The effort to put this list of Top 50 players together started last October and was not finalized until the conclusion of the state tourneys two weeks ago.  No coaches or other people are involved outside of YHH.  Our approach is simple.  We go to the rinks and watch as many peewee AA/A games as possible with different teams playing.  There is no formula that drives the decision process other than how the players are doing on the ice.  We strive to see most peewee AA/A players play more than once in a season.  But making this list or not making this list is not a guarantee of future performance.  Peewee players are developing and things change.  One of the best peewee A players six years ago is playing college lacrosse.

YHH puts this list together in part to acknowledge those that have done well this past season and the associations and coaches that have helped the players develop.  Our view is that associations and coaches have done well in the past few years; the overall skill level of the average peewee player has improved each year.

A few years ago, Minnesota AA/A level teams had some players that were marginal skaters or had difficulty making basic plays.  That no longer exists.  All the Minnesota peewee AA/A players on the ice can do the basics.  And it shows.  Most association teams the past few years are being taught to execute set plays or even better changing their power play, penalty kills, and fore checking approaches during the game.  The coaches can move in that direction only when their players have the basics down. 

After reviewing this year’s Top 50 list, somethings stood out.  One of the most prominent thing was how many first year players were on the list last year.  Whether a player is a first or second year player is never a criterion that affects selection.  YHH rarely asks.  The first time a first player gets noticed is when we see the player on the ice the following year.

The second thing that stood out was how many of the players selected this year played in either the Peewee AA or Peewee A state tourneys.  Most of this year’s Top 50 list were placed on a “watch” list.  That watch list evolves over the season as players are added.    For example, a number of the Storm players were on the watch list after losing to Andover in mid-October.  On the other hand, only one Cloquet player was on the watch list after their first game against Stillwater in October.  Yet three Lumberjacks made it to the final 50.

Enjoy Post 4.  Post 5, selecting the best player of the Top 50 will be posted later this week.  For the hockey mom’s, YHH was at the Ted Brill Tourney played at Wakota last weekend.  A hockey mom was standing along the glass on Rink 1 when a friend saw her, walked up, and asked how things were going?  She turned to the friend and answered “He is going to college…..finally.”   

39. #22 St. Paul-Matthew Gleason: Gleason returns to the Top 50 list this year.  In the 2013-2014 season Gleason played more as a forward than a wing or center on Highland Central's team.  Highland Central Association changed their name this year to St. Paul Capitals Association.  Gleason returned to play for the Caps and led the team to their second straight Peewee A State Championship.  The Caps started the season posting a 2-4-1 record in their first seven District 2/District 8 peewee A league, then finished strong winning their last nine league games placing second behind Mahtomedi.  The Caps won the District 2 playoffs and won the East Regional’s #2 seed to the state tourney.  In a key state tourney matchup, the Caps upset the YHH #1 ranked Orono 6-5 in the quarterfinals and went on beat Warroad 8-4 in the championship game.  Gleason was moved to defense this past season.  As a result he became an “Ironman” spending significant playing time on the ice each game.  In the Orono game, Gleason made a play that demonstrates his maturity.  He beat the Orono defense to the outside right on a rush and cut to the net.  A trailing Orono player in the slot moved to cut off his path.  Gleason swung behind the net and took the puck to the left end boards and waited for the trailing defenseman to try and pin him to the boards.  The defenseman did just that, but before he could make contact, Gleason backhanded the puck into the open slot without looking hitting a breaking St. Paul forward in the slot for a shot.  A more physically mature player this year, Gleason became a powerful, quick, compact skater and puck handler that often scored or set up teammates for goals.  His shot release that was quick last season has gotten quicker and his shot has gotten harder. 

40. #5 River Lakes-Blake Blattner: The River Lakes Association peewee teams have continued to improve over the past few years.  The overall talent on the Stars is on the upside.   And it showed.  This past season River Lakes posted a 29-11-3 record, won the District 5 Peewee A title (going unbeaten in league play with an 11-0-1 record) and won the District 5 playoffs.  The Stars have now strung two successive seasons together playing better than .500 hockey.  Blake Blattner was one of the keys and first got noticed when he scored nine goals (two assists) at the YHH Founder’s Cup Tourney in Hibbing.  Blattner has good size and skates well.  He has a hard shot and can usually be seen on the ice carrying the puck across the opponents blue line setting up a play skating down the slot.  He works hard on the back check and was a good all-around player last season.

