2026-2027 ND High School Hockey Thread

[Frozen4sioux]

1 hour ago, andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!! said:

Here is the story:

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

Also noted in the article that costs are expected to be $12,000 to $15,000.

"out of district" players capped at 6 per team so that's 19 ND players per team, at least. 

Will Team ND continue as well?

Hope so, Damn shame if some kids who cant fork over 15k plus miss Tier 1 opportunity just for a couple FM egos and wallets to get stroked. But then again thats kinda the state motto at this point.

[Wilbur]

21 minutes ago, Frozen4sioux said:

"out of district" players capped at 6 per team so that's 19 ND players per team, at least. 

Will Team ND continue as well?

Hope so, Damn shame if some kids who cant fork over 15k plus miss Tier 1 opportunity just for a couple FM egos and wallets to get stroked. But then again thats kinda the state motto at this point.

Thinking out loud here, is there is enough talent in North Dakota to be competitive against some of the bigger names you'd want to play against in the T1 world?  Obviously the North Star, and Power programs will be scheduled, but will they get to the point where the Shattucks of the world will want to schedule them against their top teams?  I mean we see what happens to Team ND at the national T1 tournaments against the Little Caesars and the Boston Jr. Eagles of the world.  

I'll hang up and listen.  

[Frozen4sioux]

2 hours ago, Wilbur said:

Thinking out loud here, is there is enough talent in North Dakota to be competitive against some of the bigger names you'd want to play against in the T1 world?  Obviously the North Star, and Power programs will be scheduled, but will they get to the point where the Shattucks of the world will want to schedule them against their top teams?  I mean we see what happens to Team ND at the national T1 tournaments against the Little Caesars and the Boston Jr. Eagles of the world.  

I'll hang up and listen.  

Its the elephant in the room, right.

The best of the best bestest, are going leave for LEGIT real Tier 1. As they probably should if the opportunity and talent is there.

And let's not forget, Tier 1 aint Tier 1 next year.

NDL will be the hand selected "real" Tier 1 prospect league.

The remaining TIER 1 teams in the country will be there to play... but its doubtful the NDL... of which Shattuck will surely be... will schedule the Force... or Team ND... or SFO... or Norrhstar.  

So back to the Elephant....

Does ND have enough talent with the 19 players the Force will take to compete for real?

I mean hope in one hand...

Hand over the cash with the other I guess....

 

[Dutt170]

On 8/21/2026 at 3:24 PM, Frozen4sioux said:

"out of district" players capped at 6 per team so that's 19 ND players per team, at least. 

Will Team ND continue as well?

Hope so, Damn shame if some kids who cant fork over 15k plus miss Tier 1 opportunity just for a couple FM egos and wallets to get stroked. But then again thats kinda the state motto at this point.

Would be 14 players with a roster of 20 and 6 out of district per team.  
 

Is Team ND free?  I would assume parents pay minimum of 6-8k to play 20 games have 3 practices, no off ice program and no videos sessions.  So 12-15k isn’t so bad and probably half the price most places charge.

Playing just Bantam AA and then doing player development programs and spring training I would guess most families are already at 10-12k range.  

[JakeLove]

Team ND player registration is around $1600. 

[Dutt170]

8 minutes ago, JakeLove said:

Team ND player registration is around $1600. 

4/5 trips to the cities and then flights and hotels for nationals are free then?

Fees for bantam AA another $800-$1200 plus 4/5 3 day weekend road trips?

Any 14u tier 1 plus bantam AA player is easily spending $10-$12k in their season.

The 12-15k for Force is all travel included.

Debating about whether or not it’s the right move is totally different but let’s not make it about money.  Because every parent at 12U and older playing at a decent level in MN or ND is still spending a minimum of $10k throughout the season from August-April.

[yzerman19]

I have to think this is a precursor to the NDL and that this application coincides with their application for the NDL?  The landscape is definitely going to change for elite players, but I think there is enough depth of really good players to maintain MN/ND high school hockey.  I mean in today's landscape there are really only a handful of AAA programs that are truly better than top high school teams (SSM, BK, Mount, Mission, Honeybaked, Caesars, Pens).  Remember that those teams that are "better" around the country routinely lose players at 16 to the NTDP, USHL, and CHL. 

Shattuck has operated the "best" elite AAA hockey program an hour south of the cities forever, and they have NOT been historically successful in poaching all the best players from Minnesota.  Sure they get some, but look at this year's NTDP.  Daley (NY), Morris (AK), Evans (PA) are the Shattuck players that made that team and none are from MN.  Meier is very good and a Minnesota kid who went to Shattuck.  He will play in Everett this year.  Joey Cullen and RJ Thompson are two of the very best players in that birth year and they both played elite AAA (HoneyBaked and Little Caesars) but both came back to play high school hockey in Minnesota.  

[Brim006]

That’s a good point. USA hockey numbers show there were 35% more players in 2025 than in 2000. That’s huge.
 

As much as I dislike all these changes and even though a lot of it is just money grabs, I think it was inevitable that there’d be some changes and evolution with that large of growth that fast. It’s essentially going to be skimming off the top…most of which didn’t exist before.
 

In 2025 ND had about 1,500 more youth hockey players than we had just 15 years ago in 2010. 25% growth! MN grew by 20% in that same span showing nearly 10,000 more players than 2010. 
 

But with that said, essentially the same number of college hockey teams exist, so it’s 30% harder to make a d1 team than it was 20 years ago and 30% harder to make the NHL. People are trying to create an edge to pull away from the pack to improve their odds. Which would make sense if that “solution” hadn’t gotten diluted and even practically fraudulent.

The quickest and easiest fact I like to share with folks to really put things into perspective is that only 30-35% of boys drafted in the 2nd round of the nhl draft actually play a single NHL game…..and only 10-15% of boys drafted in the 3rd round or later in the nhl draft ever play in a single nhl game. Doh…

[Frozen4sioux]

3 hours ago, yzerman19 said:

I have to think this is a precursor to the NDL and that this application coincides with their application for the NDL? 

USA Hockey announced 32 teams in the initial NDL?   Although it kind of makes sense each USHL team would have an affiliation, that doesn't leave many spots for the traditional powerhouse Tier 1 programs.  

Most of the "requirements" listed for NDL wouldn't fit a new Force program but a few do. I just don't see them being invited into the NDL right away. 

Especially with  "only taking 6 non district players" rule.... NDL lists no district affiliation as a part of the teams makeup.

Although as we know "district residency affiliation" is a loose and often times completely sidestepped by tossing money at "another residence"

So until USA Hockey anoints the programs... who knows