2026-2027 ND High School Hockey Thread

[sioux rube]

37 minutes ago, Johnny Five said:

Well if that's the case there's a handful of Bismarck families taking the cake by sending their kids to f*cking Pilot Mount, MB this year.  

Pilot Mount. First I’ve heard of it 

[Johnny Five]

Pilot Mound...my bad.  Some AAA academy in Manitoba.  Small community.

I don't get it, but whatever.  Hockey makes people crazy.

[Brim006]

27 minutes ago, Johnny Five said:

Pilot Mound...my bad.  Some AAA academy in Manitoba.  Small community.

I don't get it, but whatever.  Hockey makes people crazy.

Picture Munich, ND but with a hockey rink instead of a tin shop, fewer trees, drier and worse roads. So bizarre…

[Frozen4sioux]

17 hours ago, yzerman19 said:

any player leaves early for the NAHL they are dumb and their parents are dumber

The NAHL is a moondream for 99% of the kids leaving.  Which is even more sad, and foolish.

[Frozen4sioux]

11 hours ago, Brim006 said:

Picture Munich, ND but with a hockey rink instead of a tin shop, fewer trees, drier and worse roads. So bizarre…

Spit my coffee out the nose reading this. Dang accurate🤣

[sioux rube]

11 hours ago, Brim006 said:

Picture Munich, ND but with a hockey rink instead of a tin shop, fewer trees, drier and worse roads. So bizarre…

Sounds amazing said no one. I assume they do their schooling on line 

[Brim006]

The education part of these hockey academies is what I always try to point out. They call it “remote schooling,” but it’s basically a Zoom teacher beamed into what might as well be a boys locker room. I know how me and my buddies were at that age we would’ve learned absolutely nothing. Zero. Maybe negative even outside of epic new dirty jokes.

And some of these kids are like 15. They’re pulled from normal school, pulled from parents, and dropped into a lifestyle only with other teammates who all live together even after school and practice and traveling games. So no strong mentors outside of coaches who are obviously focused on the hockey aspect first. It’s not education it's year round hockey camp. 

So when a USHL offer doesnt pan out and these kids get thrown back into normal life, I'd image they set themselves back a few years vs their peers whether they want to admit it or not. 

 

[Wilbur]

15 hours ago, Johnny Five said:

Pilot Mound...my bad.  Some AAA academy in Manitoba.  Small community.

I don't get it, but whatever.  Hockey makes people crazy.

I've got to believe its the educational opportunity thats involved with hockey.  It said right on the website that its 50% hockey, 50% education okay.  

[Frozen4sioux]

5 hours ago, Brim006 said:

The education part of these hockey academies is what I always try to point out. They call it “remote schooling,” but it’s basically a Zoom teacher beamed into what might as well be a boys locker room. I know how me and my buddies were at that age we would’ve learned absolutely nothing. Zero. Maybe negative even outside of epic new dirty jokes.

And some of these kids are like 15. They’re pulled from normal school, pulled from parents, and dropped into a lifestyle only with other teammates who all live together even after school and practice and traveling games. So no strong mentors outside of coaches who are obviously focused on the hockey aspect first. It’s not education it's year round hockey camp. 

So when a USHL offer doesnt pan out and these kids get thrown back into normal life, I'd image they set themselves back a few years vs their peers whether they want to admit it or not. 

 

USHL... yeah that's the dream they sell, that and "D1 baby".

In reality the place is a solid feeder program for Canadian Junior B.... Junior A as a stretch... and today's Junior A ... aint daddys Junior A.

Not that ND should be responsible for these parents bad, horrible, near debilitating decisions for the kids, but IMHO NDHSAA needs to change the rules and make it so there's at least a fall back for these kids to return to ND and just play with their friends after Daddy realizes it was a complete and total scam.... which it is, and he will.

Sorry Dudes, but yeah, you got scammed. You listened to the wrong people, who don't have your child's best interests at heart, they have their egos, and their bank accounts first and foremost.

and NO..... Johnny Topshelf aint going D1 from Pilot Fuggging Mound, for fugggs sake.

