2025-2026 ND High School Hockey Thread

[Brim006]

18 hours ago, sioux rube said:

Red River and Sheyenne should be good along with Legacy and Minot. Minot 10-0 in the west and Legacy with one loss 

WF over GPR 4-3

DL over Shanley 5-4

MP over RLF 5-1

RR over WFS 4-2

Legacy over Minot 3-2

Mandan over Hazen 8-0

[Wilbur]

Interesting game up in DL.  Sheyenne vs. Red River probably with the most eyes on it, but I think there could be some OT at Burdick tonight. 

[Brim006]

5 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Interesting game up in DL.  Sheyenne vs. Red River probably with the most eyes on it, but I think there could be some OT at Burdick tonight. 

Yeah now that I'm looking back, their first meeting was closer than I remembered. One goal game with pretty even shots (DL 36 to Shanley 27). DL has their starting goalie back but still has 2 of their top 6 forwards out so it could be a completely different game if Shanley is healthy. And Shanley just about took down Davies 2 nights ago so they seem to be playing better. 

Feels like WFS is either going to beat RR or lose by 10 lol. I don't know why.  

[Wilbur]

Red River rolling in WF.  I don't think Sheyenne has a grade A opportunity in the game.  

Riders still angry about losing that one to Central on Tuesday. 

[Wilbur]

Grafton up 4-2 on WFHS. 

[siouxfaninseattle]

27 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Red River rolling in WF.  I don't think Sheyenne has a grade A opportunity in the game.  

Riders still angry about losing that one to Central on Tuesday. 

Score?

[Wilbur]

Grafton won 5-2

RR 7-1

Legacy up 3-2 on Minot late. 

[sioux rube]

[siouxweet]

1 hour ago, Wilbur said:

Red River rolling in WF.  I don't think Sheyenne has a grade A opportunity in the game.  

Riders still angry about losing that one to Central on Tuesday. 

Or that Sheyenne celebrated like they won the Stanley Cup in the second conference game of the season when they beat RR earlier this year.

[Brim006]

Good for Legacy pulling out the win over Minot. They seem to be catching their stride at the right time of year. They have come a long way since week 1. I'm hoping Legacy and Minot are able to make for at least 2 interesting day 1 games at state this year. 

Good to see Grafton beat WF. They now have wins over FN and WF keeping them in the mix of the middle of the EDC. Imagine how well they'd be doing if kids didnt leave early! 

DL is hurting right now and they have a rough stretch on the schedule in front of them to boot. They'll still be down 2 of their top 6 forwards for a bit longer. I think the injured Hogness should be back in about 3-4 games, and they'll only get Nelson back for their reg season finale. Looks like they might only win 3 more games this reg season and will end up fighting with GPR and Shanley for 6th to avoid the play-in game. But oddly enough, having a play-in game to get Nelson and Hogness some extra game time before EDC would actually benefit them...

RR and GFC are flexing their muscles late in the season as always so it looks like yet another year of GF vs GF unless someone surprises us. RR is still a little hit or miss but I'd still put my money on them as the #2 over anyone else. WFSH and Davies appeared to be strong 1-2 candidates but that went away pretty quickly. 

[Wilbur]

9 hours ago, siouxweet said:

Or that Sheyenne celebrated like they won the Stanley Cup in the second conference game of the season when they beat RR earlier this year.

Yep, proceeded to lose to Devils Lake at home after.

I get it was their first time beating RR, and these are kids, but you had a feeling something like that was coming for them. 

[Brim006]

What's the good word in the youth hockey world around the state? 

It looks like West Fargo and Bismarck have booming numbers. Bismarck has 750+ kids and WF with around 600? Bismarck's will get split into 3 varsity and WF only 2 though, but both appear to have very strong numbers coming through the pipeline...far surpassing previous years, especially the younger ages (yes I understand the numbers tapper off each year but they are starting off with far more than past years).

Mandan youth hockey seems to be growing at a strong pace. 

Grafton communicated strong bounce back youth numbers last year when they announced their new rink and facility being built soon. They've been a corner stone of ND hockey for a long time so that's encouraging to see. 

Devils Lake and Jamestown seem to just be steady eddy. Does VC still contribute some players? Devils Lake continues to get 1-2 Cando kids every year and they actually have a New Rockford kid right now. 

Bott+Rugby numbers always seem to surprise me so they must be doing something right with their youth programs. 

How is HB doing? Do they have a future? Their high school program has been hanging by a thread for 5-6 years now. We went up there for mite hockey a few weeks ago and the rink was busy with lots of young hockey players around but I'm not sure how their participation looks now vs years past. 

Grand Forks looks like they have about the same amount of youth hockey teams as they have always had. So no major growth there but still punching above their weight class as always. And I think GF somehow always has the quality over quantity. It's that red river drinking water source. 

Minot sounds like a political mess up top so I just assume the same at the other levels, so I havent taken interest in looking into their situation haha. 

For many years I was hopeful Williston and Dickinson would gain momentum and utilize their larger populations to make some waves in the ND hockey world, which would give the west the boost it needs, but hockey just never seems to fully catch on out there. In fact, Williston who for many years in the early 2000s was consistently a top 4 team in the west, has clearly taken several steps back. I wonder what their youth program numbers are looking like today? 