41. #12 Chaska/Chanhassen AA-Nick Olmscheid: Olmschied played solid defense last season for the Hawks, a team that struggled at times during the season.  Chaska/Chanhassen lost three of their last seven regular season games and were seeded #8 (overall of 24 teams) for the peewee AA regionals.  The #8 seed plays in the East Regional and the Hawks were not expected to do well with D6 rival #2 seeded Edina and D2’s top team #5 White Bear Lake also playing in the East tourney.  The Hawks surprised hockey fans and swept their three East Regional games beating Lakeville South, Burnsville, and Prior Lake to take the East’s #1 seed to state.  At state, the Hawks lost in the semifinals to #1 seeded Minneapolis and took third place beating St. Cloud.  Olmschied steady play at defense for the Hawks and was one of the reasons for the Hawks' season ending success.  A good sized player that plays the body well, Olmschied showed maturity and skill playing at state.  He knows how to hold position and not commit too soon.  He would let the play develop and in some instances let the offense come to him.  He has a good shot, skates well, and is a great passer often setting up teammates for a score and was among his team’s leaders in assists this past season. 

42. #5 Warroad-Owen Meeker: With a short bench, Meeker played “wing man” to two centers.  Meeker is the third Warroad forward to be picked as a Top 50 this year.  Considering, the Warriors’ roster had only 10 skaters, that is quite a feat and it is the reason Warroad ended up finishing second in the state peewee A tourney.  Meeker played wing man on either line that the Warriors had on the ice and often skated a double shift (especially during penalty kills).  As wing man he was the player that setup or assisted on goals scored.  It didn’t matter what position he actually skated (wing or center), he consistently found ways to aid his teammates in the offensive zone.  A good skater with a good shot, Meeker was also an opportunist.  Given the opening, he was not afraid to go after the puck and make a play.  The Warriors had a good season and it will be interesting to watch their bantam and high school teams play over the next few seasons.   

43. #8 White Bear Lake-Sam Newpower: Newpower played forward for the White Bear Lake peewee AA team last season.  The Bears had a great season, finishing third in the combined District 2/District 8 Peewee AA league (but played only 13 league games while the other teams played a 16 game schedule).  The Bears ended the season ranked #4 in the state by YHH, won the District 2 playoffs, and were seeded in the East Regional.  At New Prague, the Bears were upset by Burnsville in their opening game and lost to Edina to end their season.  For the season, the Bears posted a 39-13-1 record, a big improvement over the 15-25-4 record posted the year before.  Newpower was one of the reasons for that improvement.  A good sized skater, Newpower played well around the opponents net and was always the opportunist when it came to scoring.  But what set the Bear’s offense apart from other teams is that, once rolling, their forwards skated at an upbeat tempo moving the puck faster than most opponents.  Newpower always seemed to be in the middle of that fast line play.  A hard shot and quick stick, he is a Top 50 pick this year. 

44. #5 Edina A-Evan Pahos: The Edina A team finished first in District 6 Peewee A league going unbeaten and untied posting a 14-0-0 record.  In those 14 games, the Hornets gave up just 13 goals while posting eight shutouts.  They ended the season ranked #2 in the YHH peewee A rankings.  Edina won the District 6 playoffs shutting out all three opponents and went on to win the West Region’s #2 seed to the state tourney.  At state, the Hornets placed fourth.  That is quite a list of accomplishments.  In some ways the Hornet A's this year did more than any previous Edina A team has done.  The Edina A’s were led offensively by forward Evan Pahos.  The nimble Pahos is a great skater that never stops skating.  He back checks well and he positions himself around the net to take advantage of holes in the opponent’s defense.  He has a quick shot and can pass.  Pahos was one of the keys to the Hornet A’s great season.

45. #17 Chaska/Chanhassen-Shane LaVelle: LaVelle played wing for the Hawks this past season and was a deceiving player because just when the defense thinks they have taken him out of the play, LaVelle does something to keep the play going.  He, like Minneapolis’ Erik Clow and Jefferson’s Carson Jacobs, is just on that edge of potentially putting everything together.  But where Clow is potentially more explosive and Jacobs is more playmaker oriented, LaVelle is more persistent hanging on to the play and often scoring.  His drive in the opening minutes of the third period of the Hawks’ state semifinal game to tie the game 1-1 came against one of the best defensemen in the state, the Minneapolis Storm’s Will Svenddal.  LaVelle kept control of the puck and bodied his way to the top of the crease before putting the puck in the Storm’s net to tie the score.  It was a good play, one of a number of good plays made by Chaska/Chanhassen’s #17 this season.  

