This was a tough one, particularly in Minnesota.

The assignment? Come up with a list of the top places in Minnesota to take in a high school hockey game.

Difficult, to say the least. Considering the abundance of rinks in the state, the subjective nature of the topic — everyone has a favorite — and lack of set criteria, I knew right away this was going to create indecision and leave me open to questions and inevitable second- and third-guessing.

What makes a good hockey environment? History? Nostalgia? Fame? Successful occupants? Comfort? Atmosphere?

How about all of the above?

So, here it is. My choices for must-see high school hockey venues in Minnesota.

Am I missing one? Probably more than one. Leave a comment and let us know.

Eveleth Hippodrome

More than 100 years old, the Hippodrome is the Grand Old Man of high school hockey arenas. History virtually drips from rafters of the original home of the Eveleth boys hockey team, winners of the first high school state tournament in 1945 and four more shortly after. It’s still in use today, having been absorbed under the umbrella of the new Iron Trail Motors Event Center in Virginia. Minn.

Braemar Arena

Braemar Arena is ground zero for high school hockey in the Twin Cities. The home of Edina’s remarkably successful boys and girls hockey teams was constructed as a one-rink venue in 1965 and has since been expanded to house four sheets of ice. Hockey fans can get the chance to see college and NHLers compete in “Da Beauty League,” where players stay sharp in the offseason.

Bloomington Ice Garden

Perhaps no arena in the state can match the claim to fame of the 1970-built Bloomington Ice Garden. Not only is it the home to Bloomington Jefferson boys and girls hockey teams, the recently-remodeled three-ice sheet arena was also the practice home to the NHL’s Minnesota North Stars and was the base of operations for the Miracle on Ice Team USA in 1980.

Roseau Memorial Arena

Built in 1949 and home to the seven-time state champion Roseau Rams, the iconic arched-wooden-beamed roof of the arena was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024, ensuring the arena’s enduring legacy. It includes a smaller, natural ice sheet known as the North Rink, intended for community use.

Warroad Ice Garden

Built in 1993, the Warroad Ice Garden was dubbed “the New Gardens” when it was built following the demolition of the old Memorial Arena, which was unofficially known as “the Gardens.” The Ice Gardens is a 70,000-square-foot ode to hockey with an Olympic-sized sheet of ice and eight locker rooms. There is also the smaller Olympic Arena, a practice-only sheet, adjacent to the Ice Garden.

Yanmar Arena

Most are more familiar with the arena’s original name, the IRA (Itasca Recreation Association) Civic Center, which is home to the four-time state champion Grand Rapids High School Thunderhawks. After decades of playing outdoor hockey, construction began on the arena in 1962. An upgrade, including adding artificially created ice, came along a few years later. In 1995, the IRA added a second, Olympic-sized sheet of ice. It was renamed after a partnership with Yanmar, a large local employer, in 2023.

Aldrich Ice Arena

Built in 1962 atop a man-made hill housing a sunken ice sheet, many consider Maplewood’s Aldrich Ice Arena to be the inspiration for the now-demolished Met Center in Bloomington. The first-ever sanctioned high school girls hockey state tournament in the country was held at the 3,400-seat arena in 1995. The arena is also the home to Hill-Murray boys and girls hockey teams.

Hibbing Memorial Arena

Most hockey players who grew up in Minnesota had the chance to play at one of the most iconic arenas in Minnesota. It was originally built in 1925 and rebuilt 10 years later after it was destroyed by fire. While its reputation was built on hockey, it also celebrates its past, having played host to Hibbing native Bob Dylan and Kevin McHale and the Bluejacket basketball team.

Bronco Arena, International Falls

Located in a community that takes pride in its “Icebox of the Nation” reputation, Bronco Arena has a reputation for making the fan experience a little chilly, but it is hockey on the northern Minnesota border, after all. The arena, built in 1968, features a higher-than-usual vaulted ceiling, which draws oohs and aahs from first-timers. The International Falls boys hockey team has won seven state championships while calling Bronco Arena home.

Doug Woog Arena

When it was built to house the burgeoning hockey community in South St. Paul and the surrounding area, the former Wakota Arena was among the first indoor rinks in the state built specifically for hockey. It was remodeled in 1997 to add a second sheet of ice. It was renamed for South St. Paul hockey legend and former University of Minnesota coach Doug Woog in 2015.

Ralph Engelstad Arena

Quaint, it is not. But while the 2003-built arena isn’t what one would call swank, it does provide a quality hockey environment and doesn’t require fans to huddle together to keep warm during a game. The smaller cousin to Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks — Engelstad was a Las Vegas casino owner who grew up in Thief River Falls and was a goalie at the University of North Dakota — the “Mini-Ralph” is a point of civic pride.

Blake Arena

One of the oldest high school arenas in the Twin Cities, Blake Arena was built in 1964 and is a well-preserved example of the classic barrel-style rink design, with a domed wooden interior ceiling and wooden trusses. It’s home to Blake’s boys and girls teams, which have made a combined 16 state tournament appearances. The girls have won seven Class 1A championships.

NSC Super Rink

While it may not have the rich history of other arenas on this list, the sheer size of the National Sports Center Super Rink in Blaine warrants inclusion. With eight sheets of ice — four Olympic-sized and four traditionally sized — the Super Rink is among the world’s largest ice arena complexes. It is home to numerous local youth and high school teams as well as the U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey team. It’s difficult to find a Minnesota hockey player who hasn’t played or practiced at the Super Rink.

Movie-cameo rinks (New Hope Arena, Minnetonka Arena, Augsburg Arena, Parade Ice Garden)

What sets these four rinks apart is their claims-to-fame: All were prominently featured as part of the hockey action during the Disney-produced, Minnesota-made feature film “The Mighty Ducks.” Anyone who has spent time in any one of the arenas will watch the movie intently, hoping to catch a glimpse of familiar ice.

Essentia Heritage Sports Center

With plenty of rinks to choose from in the Northland, the Heritage Sports Center in Duluth stands out. Opened in 2008 on the site of historic iron works, Heritage is spacious and comfortable with two ice rinks. It’s the home of Duluth East and Duluth Denfeld boys and Duluth Northern Stars girls hockey teams. EHSC is fast becoming considered a favorite place to catch a hockey game.

Red Baron Arena & Expo

Featuring two sheets of ice — one of which stays up year-round — in a 78,000-square-foot facility, the Red Baron is not only hockey-central on Minnesota’s southwestern prairie, it is also a premier tournament, convention and reception facility. Built in 2016, the rinks and bathrooms are clean (not a small thing for traveling hockey fans), the seating is comfortable and the sightlines can’t be beat.

Grand Casino Arena (formerly Xcel Energy Center)

Sure, it’s mostly a professional hockey arena, but for a couple of weeks each winter, the eyes of the hockey world are trained on St. Paul for the MSHSL girls hockey and boys hockey state tournaments. There may be more intensity in arenas across the state for section championship games that determine who gets to “The House” (Grand Casino Arena needs a nickname; a casino is commonly called “the house,” so it fits). But when more than 120,000 fans each year descend on one place, for a brief time, it becomes the premier high school hockey venue in the state.

Did we miss one? Got a favorite? Let us know. Email your candidates for this list to varsity@startribune.com.