[sioux rube]

Big one in Jamestown tonight with Legacy in town. See if Legacy will carry that momentum from last nights win in Minot or they used most of their energy in that game and have tired legs tonight 

[gfhockey]

Minot is biggest mystery to me

 

all yhisenkids

 

one squirt a team wtf 

[Wilbur]

11 minutes ago, gfhockey said:

Minot is biggest mystery to me

 

all yhisenkids

 

one squirt a team wtf 

Look at the pee wee and bantams too.

  

[gfhockey]

Any insiders know what happened in the red River and West Fargo game last night sounds like a coach and the player got a game is conduct at the end of the game for Wells Fargo for abusing the officials

[Wilbur]

28 minutes ago, gfhockey said:

Any insiders know what happened in the red River and West Fargo game last night sounds like a coach and the player got a game is conduct at the end of the game for Wells Fargo for abusing the officials

If you watch the end of the game on Mustang Media on Youtube you can see the interaction.  Head coach, and one of the better players for Sheyenne now out whenever their next game is.  Supposed to play Warroad Saturday but I think that is getting postponed with weather. 

[gfhockey]

21 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

If you watch the end of the game on Mustang Media on Youtube you can see the interaction.  Head coach, and one of the better players for Sheyenne now out whenever their next game is.  Supposed to play Warroad Saturday but I think that is getting postponed with weather. 

Link?

[gfhockey]

27 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

If you watch the end of the game on Mustang Media on Youtube you can see the interaction.  Head coach, and one of the better players for Sheyenne now out whenever their next game is.  Supposed to play Warroad Saturday but I think that is getting postponed with weather. 

All I saw was a discussion which happens all the time I didn’t see the player yap at the ref? 
 

I think the west Fargo and Minot parents need to get together and spend a lot more money on hockey camps and checkbook hockey to get to the status of the Grand Forks kids

 

preferably send them to camps in grand forks ran by und hockey pkayas

[sioux rube]

1 hour ago, Wilbur said:

Look at the pee wee and bantams too.

  

Been going on for some time now. More concerned about winning than developing 

[gfhockey]

12 minutes ago, sioux rube said:

Been going on for some time now. More concerned about winning than developing 

How many titles it get them the current setup

[Brim006]

46 minutes ago, gfhockey said:

How many titles it get them the current setup

1

[Blackheart]

3 hours ago, gfhockey said:

Any insiders know what happened in the red River and West Fargo game last night sounds like a coach and the player got a game is conduct at the end of the game for Wells Fargo for abusing the officials

Did they try and take out a commercial loan before the end of the game?

[Johnny Five]

I moved to Bismarck in 2004.  If you had told me to FF 20 years I'd have told you the West would "catch up"...I'm specifically talking about Bismarck I guess.  Throw the rest in there.  Bismarck has good numbers, but the point remains: you want the best hockey teams you have to consistently have the best athletes playing the game.  That's not happening.  Hockey is still low on the totem pole as far as that goes.  

One good thing I'm seeing more consistently is 2nd and 3rd generation hockey families.  The more that happens, the better, IMO.  

Still, however....gotta find the best ATHLETES first.  And the problem with hockey is you have to capture them early.  

6 hours ago, Brim006 said:

What's the good word in the youth hockey world around the state? 

It looks like West Fargo and Bismarck have booming numbers. Bismarck has 750+ kids and WF with around 600? Bismarck's will get split into 3 varsity and WF only 2 though, but both appear to have very strong numbers coming through the pipeline...far surpassing previous years, especially the younger ages (yes I understand the numbers tapper off each year but they are starting off with far more than past years).

Mandan youth hockey seems to be growing at a strong pace. 

Grafton communicated strong bounce back youth numbers last year when they announced their new rink and facility being built soon. They've been a corner stone of ND hockey for a long time so that's encouraging to see. 

Devils Lake and Jamestown seem to just be steady eddy. Does VC still contribute some players? Devils Lake continues to get 1-2 Cando kids every year and they actually have a New Rockford kid right now. 

Bott+Rugby numbers always seem to surprise me so they must be doing something right with their youth programs. 

How is HB doing? Do they have a future? Their high school program has been hanging by a thread for 5-6 years now. We went up there for mite hockey a few weeks ago and the rink was busy with lots of young hockey players around but I'm not sure how their participation looks now vs years past. 

Grand Forks looks like they have about the same amount of youth hockey teams as they have always had. So no major growth there but still punching above their weight class as always. And I think GF somehow always has the quality over quantity. It's that red river drinking water source. 

Minot sounds like a political mess up top so I just assume the same at the other levels, so I havent taken interest in looking into their situation haha. 

For many years I was hopeful Williston and Dickinson would gain momentum and utilize their larger populations to make some waves in the ND hockey world, which would give the west the boost it needs, but hockey just never seems to fully catch on out there. In fact, Williston who for many years in the early 2000s was consistently a top 4 team in the west, has clearly taken several steps back. I wonder what their youth program numbers are looking like today? 

[Johnny Five]

I will add: if Legacy hadn't started when it did, Century very well would've competed for a State Championship or 2.  Most of those Legacy kids (year 2 WDA champions lost to Davies in OT first game of state), would've been at CHS along with the Vig boys and some very good CHS players....2 good teams would've made for one really, really good team.