There’s no tradition quite like the boys hockey state tournament. It’s where some of the most talented players converge for a mention in Minnesota hockey history. It’s where future NHL stars have found the back of the net in the moments that matter most. And it’s where time seems to stop, from ′80s mullets in 2026 to Edina’s ever-present appearance.

But not all of the best players in Minnesota made it to St. Paul. Strib Varsity compiled a list of 25 standout hockey players who made the case — whether through stats or input from coaches — for an All-Minnesota roster spot.

From the two players who kept trading state top-scoring status — hailing from opposite ends of Minnesota — to junior hockey talent who returned for another shot at a trophy case decoration, here are the stick-handling stars who stood out (listed in alphabetical order).

Tyler Bacon

Rogers senior goaltender

Bacon has been good since his under-14 days, playing with the Des Moines Buccaneers youth program. But the athletic goalie really shined this year. His senior season concluded with a 1.73 goals-against average, an enviable stat that rivals the state’s leading goalies, and a .922 save percentage. His 21 wins this season are just shy of state leader Gavin Lamphere’s 23.

Tyden Bergeson

Moorhead senior forward

Moorhead’s senior captain and Mr. Hockey finalist has come a long way from the 6-year-old learning to skate for hours on end on his neighborhood outdoor rink with chain-link nets. But one thing has remained the same: He’s just as hooked on hockey as ever. The Spuds forward returned home from the Madison Capitols with the goal of winning back-to-back Class 2A state titles. His lefthanded shot — producing 27 goals and 48 assists — may just be the thing to get Moorhead across the finish line before Bergeson heads to Augustana.

Cole Braunshausen

St. Thomas Academy senior forward

In 28 games, Braunshausen put up 30 goals and 37 assists. The senior forward set the tone in late November when he found the back of the net four times in a 12-0 game against Tartan. He would continue that form throughout the 2025-26 season, scoring as many as seven points in one game.

Danny Browning

Minnetonka senior defenseman

Few players can say they’ve made as much progress as Browning. The Minnetonka defenseman went from playing a single game without putting any points on the board his sophomore year to recording seven goals and eight assists his junior season. This year, the senior hit 26 assists.

Cole Bumgarner

Rogers senior forward

Few in the State of Hockey can say they have a more lethal lefthander than Bumgarner. The senior forward led Rogers in assists (32) and sits just behind teammate Brock Cheslock with 23 season goals. At 6-feet-1 and 205 pounds, Bumgarner came back to the Royals starting lineup with 15 points in the USHL. His chances at leading the team to a state tournament title fell short in the semifinals against Wayzata, but he ended his season riding the high of 55 points.

Caz Carlson

Rock Ridge senior forward

Carlson is one of those rare forwards who is just as much a team player as a leader. If his 27 goals and 26 assists are anything to go by, he knows when to shoot and knows when to pass. That kind of judgment will do him well when he joins the St. Cloud State roster.

Brock Cheslock

Rogers senior forward

Rogers was primed for a state tourney return this year with a group of USHL players coming back for their senior year. Cheslock, the team’s leading scorer, was one of them. After playing with the Omaha Lancers, the senior forward came back to Rogers’ first line with a sophisticated style of play that stood out. Cheslock, one of the Royals’ two Mr. Hockey finalists, had 34 goals and 21 assists. He’s good at showing up in big moments, like scoring three goals against Hopkins in the Section 6 quarterfinals. He will bring that back-of-the-net mentality to Augustana’s roster for the 2027-28 hockey season.

Max Cullen

Moorhead junior forward

If the last name Cullen sounds familiar, your ears aren’t deceiving you. And this forward lives up to the legacy of his NHL lineage. Just a junior in high school, Cullen is one to watch with 25 goals and 34 assists this season. The 17-year-old is committed to play for Minnesota Duluth in 2027.

Maddux Domagala

Luverne senior forward

Domagala hails from a basketball town nestled in the southwest-most corner of the state. But don’t be fooled, the top scorer in Minnesota is helping to grow Luverne into a hockey hotbed. With 49 goals and nearly as many assists (44), the senior forward racked up 93 points.

Joe Erickson

Blake senior forward

Erickson has been a scoring machine all season for the Bears. With two four-goal games and an eye-watering righthanded shot, the 17-year-old captain launched Blake to an 18-win season to remember. He finished with 32 goals and 32 assists.

Carter Ernst

Lakeville South senior forward

Ernst was one of the many senior hockey players across the state this season who decided to give a state title a go instead of heading to the juniors. The St. Thomas commit put up two goals and three assists with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL before returning to Lakeville South. And it’s a good thing he did. The lefthander has 19 goals and 29 assists entering the state tournament.

Bryce Francisco

Hermantown senior goaltender

Francisco played a whopping 1,345 minutes this season, putting in his time and putting his skills to work. With a 2.69 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage, the lefty helped bring Hermantown as far as the Class 1A, Section 7 semifinal.

Grayson Hanggi

Hill-Murray senior goaltender

At 6-2, Hanggi creates a brick wall when he’s in net. The senior goaltender boasts a 2.35 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. The righthanded player honed his craft at Shattuck-St. Mary’s and brought what he learned to lead the Pioneers to an 18-win season.

