The postseason has officially kicked off for every boys' hockey team in the state as the final section seedings were released in a flurry of action on Sunday afternoon.
Blaine received the top seed in Class 2A, Section 5 in a vote of the section coaches.
The defending section champion Bengals (21-4-0) are ranked No. 6 in the latest Class 2A coaches' poll and enter the postseason one of the state's hottest teams, having won eight consecutive games and 14 of their last 16. Their only losses during the run were to section and Northwest Suburban Conference North Division rival Centennial and Hill-Murray.
Blaine finished atop the division standings, one point ahead of the second-place Cougars, and feature a first line with two of Minnesota's top senior forwards and Mr. Hockey finalists. Riley Tufte is the state's second-leading goal scorer (47) and is tied for third in points (78) with teammate Luke Notermann, who also ended the regular season with the third-most assists (50).
Centennial (18-6-1) earned the No. 2 seed while Anoka (14-9-0), which defeated Blaine 6-3 earlier this year, was voted No. 3 and Maple Grove (12-13-0) No. 4.
Stillwater received the No. 1 seed in Class 2A, Section 4 in a vote of the section coaches.
The No. 2-ranked (Class 2A) Ponies (23-1-1) completed their regular season Saturday night with a 3-2 victory over No. 4-2A Holy Family Catholic and enter the postseason on an eight-game winning streak.
Stillwater defeated defending section champion Hill-Murray during the regular season, helping drop the No. 15-2A Pioneers (15-8-2) to the No. 2 seed in section playoffs. Tartan (15-8-1-2) was voted the No. 3 seed and Roseville (12-12-1) No. 4.
Eastside powerhouses St. Thomas Academy and Mahtomedi also earned top seeds.
The Cadets (13-6-5) are the defending Class 2A, Section 3 champions and posted a 2-0-1 record against section foes in the regular season, including a 4-3 victory over Rosemount in the season opener.
Burnsville (13-10-2) received the No. 2 seed, the Irish (13-12-2) were voted No. 3 and Bloomington Jefferson (13-12-0) No. 4.
St. Thomas Academy and Mahtomedi played to a 3-3 draw 11 days ago, one of three ties the Zephyrs recorded while going unbeaten in their final six regular season games. Mahtomedi also tied Hill-Murray (1-1) and No. 2-1A Breck (4-4) in the past two weeks.
The Zephyrs (13-6-5) head into the postseason with a 5-0 record against Class 1A, Section 4 rivals, including a 3-2 victory over St. Paul Academy.
The Spartans received the No. 2 seed in the section tournament. Minnehaha Academy (15-9-1) was voted No. 3 and St. Paul Johnson (14-9-2) No. 4.
Defending state Class 2A champion Lakeville North received the No. 1 seed in Section 1 earlier in the day in a vote of the section coaches.
The Panthers (19-5-1), ranked No. 8 in the state in the latest coaches' poll, are riding an eight-game winning streak and lost just once in their final 15 games, a 1-0 defeat to No. 2 seed Farmington on Jan. 21. Farmington (15-8-1) swept both its regular season games with Lakeville North but in turn was swept by No. 3 seed Lakeville South in the regular season. Lakeville North completed the circle of sweeps by beating South (14-10-1) in the two regular season games between the crosstown rivals.
Northfield (18-6-0) captured the top seed in Class 1A, Section 1 in a vote of section coaches.
Mankato West (12-11-2) received the No. 2 seed, Rochester Lourdes (7-17-0) was voted No. 3 and Mankato East (15-9-1) No. 4.
Undefeated and No. 1 ranked (Class 2A) Benilde-St. Margaret's received the top seed in Section 6 on Sunday morning in a vote of the section coaches.
The Red Knights (24-0-1) closed out their undefeated regular season on Saturday night with a 5-2 win over St. Louis Park, which received the section's No. 6 seed. On Thursday night, Benilde-St. Margaret's cemented its status as the section's team to beat by outlasting No. 2 seed Wayzata 4-2 at a packed Plymouth Ice Center. The Trojans are 16-8-1 heading into the playoffs.
Minnetonka, the Lake Conference champion and state's No. 5-ranked team in Class 2A, earned the top seed in Section 2 in a vote of the section coaches.
The Skippers (18-6-1), coming off a decisive 6-1 triumph over Duluth East, the No. 2 seed in Class 2A, Section 7, finished second in the section tournament last season to Eden Prairie. The Eagles received the No. 2 seed and Holy Family Catholic the No. 3 seed.
Eden Prairie (16-7-2) is ranked No. 3 and and Holy Family Catholic (19-5-0) No. 4 in the state in the latest coaches' poll.
Breck, the No. 2-ranked team behind Hermantown in Class 1A for most of the season, received the top seed in Section 2. The Mustangs (21-3-1) have been a fixture at the state Class 1A tournament for most of the last decade-plus, winning titles in 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2010.
Hermantown, runner-up at the state Class 1A tournament each of the last six years, received the top seed in Section 7 on Friday morning in a vote of the section coaches.
The No. 1-ranked Hawks (21-2-1) cemented their No. 1 status in the section on Thursday night with a 7-0 thumping of top challenger and No. 2 seed Hibbing (22-3-0). The Bluejackets are ranked No. 4 in the state.