[Brim006]

On 8/18/2026 at 12:47 PM, Johnny Five said:

Sounds like it's Tre Kautzman for Legacy.  Been on the staff with Mario and then Faragher/Davison.  

Also sounds like Bismarck Hockey Boosters is getting gutted.  Many Fr (boys and girls) wanting to move on from the club, even if it means JV hockey.  Sounds like Bantam AA and 15UA might be hard to pull off.

Bismarck Hockey Boosters is getting gutted? Looks like the exact same staff as last year from what I can tell. What did you mean by that?

And I keep hearing how eager everyone is to avoid NDHSH, leaving early, and now even to the point where Bantam AA kids are skipping high school all together to go play in Pilot Mound and wherever else....but now you are saying the opposite. Kids are now eager to leave youth clubs to go play high school early instead, even if it means playing JV? That doesn't make any sense to me. Unless maybe we are talking like 1 or 2 kids which isnt a trend, but more so just a blip. 

As far as I can tell, Bismarck still has very strong youth numbers, in fact another record breaking year for however many years in a row now, and absolutely will have Bantam AA again. Rumor mill seems to be going off the rails a bit. 

[gfhockey]

Per source gf hockey will only have one bantam a team instead of the usual two to help the domination continue

[Johnny Five]

2 hours ago, Brim006 said:

Bismarck Hockey Boosters is getting gutted? Looks like the exact same staff as last year from what I can tell. What did you mean by that?

And I keep hearing how eager everyone is to avoid NDHSH, leaving early, and now even to the point where Bantam AA kids are skipping high school all together to go play in Pilot Mound and wherever else....but now you are saying the opposite. Kids are now eager to leave youth clubs to go play high school early instead, even if it means playing JV? That doesn't make any sense to me. Unless maybe we are talking like 1 or 2 kids which isnt a trend, but more so just a blip. 

As far as I can tell, Bismarck still has very strong youth numbers, in fact another record breaking year for however many years in a row now, and absolutely will have Bantam AA again. Rumor mill seems to be going off the rails a bit. 

Gutted meaning FR leaving.  Not having Bantam AA or girls 15U because they'd rather ride the bench in boys or girls HS. 

Not referring to the administration (one could definitely question the need for one of the big ass salaries) or numbers.  

[Johnny Five]

Back in the day I served on the BHB hockey board.  When I first got started I had an old time tell me "good luck with that.  the players change, the parents change, but the culture stays the same."  

Kinda gotta laugh at that looking back...I think he about nailed it.  lol.

[Frozen4sioux]

4 hours ago, Brim006 said:

Bismarck Hockey Boosters is getting gutted? Looks like the exact same staff as last year from what I can tell. What did you mean by that?

And I keep hearing how eager everyone is to avoid NDHSH, leaving early, and now even to the point where Bantam AA kids are skipping high school all together to go play in Pilot Mound and wherever else....but now you are saying the opposite. Kids are now eager to leave youth clubs to go play high school early instead, even if it means playing JV? That doesn't make any sense to me. Unless maybe we are talking like 1 or 2 kids which isnt a trend, but more so just a blip. 

As far as I can tell, Bismarck still has very strong youth numbers, in fact another record breaking year for however many years in a row now, and absolutely will have Bantam AA again. Rumor mill seems to be going off the rails a bit. 

BHB staff isn't being gutted the contrary actually as in club taking on more payroll liabilities as possible, and then an assistant for those positions.

The ranks of players leaving for other opportunities is the higher end suckers bolting for "AAeh" programs then some lower kids leaving for high school as they see the what's happening around them. Why pay 8k travel costs to get housed 50 games a year....

Leaving fewer and fewer kids playing at the proper levels for development, and at the same time then forcing decisions about fielding teams or not to field teams. Alot of those parents of kids who "may" now slide into this higher team slots are giddy their hero is finally getting the "AA" slot they deserve... and then screaming when a proper hockey decision is discussed saying they should not play a AA schedule as the pool isn't there.

