By: Carter Dooner
Many students in the Midwest might anticipate the month of March for spring break and the hint of balmy weather after a long winter. Minnesotans share the excitement, but often for an entirely different reason.
The first week in March means the Minnesota State High School Boys Hockey Tournament. The Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul welcomes thousands of fans eager to see some great hockey and celebrate the accomplishments of 16 teams across the state. For some players, it will be the pinnacle of their hockey career. The year-round grind of dryland training and captain’s practices all culminate in the pursuit of a state ribbon. For others, the tournament is a stepping stone to college sports, and perhaps one day the pros.
In recent years, the girls’ game has taken off as well, with the state tournament in late February breaking attendance records. Minnesota High School girls hockey now feeds a college game that is gaining popularity, and a pro league founded in 2023. While the pro league fields players from all over the country, Minnesota accounts for more than 40% of its players. The size of the pipeline illustrates Minnesota’s unique place in the hockey world, and the opportunities now available to its women players.
But it’s the boys’ game that has long been a Minnesota institution. This year’s state championship broke the attendance record with 20,941 people on hand to watch Moorhead defeat Stillwater to capture their first championship in school history. Earlier that day, East Grand Forks took down St. Cloud Cathedral to earn its third-ever championship.
For the Mittelstadt family, the tournament ice has practically become a second home. Three brothers, Casey, John and Luke, have a combined eight state tournament appearances for hockey powerhouse Eden Prairie High School.
Luke and John, now on the Gopher hockey team, recall taking the day off from middle school to enjoy everything the event had to offer – all while cheering on their older brother Casey.
“I remember going down there, skipping a day of school and hanging out with my buddies,” said Luke. “My brother played in it for three years, and just watching those guys; that’s what makes you fall in love with the state tournament, it was always a lifelong dream to play in it.”
The tournament is held Wednesday through Saturday, with more than 120,000 people making the trip to St. Paul to see at least one of the games. For those looking to get annual tickets, get in line: There is an estimated 12-year waitlist to get season tickets. With championship game single tickets selling out within minutes, it quickly turns into one of the hottest tickets in town.
It’s an annual tradition among some to wait in line at the box office for hours, in the hopes of just receiving standing-room-only tickets. In this year’s tournament, the line spilled into the Kellogg parking ramp outside the arena.
Teams who make it to the tournament get first priority with tickets. When Eden Prairie got to the state tournament in 2021, Luke and his teammates walked the halls with a little extra pep in their step.
“We were pretty popular at school that week,” he said. “Students don’t have to go to class, everyone gets the day off from school, there’s no other thing like it.”
When he and the Eagles stepped into the big rink for the first time, Luke was caught off guard by how different things were. His home rink at Eden Prairie Community Center seated just 1,200 people. It was a bit of a shock taking the ice for the first time in front of more than 19,000 fans.
“It’s unreal,” Luke said. “I remember my first time skating out there and how bright it was, you’re just like ‘woah, this is happening, this is real.’”
That Eden Prairie team ran the table in the 2021 tournament, winning its first two matchups before taking down Lakeville South in the final. Luke had watched his brother Casey fall short on the very same sheet of ice, but was on hand to successfully close that chapter in the family’s story.
Tied at one apiece in overtime, Luke’s linemate, Jackson Blake, scored the game-winning goal to give the Eagles their first state championship in more than 10 years.
“I had a perfect angle to see it,” Luke said. “You kind of just black out. Watching that puck go in, it made everything right for a hot minute.”
As a Minnesota institution, the tournament offers iconic traditions players remember, even before the first puck drops. Haircuts have become a big deal. Each player is given the opportunity to skate to the blueline without their helmet and show off whatever crazy haircut they have, and say whatever they want into the camera. Luke’s team went all out, including bleached-blonde hair and crewcuts.
For current Gopher and former Hill-Murray forward Axel Begley, things were much tamer. Begley, who made the state tournament three times with the Pioneers, said his coach told the team they should be focused on the game and keep things professional.
There were no tiger stripes, mullets or other styles that could distract them from the task at hand. After all, Hill-Murray is a private school with a strict dress code.
In his sophomore season, Begley simply waved to the camera and shouted out his mom. When he got to his senior season, things went a little different.
“I actually shouted out to my buddy’s landscaping company. Went pretty viral, got on Spittin’ Chiclets,” Begley said of a popular weekly podcast that covers ice hockey and pop culture. “It was everywhere. It was my last chance to do something special, and it actually got them some good business.”
It’s little snippets like these that make the tournament memorable. It’s home to many unique moments that find their way onto other platforms, showing it’s more than just a hockey tournament. It’s fun.
For John Mittelstadt, who has experienced playing for one of the best college programs in the country, nothing compares to the tournament and high school hockey.
“High school hockey is the most fun by far,” John said. “You get the best experience with your buddies, and you are playing against people you have played with your whole life. I think that’s what makes it better than everything else.”