2026-2027 ND High School Hockey Thread

[Johnny Five]

10 minutes ago, Frozen4sioux said:

Torterella passed on the offer?! 

Torts leaning towards the Hazen girls job.

[Wilbur]

Northstar announced that Spicer from GFC is headed their way.  Another big loss for them.  Marto, Spicer, Rivard.....lost a ton of seniors.  EDC may be more open than years past. 

[Frozen4sioux]

1 hour ago, Wilbur said:

Northstar announced that Spicer from GFC is headed their way.  Another big loss for them.  Marto, Spicer, Rivard.....lost a ton of seniors.  EDC may be more open than years past. 

 At this point what's more watered down:

ND High School hockey?....  or......  25 cent tap beers at the college dive bar?

In all seriousness at this point ND High school hockey has been decimated from its already beleaguered state, by these continual changes to the junior hockey landscape.

And it'll still probably come down to Central vs RR for another title.  🙄

[siouxweet]

2 hours ago, Wilbur said:

Northstar announced that Spicer from GFC is headed their way.  Another big loss for them.  Marto, Spicer, Rivard.....lost a ton of seniors.  EDC may be more open than years past. 

There is a pipeline from Grand Forks to Alexandria.

[Wilbur]

8 hours ago, Frozen4sioux said:

 At this point what's more watered down:

ND High School hockey?....  or......  25 cent tap beers at the college dive bar?

In all seriousness at this point ND High school hockey has been decimated from its already beleaguered state, by these continual changes to the junior hockey landscape.

And it'll still probably come down to Central vs RR for another title.  🙄

A) Made me laugh!

B) This is a prime opportunity year for another school to get it done.  If its Central vs. RR part whatever with all the kids that are suddenly bolting GF and the seniors that both programs graduated then perhaps part A isn't as funny as I take it to be....

[Fratt Mattin]

9 hours ago, siouxweet said:

There is a pipeline from Grand Forks to Alexandria.

Which makes no sense to me. Both grand forks schools have had tons of guys play d-1 hockey. I have nothing against Northstar, but what evidence is there to show that sending your kid there (or to any similar school for that matter) will be better for their development?

[siouxweet]

2 hours ago, Fratt Mattin said:

Which makes no sense to me. Both grand forks schools have had tons of guys play d-1 hockey. I have nothing against Northstar, but what evidence is there to show that sending your kid there (or to any similar school for that matter) will be better for their development?

These kids that are going some of  their families are founding members of the GOBC of Grand Forks Youth Hockey.  So it makes sense they are going as a group.

[JakeLove]

Rylan Spicer and Bodee Burris to Northstar Academy might be “a group” but Nolan Marto to Medicine Hat and Ryder Rivard to the Bismarck Bobcats don’t make this a collective decision. 
 

they do seem to be leaving because of the changes to the hockey landscape. 
 

they are good kids with good parents, so let’s wish them well. 
 

the Central and Red River JV teams lost something like 6 games last year including games against each other, and all those kids won NDAHA state titles at PEE WEE and BANTAM AA, A, B1, B levels.  HECK, that group of kids had two Bantam B teams go undefeated against Bantam B1 teams in one season and that same group of kids played 0.500 against MN Bantam AA teams as Bantam A teams. 
 

All that being said, the competitive playing field is much more level this season. Maybe that will make the season more interesting. 

Edited Friday at 11:45 PM by JakeLove

[Speez]

If ND hockey was smart enough to have AAA Tier 1 hockey, players wouldn't have to  leave for better competition.

If you want to be the best, you have to play with and against the best.

[JakeLove]

 

NDAHA does have Tier 1 hockey pre- and-post season of NDHSAA. 

Chicken and egg scenario:

The best players in an age group choose not to participate, thus the best don’t get a chance to play with the best; thus the best leave. 
 

As a result of the changes around hockey, it seems inevitable there will be an in-season Tier 1 team. When that happens if your kid or a player within your sphere of influence is invited to the team let’s encourage them to sign up. if the ND kids don’t sign up, then they have to add other kids from elsewhere. 
 

 

[Frozen4sioux]

2 hours ago, Speez said:

If ND hockey was smart

Easy line here is "If".... but

Honestly NDAHA isn't really as much to blame in the lack of action in the face of the changes, I really think they have tried to protect the kids as much as possible but there's really only so much they can do now.  Team ND was a good option for the pre junior boom era.

The real enemy of Hockey in ND in NDHSAA

As has been stated before an in state full time Tier 1 program doesn't keep ND kids at home.... it keeps Fargo metro kids at home. Nobody else.

For Western/Central/Northern ND kids or anyone outside the FM metro really... there's no difference in sending kids to a TEAM Fargo Tier 1a and an established Tier 1 Program out of state.

(The legit Tier 1 Jr prospect kids from ND don't matter in this convo as they will have already left to legit pipeline programs already.)

(also, since the NDL is starting any ""tier 1"" program not invited turns into a defacto Tier 1a... tier 1 fcs... Tier 1jv.. however you want to label it)

 

[scpa0305]

On 8/6/2026 at 10:48 PM, Frozen4sioux said:

 At this point what's more watered down:

ND High School hockey?....  or......  25 cent tap beers at the college dive bar?

In all seriousness at this point ND High school hockey has been decimated from its already beleaguered state, by these continual changes to the junior hockey landscape.

And it'll still probably come down to Central vs RR for another title.  🙄

100% Has been trending this way for a very long time. If the top kids aren’t going tier 1 they’re done, if their goal is continuing hockey after HS. I said it 5-7 years ago, if ND doesn’t create a T1 team (or 2) they will continue losing their top at a rapid pace. MN AA is losing tons and tons of kids now, single A or ND doesn’t stand a chance.

[JakeLove]

If the primary goal of HS athletics is to use athletics (in this discussion, hockey) as a complement to academics ND HS hockey is doing well. 
 

if the primary goal of HS hockey is to get college paid for, let’s just move all hockey to USA Hockey where the real action is. I am sure most school districts would find a use for the $300k 

 

[Brim006]

GFC losing 2 top players early and RR 1 isn’t going to move the needle. In fact most years minot, century, and legacy lose 4-5+…and even GPR and DL lose 1-2 top players early most years. I know gf often does as well, so my point is this seems like a pretty normal year again. The GF teams will still be in their own league this season and will maybe just drop a couple reg season EDC games when they normally wouldn’t have with those guys staying. I’m more worried about the impact to gf non-con games now. Do either play any big ones again this season? 

[siouxweet]

2 hours ago, Brim006 said:

GFC losing 2 top players early and RR 1 isn’t going to move the needle. In fact most years minot, century, and legacy lose 4-5+…and even GPR and DL lose 1-2 top players early most years. I know gf often does as well, so my point is this seems like a pretty normal year again. The GF teams will still be in their own league this season and will maybe just drop a couple reg season EDC games when they normally wouldn’t have with those guys staying. I’m more worried about the impact to gf non-con games now. Do either play any big ones again this season? 

Who is RR losing?

[Brim006]

1 hour ago, siouxweet said:

Who is RR losing?

Oh maybe all 3 of the most recent are GFC? But didn’t RR lose at least one early as well or all their top guys were SRs? 

[siouxweet]

17 minutes ago, Brim006 said:

Oh maybe all 3 of the most recent are GFC? But didn’t RR lose at least one early as well or all their top guys were SRs? 

All their losses were Srs.  With graduation and kids leaving for Jrs GFC has essentially lost their top 3 lines from last year and their top returning forward was a swing player last year.