Tate Hardacre

Minnetonka senior defenseman

It’s hard to miss Hardacre on the ice, and it’s not just because he stands at 6-4 without skates. Minnetonka coach Sean Goldsworthy said it was Hardacre who made the difference when it counted: in a west metro rivalry game against Edina. Hardacre tied the tense Jan. 29 game with just over a minute left in the third period. The senior defenseman sits at 12 goals and 16 assists, which he will hope to boost on the big stage at Grand Casino Arena this week.

Jackson Knight

Orono senior forward

Orono’s season may be over with more losses (13) than wins (10), but Knight’s hockey career is far from complete. Standing tall at 6-1, the senior forward recorded 40 goals and 28 assists this season. His standout moment came with an impressive six goals against Chaska on Feb. 7. Even when Orono lost to northern hockey giant Hibbing/Chisholm, Knight was able to score three goals.

Chaz Lentz

Hill-Murray senior forward

When Lentz left the U.S. national development under-18 team and returned to Hill-Murray with the “C” on his jersey, he brought with him what he had learned in Michigan. The senior forward pocketed 12 goals and completed 20 assists this season.

Bode McConnell

Edina junior forward

McConnell has scored a lot of goals this season (33, to be exact). But one in particular ripped a gasp from the crowd and came when it mattered most. In the Class 2A, Section 6 championship game against Wayzata, the junior forward launched a shot that hit the glass, rolled along the crossbar and bounced off the goalie. McConnell was there to tap it in with ease. The goal not only evened the scoreboard 1-1 but previewed what was to come next: a hat trick from McConnell to secure Edina’s state tournament ticket for the fifth season in a row and 44th time in school history. He has been on fire all year, starting the season with five goals against St. Louis Park. He boasts 54 points going into the state tournament.

Brandon Mickelson

Moorhead senior defenseman

Moorhead has one of the strongest rosters in the state. Mickelson is a large part of that. The defenseman returned home from the Wenatchee Wild for his senior year. With 21 goals, 38 assists and a punched state tournament ticket, his decision sure seems to have paid off.

Sam Peckham

Edina senior defenseman

The Hornets are in pursuit of their 15th state title, and Peckham’s defensive form might be just the thing to get them there. The righty has recorded seven assists this season and proved to be a vital asset in Edina’s 21 wins. With a “C” stitched to his chest this year and last, Peckham will bring the 110% Hornets hockey mentality and leadership skills to Cornell’s roster.

Bennett Scissons

Duluth Marshall senior forward

Scissions ended his senior season without a shot at the state tournament, but with 38 points to his name. The lefthanded forward recorded 16 goals and 22 assists in a season riddled with two-goal games.

Cooper Siegert

Shakopee senior forward

Shakopee lost in the Class 2A, Section 2 semifinals against No. 3 seed Chanhassen, but the Sabers recorded 22 wins this season, thanks in large part to Siegert. The senior forward’s righthanded shot is a strong one, and he led the team with 19 goals.

Griffin Storey

Waseca junior forward

Collecting 88 points in a junior season isn’t an easy feat, but Storey made it look effortless. The Waseca forward tallied 39 goals and 49 assists for the Bluejays this year, with four goals in a game at Worthington on Dec. 11 and another four goals in a 14-0 beatdown of Windom Area on Feb. 3. Standing 6-2, the junior has 210 total career points at Waseca. Keep an eye on Storey as he enters his senior year as a goal-scoring machine.

Griffin Sturm

St. Cloud Cathedral senior defenseman

Sturm chose to remain at St. Cloud Cathedral for his senior season over playing junior hockey for a few reasons: He wanted a chance at leading his soccer and golf teams to state. He wanted the full high school experience and another year at home with his family. He also wanted to win a state title. He will get his chance this week, after the Crusaders beat Monticello 3-1 in the Class 1A, Section 5 championship game. The senior defenseman sits at 18 goals and 26 assists for the season.

Tate Swanson

Hibbing/Chisholm senior forward

Something magical has been brewing up north all season, and no one is a better testament to that than the All-Minnesota Player of the Year. Swanson has racked up 27 goals and 41 assists in an effort to launch the Bluejackets to state tournament glory. Last year, the small-town school’s trophy chances slipped away when East Grand Forks outshot the Bluejackets 7-5 in the state semifinals. But Hibbing/Chisholm has been firing off goals from the blue line this year, and the senior captain has been a vital leader in moments that count, like recording four assists against Cloquet/Esko/Carlton late in the regular season. If there’s one player who can secure Hibbing the Class 1A title for the first time in 53 years, it’s Swanson.

Anthony Yerxa

International Falls senior forward

A Canadian on the All-Minnesota team? You read that right. We would be amiss to exclude Yerxa from the best in the state. The Couchiching First Nation-born player was in a constant battle all season with Luverne’s Maddux Domagala for the title of the state’s top scorer. With 96 points in just 24 games, Yerxa recorded a whopping average of four points and two goals per game. He finished with 48 goals and 48 assists. He set the tone when he found the back of the net six times in International Falls’ first game. He scored five goals two games later. If there’s one future hockey career to watch, it’s Yerxa’s.