Lower-level numbers seem fine the past few years, but, anyone who isn't screamingly concerned about the fact costs haven't been addressed with the cash coming in needs to wake up, but yeah.

BHB available players that should be in those 15U and AA team levels are being gutted.

 

... Johnny kinda knows what he's talking about here.   

 

[Brim006]

1 hour ago, Frozen4sioux said:

BHB staff isnt being gutted the contrary actually as in club taking on more payroll liabilities as possible, and then an assistant for those positions.

The ranks of players leaving for other opportunities is the higher end suckers bokting for "AAeh" programs the some lower kids leaving for high school  as they see the whats happening around them. Why pay 8k travel costs to get housed 50 games a year....

Leaving fewer and fewer kids playing at the proper levels for development, and at the same time then forcing decisions about fielding teams or not to field teams. Alot of those parents of kids who "may" now slide into this higher team slots are giddy their hero is finally getting the "AA" slot they deserve... and then screaming when a properhockey decision is discussed saying they should not play a AA schedule as the pool isnt there.

Lower level numbers seem fine the past few years, anyone who isnt screamingly concerned about the fact costs havent been addressed with the cash coming in need to wake up, but yeah.

BHB available palyers that should be in those 15U and AA team levels are being gutted.

 

 

... Johnny kinda knows what hes talking about here.

 

So Bismarck Bantam AA and 15U pools being gutted is what was meant by that, not the entire BHB, gotcha thanks. 

I'll be curious how many move up to play JV. And the two (?) kids that are leaving for pilot mound were both 2nd year bantam AAs last year correct? So the high school teams lost them for this year, not BHB correct? 

[Brim006]

Is this about right for BHB numbers for last year and/or this year (plus high schools)?

 

• Mini + Termites — 250 (boys and girls)

• Mites — 190 (boys and girls) 

• Squirts — 140 (10 teams)

• Peewees — 120 (6 teams)

• Bantams — 110 (5 teams) 

• High School — 100 (3 teams + 3 JV) 

[Johnny Five]

In more important news, the Fargo Force have applied for a AAA program.  

 

FARGO — The Fargo Force organization has applied for 18U boys, 16U boys, 19U girls and 16U girls teams in North Dakota to help support the state’s youth hockey players, the team said Thursday.

 

https://www.inforum.com/sports/prep/fargo-force-apply-for-full-season-teams-at-boys-and-girls-levels

That should about be the nail in the coffin for ND HS hockey. 

[cberkas]

3 minutes ago, Johnny Five said:

In more important news, the Fargo Force have applied for a AAA program.  

 

FARGO — The Fargo Force organization has applied for 18U boys, 16U boys, 19U girls and 16U girls teams in North Dakota to help support the state’s youth hockey players, the team said Thursday.

 

https://www.inforum.com/sports/prep/fargo-force-apply-for-full-season-teams-at-boys-and-girls-levels

That should about be the nail in the coffin for ND HS hockey. 

I basically said this was possible in the junior hockey news thread. 

Not surprised this happened with the new U15 and U17 NDL 

[yzerman19]

1 hour ago, cberkas said:

I basically said this was possible in the junior hockey news thread. 

Not surprised this happened with the new U15 and U17 NDL 

exactly.  The NDL is trying to tie themselves to USHL teams specifically.  Regarding kids jumping up to HS hockey the rule of thumb has got to be that you dominated Bantam as a first year and stand to gain nothing playing another year of Bantam AND you are primed to play top 6/4 minutes on the varsity team.  I'd even say first line/first pairing.  In Minny, RJ THompson and Maverick McKinnon were bantam eligible.  They had no business in bantam hockey.

These kids and parents need to quit worrying about the next level and focus on where they are.  Thompson and McKinnon are not your reference point.  They are the 0.001%...for everyone else, deep breath, take your time.