The 2025-26 high school hockey season ended March 7 when helmets soared into the air before a crowd of roughly 20,000 as Moorhead clinched its second consecutive Class 2A state title at Grand Casino Arena.

But for some players, another season was just beginning.

In the days leading up to the boys hockey tournament and in the immediate days after it concluded, players across Minnesota repacked their hockey bags and traveled everywhere from Muskegon to Madison to compete in junior hockey leagues, designed to help players between the ages of 16 and 20 develop skills before playing in the NCAA or professional leagues. Most Minnesotans play in the United States Hockey League, the Western Hockey League and the North American Hockey League.

Strib Varsity compiled a list of some high-performing high school hockey players and where they’ve been spending their new seasons. Note: Junior league stats are through Saturday, April 4.

Tyden Bergeson

Moorhead senior forward; Madison Capitols

Mr. Hockey himself didn’t wait too long after leading the Spuds to state tourney glory before heading back to the Capitols. The forward decided to return to Moorhead for his senior season, and it paid off with 81 points (29 goals, 52 assists) in 31 games. During his USHL career with Madison, he has scored 11 goals and racked up 11 assists in 25 games. He heads to Augustana in the fall.

Max Cullen

Moorhead junior forward; Muskegon Lumberjacks

Cullen logged two goals and four points during the state tournament, bringing his total to 63 points in 31 games. He joined the USHL’s Lumberjacks after the season and has played in eight games so far.

Brandon Mickelson

Moorhead senior defenseman; Wenatchee Wild

Mickelson had a brief stint in Washington state with the Wenatchee Wild ahead of the season, but he decided to push off junior hockey until after his senior season. After concluding his Moorhead hockey career with 21 goals and 44 assists this season, he spent the rest of March playing with Wenatchee.

Jayden Kurtz

Rogers senior defenseman; Chicago Steel

Days after Rogers lost its section semifinal game vs. Wayzata, Kurtz headed to Chicago. After a 13-goal, 25-assist senior season, the NHL draft prospect and University of Wisconsin commit scored his first goal in the USHL for the Steel on March 22.

Cole Bumgarner

Rogers senior forward; Chicago Steel

Bumgarner joins his high school teammate Jayden Kurtz with the Steel after being traded by the Fargo Force, for whom he had seven goals and eight assists last season. Bumgarner had 23 goals and 32 assists this season for Rogers. In 12 games this season with the Steel, he has five points.

Brock Cheslock

Rogers senior forward; Omaha Lancers

The Royals’ top scorer with 34 goals, Cheslock joined the Omaha Lancers in the USHL after his senior season. Cheslock has scored two goals in nine games so far this season.

Bode McConnell

Edina junior forward; Madison Capitols

The Hornets may not have made it to the state championship game, but they made an impact in the quarterfinals with McConnell’s first-period hat trick. He also had a hat trick in the section final game against Wayzata that went viral online. Those goals brought his total for the season to 36 goals and 57 points in 31 games. With the Capitols, he has scored two points in two games.

Mason West

Edina senior forward; Fargo Force

After leading the Hornets to a football state tournament title in the fall, West decided to forgo his senior hockey season in favor of the USHL. The Chicago Blackhawks first-round draft pick has 10 goals and 15 assists in 38 games with the Force.

Tate Hardacre

Minnetonka senior defenseman; Wenatchee Wild

This past season, the Minnetonka senior helped the Skippers finish as the Class 2A state runners-up with 28 points. In March, Hardacre signed a scholarship and development agreement with the Wenatchee Wild.

Ethan Sturgis

Minnetonka senior forward; Green Bay Gamblers

The Skippers forward capped off the 2025-26 season with 32 points in 30 games. Before he heads to Dartmouth in 2027-28, he’s playing in the USHL for the Gamblers. He sits at two points in six games.

Cole Braunshausen

St. Thomas Academy senior forward; Lincoln Stars

St. Thomas Academy fell just shy of making it to the state tournament, but Braunshausen brought the team close with 30 goals and 67 points. He joined the USHL’s Lincoln Stars this spring, logging six points in seven games.

Caz Carlson

Rock Ridge senior forward; Des Moines Buccaneers

The St. Cloud State commit racked up 53 points for Rock Ridge this season and has one goal and two assists in 11 games for the Buccaneers in the USHL after being traded from the Waterloo Black Hawks.

Connor Schubert

Rosemount junior forward; Youngstown Phantoms

After leading the Irish to a third-place state tournament trophy with a 20-goal season, Schubert joined the Youngstown Phantoms roster.

Daniel Halonen

Delano senior forward; Watertown Shamrocks

The Tigers’ top scorer came close to bringing Delano a third-place trophy with 44 goals and 36 assists during the 2025-26 season. Halonen scored 10 points during the team’s state tournament run. The Michigan Tech commit has five goals and one assist in 10 games in the North American Hockey League this season.

Joe Erickson

Blake senior forward; Chicago Steel

Delano beat Blake in the section championship game to make it to the state tourney, but Erickson stood out this season with 32 goals and 32 assists. After the season, he joined the Chicago Steel, for whom he has yet to put up a point.