2025-2026 ND High School Hockey Thread

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

46 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Some schedules have started to come out.  Excited to see Warroad in West Fargo this year.

On another note I see we have changed the name in Minot to Minot United....sigh....

Supposedly there are discussions going on to make a long term plan with regard to one or two teams.

[Frozen4sioux]

This, NDHSSA needs to get off the power trip and just let the kids and families come back and play, the way they can in Minnesota.

It serves the best interest of North Dakota High School hockey, the schools, the families, and most importantly the kids. 

In fact, the only thing continuing to not allow this in ND serves is the ego of a bunch of high school has-beens who want ultimate control.

https://x.com/ClankoMedia/status/1987895341128032633?s=20

[Johnny Five]

Eckart from CHS apparently decided to stick with the Bismarck Bobcats instead of return to CHS.  That is a pretty big blow for Ole.  

[siouxweet]

Central should cruise to another state title maybe even going unbeaten as there is a wide gap between them and everyone else.  Red River is going to have troubles scoring.

[dustnyou]

On 11/10/2025 at 4:15 PM, Frozen4sioux said:

This, NDHSSA needs to get off the power trip and just let the kids and families come back and play, the way they can in Minnesota.

It serves the best interest of North Dakota High School hockey, the schools, the families, and most importantly the kids. 

In fact, the only thing continuing to not allow this in ND serves is the ego of a bunch of high school has-beens who want ultimate control.

https://x.com/ClankoMedia/status/1987895341128032633?s=20

I didn’t realize kids weren’t allowed to come back. When did they start disallowing before and after’s in  ND? 

[Frozen4sioux]

11 hours ago, dustnyou said:

I didn’t realize kids weren’t allowed to come back. When did they start disallowing before and after’s in  ND? 

You may be thinking about coming back from Juniors programs as opposed to the referenced AAA programs.

 

[dustnyou]

9 hours ago, Frozen4sioux said:

You may be thinking about coming back from Juniors programs as opposed to the referenced AAA programs.

 

I was yes. And I agree with you 100%
What a stupid rule to not let kids back from AAA. 

[NDChamp]

If those kids are leaving for better opportunities (super duper elite AAA), why would they need to come back to ND HS? 

[fightingsioux4life]

1 hour ago, NDChamp said:

If those kids are leaving for better opportunities (super duper elite AAA), why would they need to come back to ND HS? 

Maybe it didn't work out for them like they hoped? Maybe they got homesick?

There are any number of reasons why a kid would want to come back home. Not allowing them to play high school hockey after coming back home is depriving ND high school hockey of talent and depth. It is foolish, IMO.

[sioux rube]

4 players here in Jamestown have quit hockey. 2 seniors who were on my peewee A state championship team are going out for basketball instead. Figure that one out. One junior who home schools wants to concentrate solely on baseball and the other who was on my bantam team last year and now is a sophomore is also going to play basketball. Head scratcher for sure 

[Frozen4sioux]

3 hours ago, NDChamp said:

If those kids are leaving for better opportunities (super duper elite AAA), why would they need to come back to ND HS? 

Why would a kid be punished for trying to achieve something bigger or better?  The referenced example is even more perfect, a kid got to go play high level competition, gets experience and grow and mature themselves and still able to come back and live a high school life with their friends and family and make the home product better.  

Yes, we have the Team ND program and that does do a great job for the most part for some to help fill the gap to an extent, but the premise is why on God's green earth do we need to threaten kids with barring them from playing hockey if they dare try and explore options that may or may not work out?   

Quite frankly some of these situations evolve from Coach Papa JV hero thinking they know what's best for little Johnny first rounder but not AA cause meh politics, and they force the kid to go, and the kid just wants to hang out back with their buddies. Denied, or at the very least play JV a full year.

Or they get into a situation where the program they join suddenly has a couple kids from here and there, or the GMs buddy drop down or join and a kid is basically cut?  Those kids can't go home and play.

There's more than one example of those kids ending up filling the void in their young teenage years with much more destructive activities.

That's a disgusting misuse of power and authority for the sole sake of holding the power and authority.

