the champion coming from the Metro area almost every year.

An out of state team, a North Dakota team, or a Canadian team has not ventured into the sweet 16 in recent memory.  If history repeats itself, our 16 team field may be wrong.  We think the Carolina can make it...Affton and Littleton may also make some noise on Friday.

If not, look for Minnesota teams Highland Central, Wayzata, Minnetonka, or Woodbury to crack the Final 16/2-0 Bracket.


If you can get past the OMG forecheck and strong D, you then have to get the puck past Jack Wieneke. A tall task for Minnesota Squirts so far this year.


EP's Drew Holt netting one of many goals this year for the Eagles.

1. Osseo Maple Grove - Undefeated, have only been challenged a few times all year. Two awesome front lines and a handful of defensmen that make this team very tough to beat. Clear cut Fargo favorite.

2. White Bear Lake - Won all games but 3 and a tie. Talent rich team and a great goaltender. With a couple of weeks to go, YHH doesn't count these kids out for a shot at the title in Fargo.

3. Edina Green - Don't let their seven losses fool you. The Hornets were a Squirtacular semifinalist, this leads YHH to think they will find the final four or better in Fargo.

4. Prior Lake - Another tough team from MN's District 6. Winner's of the Burnsville Tournament...a legit contender for the Final 4 in a few weeks.

5. Apple Valley - Arguably the best team in District 8 in the metro's south suburbs, the Eagles have a few snipers and some solid goaltending

6. Park Cottage Grove - Another great team from District 8...a tossup between Apple Valley and PCG. Similar to the Eagles, they have a couple nice snipers and two solid Goalies.

7. Chaska Chan - Beat White Bear Lake in the Eden Prairie Tournament. Coached by former Gopher/Olympian/NHL'er Dave Snuggerud. The StormHawks have a great set of blue-liners and some great goaltending, too.

8. Roseau - The Rams have a wealth of talented players that will give the Metro teams trouble as the tournament wears on. They will not sneak up on anyone after posting a Tourney victory this past weekend at home over a tough St. Cloud Red team, 8-6.

9. Eden Prairie - Winners of their home tournament in December, the Eagles have struggled of late, but their first line of Holt, Batchelder, and Schliesman is as good as any trio in the state. Fargo could be the charm for EP this year.

10. Shakopee - The number 1 team in Minnesota's tough District 6 league in the Southwest Suburbs, the Sabres will challenge the upper tier teams this year.

11. Carolina Jr. Hurricanes - The Canes come in as the highest ranked team by My Hockey Rankings (#36). The boys from Raleigh have always competed well in Fargo.  Could this be the year they break through to Sunday?

12. Grand Rapids - The ThunderHawks have had a great season so far, posting an impressive 18-5-2 record.

13. St. Cloud Red - Simply a great team with a nice crop of talent from the Granite City. Watch out for Jack Smith and Cullen Hiltner (pictured on cover), these two are bona fide stars.

14. Affton Americans, IL - Number 73 in My Hockey Rankings the American club won a first round game two years ago. YHH thinks they can win two on Friday and get into the final 16.

15. Hermantown - One of Minnesota's best youth associations given they only have one indoor sheet of ice. The Hawks have wins over Minnetonka, Wayzata and a tie with Grand Rapids. Northern teams always seem to fare well in Fargo. Are the Hawks the suprise Northern team this year?

16. Littleton, CO - The number two team in the Colorado state Squirt League.  Littleton is the third highest ranked non-Minnesota team in the field of 64 (#86)

Notes of Interest


Last year's winning pin...the Omaha Lancers' Goalie/Lancer

1. District 10: Minnesota's District 10 plays it's District Tournament every year the same weekend of the Fargo International. Solid Top 25 teams in our NOW Rankings like Andover (#11), Elk River (#13), North Branch (#15), Champlin Park (#17) and Centennial (#21) are not in the field. 

2. District 6: They have 5 teams in the top 16, Jefferson is also a strong team that will be tough 17-32 type team. Also note, Edina, has two Squirt A teams.  The Green represents Edina each year, leaving the White team at home.  The White team is the consensus #3 team right now in Minnesota.

3a. Minnesota: Minnesota forms it's teams more by school aged grade, than by birth year.  Squirt age in Minnesota is July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2004.  Some top end teams may have 6-7 2002 birth year kids on their team. 

3b. Minnesota: Minnesota teams form based on School District boundaries.  A player must play either where he lives or where he attends school.

4. YHH will do a Preview and Predictions, game stories each day, a Trading Pin Gallery, and best of all...our 3rd annual Pin Bracket/Best Pin Story following the tournament. Last year's winner was the Omaha Lancers.


Nicholas Williams scores a GWG earlier this year for Edina Green.

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