46. #14 Rosemount-Tom Shandorf: Shandorf is a good sized forward who uses his size well around an opponent’s net.  Rosemount had a good year.  The Irish were one of a number of top ranked teams that were surprised by Prior Lake on the Lakers’ dash to the state title (the Lakers beat #12 Elk River twice, #2 Edina, #3 Rosemount, #8 St. Cloud, and #1 Minneapolis to win state-all teams ranked higher than the Lakers).  Despite losing at state to the Lakers, Rosemount had a successful year.  They won the District 2/8 Peewee AA title going 16-0-0 in league play and swept the District 8 playoffs ending up with the #3 seed (of 24 seeded teams) for the regionals.  They were rated the top team in the West Regional and swept all three games to win the West’s #1 seed to state.  Then, at state, they were upset by Prior Lake in the opening game.  Shandorf’s physical presence around the net for the Irish was one of the keys to Rosemount’s success this year.  It resulted Rosemount scores as Shandorf set up teammates’ scores or bodied his way low around the net.  Shandorf can skate, has a good shot, and passes well, but it that knack for doing the right thing low around the net that makes him a top peewee this past season.

47. #30-Mahtomedi/Thomas Kuriscak: Mahtomedi made the 2014 peewee A state tourney and lost to Highland Central in the championship game.  This past season, the Zephyrs got off to a good start and looked on track for a return trip to state.  Kuriscak was the only goalie on the team as Mahtomedi won the District 2/District 8 peewee A league and ended up ranked #5 in the state at season's end.  But the Zephyrs could not get by two D2 teams that ended up with the two East Regional seeds to the state tourney.  They lost them in the District 2 playoffs, St. Paul (formerly Highland Central and the eventual 2015 repeat state champions) and Tartan.  In the first two months of the season, Mahtomedi posted an 18-3-1 record winning the Spring Lake Park tourney and taking second at Burnsville’s Thanksgiving Tourney.  Kuriscak was a big reason for the Zephyrs’ success giving up an average of 1.8 goals a game in those 22 games.  Mahtomedi struggled in the last part of the season, but Kuriscak kept them in the chase for a repeat to state until the Zephyrs lost a tough 1-0 game to Mounds View in the D2 playoffs.  Kuriscak is a good technical goalie.  He moves and positions himself well, has a quick glove, and uses his stick, but his best asset is the ability to make the big, sometimes seemingly impossible, save.      

48. #17 Jefferson-Carson Jacobs: Jacobs, Shane LaVelle, and Erik Clow have a similar large physical presence of the ice.  It is the same physical presence that Blaine’s Riley Tufte had as a peewee.  Like Tufte (a senior next year), they skated wing on their peewee teams this past season.  If there is one surprise team among the Minnesota peewee AA teams this year, it was Jefferson.  The Jefferson Association appears to have benefited from Minnesota Hockey splitting the peewees into peewee AA and peewee A three years ago.  Before the split, the Jags struggled playing in District 6 with Edina, Eden Prairie, and Minnetonka and lost early in the District 6 playoffs.  They never got to regions.  In the third year after the split, the Jags played in their third regional and made it to state.  After struggling in the District 3/District 6 peewee AA league this past season, the Jags drew the #15 seed overall (of 24 teams) and ended up playing Stillwater in the opening game of the West Regional.  They beat Stillwater, narrowly lost to Rosemount in the semifinals, and beat Wayzata to win the West’s #2 seed to the state tourney.  Jacobs was one of the drivers in the Jags' season ending success.  He uses his size well on the ice by positioning and holding position around the net.  He is a good rusher and has a hard shot.  He also keeps an eye on his own defense, and has become a good back checker.  It will be interesting to watch him (along with LaVelle and Clow) develop at the next level.  

49. #4 Cloquet-Cole Ketola: Ketola is third Cloquet forward to make this year’s Top 50 peewee AA/A list.  He joins Jake Huhta and Aaron Moore.  Cloquet had great season again this year making the state tourney for the second year in a row.  Huhta and Moore played on last year’s state tourney team.  Ketola didn’t.  Like Huhta and Moore, Ketola is tough in the corners, skates well, and has good size; but he also has a hard, quick, accurate shot that surprises goaltenders.  Equal in size to Huhta and Moore (all three are good sized), the selection of the three players is a tribute to the Cloquet Peewee AA coaches.  As YHH noted before, in early season play, no forward appeared to be exceptional player.  The fact that Ketola, Huhta, and Moore are on this list pays tribute to the Ketola’s and his coaches’ hard work.

50. #30 Eagan-Evan Melville: Here is a tip for goaltenders.  Some coaches during tryouts will deliberately place a goalie they are thinking of taking at the varsity level with the junior varsity side of the tryouts in the belief that the a good goalie will respond and play well, a poorer goalie will be disappointed and not do well.  Melville was the only goalie on an Eagan team last season that struggled all season in part because Eagan’s offensive players were still physically developing at the end of the season.  Despite the team posting a losing regular season record (16-18-9), Melville gave up an average of only 2+ goals a game.  In 23 of those 43 games, he kept Eagan’s opponents to 2 or less goals.  Melville is a nice sized goalie.  He plays his position well and knows his angles and often plays outside the crease.  Melville has a quick glove and is a defensive minded goalie always positioning for the unexpected.  Melville is a top 50 pick for 2015.