[dustnyou]

In our youth association (16uAA) we had a great kid leave home to play AAA. He loved it and did great. However his Mother back home became very ill so he returned to help support her. Of course he was allowed to rejoin the local AA team and continue playing at home while supporting his family. He didn’t leave because of playing time or homesickness, he came home for reasons more important than hockey. I couldn’t imagine telling this kid “sorry but you can’t play here anymore “. Sounds like the NDHHA needs to check their egos and put the kids first! 

[90siouxfan]

I wonder if parents of players that are not high end have influenced the powers that decide these things?  Don't want little Jonny on 3rd line when Ace McGee decides he wants a spot.  Or don't like opposing teams bringing in ringers....   sports can bring out awful !@#$ in people. 

 

[Johnny Five]

Nobody is leaving Honeybaked to come back to ND, especially the WDA.  

[Johnny Five]

40 minutes ago, dustnyou said:

In our youth association (16uAA) we had a great kid leave home to play AAA. He loved it and did great. However his Mother back home became very ill so he returned to help support her. Of course he was allowed to rejoin the local AA team and continue playing at home while supporting his family. He didn’t leave because of playing time or homesickness, he came home for reasons more important than hockey. I couldn’t imagine telling this kid “sorry but you can’t play here anymore “. Sounds like the NDHHA needs to check their egos and put the kids first! 

Heard that happened in hoops a year or 2 ago as well.  Kid essentially went and played for some sort of AAU program and home schooled.  Family member got sick, moved home and wasn't allowed to play HS hoops.

[Johnny Five]

Here's the kicker, or the stupidity of it.  

Kid goes to Northstar/Shattuck for a year, hates it and comes back for his/her JR season.  Wants to play for the same school - let's just say BHS - in the district he/she has always lived.  NOPE, gotta play JV this season you're not varsity eligible.  

Well piss on that....family sells the house on the South end and moves to CHS or LHS district, eligible for Varsity due to the move and different district (fargo, grand forks, whatever).   

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's a loophole.

[cberkas]

5 minutes ago, Johnny Five said:

Here's the kicker, or the stupidity of it.  

Kid goes to Northstar/Shattuck for a year, hates it and comes back for his/her JR season.  Wants to play for the same school - let's just say BHS - in the district he/she has always lived.  NOPE, gotta play JV this season you're not varsity eligible.  

Well piss on that....family sells the house on the South end and moves to CHS or LHS district, eligible for Varsity due to the move and different district (fargo, grand forks, whatever).   

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's a loophole.

Unless it’s changed in 24 years Bismarck was pretty much open enroll between the schools (Century and Bismarck). At most had to put in a request. I remember being told Vig, Peluso, and Theel all lived in Century’s side of Divide Ave but wanted to play for Bismarck.

[Frozen4sioux]

34 minutes ago, cberkas said:

Unless it’s changed in 24 years Bismarck was pretty much open enroll between the schools (Century and Bismarck). At most had to put in a request. I remember being told Vig, Peluso, and Theel all lived in Century’s side of Divide Ave but wanted to play for Bismarck.

In a nutshell, kinda but at the same time, I don't think any of that is 100% correct maybe?

There's loopholes to everything but completely open enrollment is not exactly accurate, but many families in many sports wrestle with finding the loopholes or waivers to exploit.

[cberkas]

23 minutes ago, Frozen4sioux said:

In a nutshell, kinda but at the same time, I don't think any of that is 100% correct maybe?

There's loopholes to everything but completely open enrollment is not exactly accurate, but many families in many sports wrestle with finding the loopholes or waivers to exploit.

I never asked the guys that would have gone to Bismarck but went to Century how they were able to go to Century. One guy did say he did want to go to Bismarck. 

[nodak651]

On 9/16/2025 at 9:03 AM, yzerman19 said:

Not sure why a kid would leave for Cleveland Barons AAA.  I get it if you are going to Caesar's, Mission, Mount, SSM, BK...but Cleveland?

I don't get why a parent would want their kid to leave and play for those better teams either.  

[Johnny Five]

7 hours ago, cberkas said:

I never asked the guys that would have gone to Bismarck but went to Century how they were able to go to Century. One guy did say he did want to go to Bismarck. 

Transfers in Bismarck are LESS normal nowadays.  When BHS won the only boys HS championship, there was a large number of kids from the North side of Divide.