Brim006

Yeah, I don’t know the full backstory, but the way it’s been described to me is that when Panzer got run out of town for allegedly running some shady business practices for years, he made it his mission to destroy DL hockey after that...and he has been pretty successful. He’s managed to convince four different strong hockey families to move to EGF over the past few years, adding up to nine kids by my count. From what I can tell this year, that’s two now for EGF High School, two in bantams, and five in peewees. It’s a pretty strange ordeal. Panzer has never really come across as especially sharp or personable to me, yet he somehow talked respectable families who I always thought were smart, loyal hockey people into uprooting their lives for their kids to play a slightly different schedule of teams in youth hockey. A few even sold or walked away from successful family businesses. The whole thing is just bizarre.

Wow you weren't kidding. Century lost 6, Legacy lost 6 and even BHS lost 6 although it looks like maybe 2 of the BHS 6 just quit. Either way that is 18 kids just in Bismarck alone. No wonder they can't be competitive.

He's easily good enough for a NAHL team. Better than all these clowns leaving early and paying to play AAA living with random strangers.

NINE?! Holy crap that is insane.

No way Jamestown hockey is that old.

hahaha so the answer is none. Striden is the only one, just like I pointed out. Thank you, well done. This NSA cope is getting uncomfortable for me now. But if you really have to ask despite me just laying out the list for you to see, there are actually just as many if not more if you count Maine as a blue blood. Sandy at UND, and Holt at Maine.

I picked Legacy to beat Shanley too...

I picked Minot to win that game.

What NDHSH kids left for the North Star Academy and ended up going to a blue blood program other than Strinden? I think he's the one and only? In fact, their entire alumni page only shows 3 kids total going to blue blood programs total. Unless I'm missing something? I can list FAR more that went there that can't even make USHL rosters and a few that can't even make NAHL rosters.

There are only 3 kids currently on the NSA roster right now that would've been playing NDHSH this year actually.

Here is the full list compiled for reference. There are actually 17 players born in North Dakota who have appeared in Division I hockey this season, including WBL and Spicer, who logged games this year. Of those 17, 12 actually played North Dakota High School Hockey. So within that group of 12, 9 played at least through their junior season, and surprisingly 7 of the 12 played through their senior year, meaning they never left early and still reached Division I hockey. Yes, you read that correctly... SEVEN North Dakota–born hockey players currently playing D1 hockey stayed home through their entire senior season playing in North Dakota High School hockey. I’m guessing most people wouldn’t have guessed that fact? Adding to this, the two ND‑born players currently committed to Division I, Charlie Vig and Bryce Mattern—also both played through their junior seasons. Including them, that brings the total to 19 players, and 13 of them played at least through their junior year in NDHSH, averaging 2.25 seasons in North Dakota high school hockey. PLAYER Hometown NDHS FINAL YEAR NDHS FINAL CLASS NEXT TEAM CURRENT D1 TEAM Ben Strinden Fargo, ND 2018 SOPHMORE AAA UND Kirklan Irey Bismarck, ND 2018 JUNIOR NAHL Bemidji State Drew Montgomery Grand Forks, ND 2019 SOPHMORE AAA AZ State Lucas Kanta Grand Forks, ND 2019 SENIOR NAHL Army Brandon Holt Grand Forks, ND 2019 SENIOR NAHL Maine Will Howard Grand Forks, ND 2020 SENIOR NAHL Augustana William Lawson-Body Grand Forks, ND 2020 SENIOR NAHL AK FAIRBANKS Zach Sandy Fargo, ND 2021 SENIOR NAHL UND Trent Wiemken Fargo, ND 2022 SENIOR NAHL Bemidji State Max Vig Bismarck, ND 2023 JUNIOR NAHL Bemidji State Carter Sproule Grand Forks, ND 2023 SENIOR NAHL UCONN Lincoln Kuehne Fargo, ND N/A N/A USNTDP AZ State Brasen Boser Minot, ND N/A N/A NAHL AZ State Zach Nehring Minot, ND N/A N/A Shattuck Western Mich Jaksen Panzer Grand Forks, ND N/A N/A NAHL Bemidji State Bauer Berry Grand Forks, ND N/A N/A AAA St Thomas Cole Spicer Grand Forks, ND 2019 FRESHMAN AAA Western Mich Charlie Vig Bismarck, ND 2024 JUNIOR NAHL Bemidji State Bryce Mattern West Fargo, ND 2025 JUNIOR USHL AZ State

It feels like you’re coming in pretty strong against NDHSH, and I’m not sure why. Almost like you're invested in the topic and taking it personal. That seems to be the only thing that makes sense here. Anyways, I’m just sharing information and pointing out that the idea of “sending kids away early is always better” isn’t automatically true in every situation. In my opinion, if a kid has clearly maxed out what they can get at home and already has at least a NAHL opportunity, then sure moving on makes sense. But that’s not the case for most. It's no secret that far too many kids leave early when they have no business doing so. And get nothing in return for doing so other than regret.

Here’s a neat tid bit. North Dakota is in 3rd out of the 50 states for producing D1 men’s hockey players per capita. Using QuantHockey 2025-26 data (947 total US-born NCAA players): Highest ratios (players per 100k pop, July 2025 est.): - Minnesota: 210 / 5.83M = **3.60** - Alaska: 17 / 737k = **2.31** - North Dakota: 14/799k = **1.75** - Massachusetts: 85 / 7.15M = **1.19** - New Hampshire: 14 / 1.42M = **0.99* -Vermont at 0.93

Of the 14 North Dakota born men players currently playing D1, 9 of the 14 played at their ND high school through their Junior season and 6 through their senior season. How many left sooner that DIDN’T go D1? Hundreds and hundreds.

Every single state in the nation is experiencing these same issues and negative impact on high school hockey, so this isn't unique to North Dakota. It might seem that way just because we are next door to MN who's arguably the only state winning that fight and retaining talent at high schools. Even if MN retaining kids means the best kids are just consolidating at certain schools instead of leaving for other leagues... The small stuff like clearly dumb scheduling mistakes is not helping the cause however. Hopefully they learn from it this year and get back to the normal schedule next year.

Most years the NDAHA state tournaments are either 1 weekend later or even 2 weekends after the HS tournaments. That's going to hurt attendance and excitement around the HS games.

Minot over WFS 4-2 RR over J-town 7-0 GFC over BC 9-0 Legacy over Shanley 3-2 RR over Minot 6-1 GFC over Legacy 7-1 GFC over RR 4-2

Who was that who said the west might have a chance in 2 of the 4 games? 🤔

I was watching online and rewound it for both the last 2 and it looked like at least 1 of the 2 was debatably a goal. FN d-man dove in the crease and knocked the net off accidentally and just as it was coming off DL was shooting it in. Pretty hard to see from the center ice cam above the box though.

DL loses to FN 2-0 with empty netter at the end. DL had 3 goals called off…Ufda

The last time RR missed the state tournament was 2010. And that appears to have been maybe the one and only time, ever?! The last time GFC missed the state tournament was 2023. And that was the 9th time ever missing.

they shut them out and outshot them 2 to 1.

Which vet are they taking you to?

You really think there's ZERO chance Minot or Legacy could beat Shanley, WFS, FN, or DL? I think Minot has a 50/50 chance of beating the #4, and as long as the #3 doesn't end up being Davies, I think Legacy at least has a shot at beating the #3. That isn't an absurd prediction.

As long as Minot and Legacy go 1-2 as expected, I think there's at least a decent chance the west wins 1 possibly even 2 games in the opening round of state this year. Today will paint a pretty strong picture of what we could expect for the state tournament lineups.