Hermantown's two losses this season were to Class 2A powerhouses Bemidji (the top seed in Section 8) and Minnetonka (the Lake Conference champion and potential top seed in Section 2). The Hawks went 6-0-0 against Class 1A, Section 7 competition, winning those games by a combined score of 37-4.
Potential section semifinal opponent and No. 7-ranked Greenway (21-4-0) gave Hermantown one of its toughest games of the regular season. The Hawks beat the No. 4 seed Raiders 2-1 in Coleraine on Jan. 12.
Grand Rapids received the top seed in this year's Class 2A, Section 7 playoffs on Wednesday in a vote of the section coaches.
The No. 10-ranked (Class 2A) Thunderhawks (17-6-1) finished the year with a 6-1 record in regular season games against section opponents, losing only to Elk River (6-2 at the Edina Holiday Hockey Classic in mid-December).
Grand Rapids may have solidified the top seed with a 4-3 overtime home victory against Duluth East on Jan. 7. The defending section champion Greyhounds (15-8-0) were selected as the No. 2 seed while the Elks (15-7-1) were No. 3 and Cloquet-Esko-Carlton (10-13-0) No. 4.
Also on Wednesday, Luverne was voted the top seed for the Class 1A, Section 3 playoffs by the section coaches.
The Cardinals (19-5-0) open postseason play at home on Feb. 18 against the winner of the play-in game between No. 9 seed Fairmont and No. 8 seed Windom.
Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato (16-7-0), which lost to the Cardinals 6-3 in Luverne on Dec. 29, received the No. 2 seed, Hutchinson (11-12-0) was voted No. 3 and Redwood Valley (15-6-0) No. 4.
Princeton was selected as the No. 1 seed in the Class 1A, Section 5 playoffs, finishing ahead of Mississippi 8 Conference rivals Chisago Lakes and Monticello in a vote of the section coaches.
The Tigers (17-7-0) compiled an impressive 10-1 record in regular season games against section opponents, including two victories over Monticello. Their only loss came on Feb. 6 to Chisago Lakes (11-13-0), which received the No. 2 seed for the playoffs.
Monticello (9-14-1) was voted the No. 3 seed and Sauk Rapids-Rice (5-19-0) No. 4.
Bemidji, the defending Class 2A, Section 8 champion, received the top seed in the section playoffs earlier in the day in a vote of the section coaches.
Like No. 9-ranked (Class 2A) Bemidji, defending Class 1A, Section 6 champion St. Cloud Apollo (ranked No. 3 in Class 1A) is the clear section favorite again this year and also received the top seed in a vote of the section's coaches.
Bemidji (20-2-2) could be on a collision course with longtime rival and No. 2 seed Moorhead (14-9-0) in Class 2A, Section 8. The Lumberjacks and Spuds split their regular season meetings, with Bemidji winning 5-0 in Bemidji on Dec. 1 and Moorhead prevailing 3-2 in overtime in Moorhead on Jan. 12. Over the past decade the teams have played numerous one-goal games, many of them decided in overtime.
The Eagles (20-2-0), ranked No. 3 in the state among Class 1A schools, open section play on Tuesday against the winner of a play-in game between No. 8 seed River Lakes and No. 9 Wadena-Deer Creek. Apollo's two losses this season were to Bemidji 2-1 in the Eagles' season opener on Nov. 21 and 3-2 in overtime to likely Class 1A, Section Breck (ranked No. 2 in Class 1A).
St. Cloud Cathedral (17-6-1) received the No. 2 seed, Sartell-St. Stephen (16-8-0) was voted No. 3 and Little Falls (16-7-1) No. 4.
Thief River Falls was voted the top seed in Class 1A, Section 8 ahead of two-time defending state champion East Grand Forks.
In potential preview of the Class 1A, Section 8 title game, No. 6-ranked Thief River Falls (19-5-0) beat East Grand Forks 4-2 on Tuesday night in East Grand Forks behind four third-period goals from senior Ethan Johnson, who has 39 goals this season to rank fourth in the state. The Prowlers trailed 2-0 entering the final period.
East Grand Forks (13-10-2) beat Thief River Falls 4-3 in overtime in last year's section championship game.
SUNDAY'S SEEDING RESULTS
1. Blaine
2. Centennial
3. Anoka
4. Maple Grove
5. Spring Lake Park
6. Champlin Park
7. Osseo
8. Coon Rapids
1. Stillwater
2. Hill-Murray
3. Tartan
4. Roseville
5. White Bear Lake
6. Woodbury
7. Mounds View
8. Irondale
9. North St. Paul
1. St. Thomas Academy
2. Burnsville
3. Rosemount
4. Bloomington Jefferson
5. Eastview
6. Apple Valley
7. Eagan
8. Park of Cottage Grove
9. Hastings
10. East Ridge
1. Mahtomedi
2. St. Paul Academy
3. Minnehaha Academy
4. St. Paul Johnson
5. Totino-Grace
6. South St. Paul
7. Henry Sibley
8. Simley
9. St. Paul Como Park
10. St. Paul Highland Park
1. Northfield
2. Mankato West
3. Rochester Lourdes
4. Mankato East
5. Red Wing
6. LeSueur-Henderson
7. Albert Lea
8. Austin
9. La Crescent
10. Faribault
11. Waseca
12. Winona
1. Breck (21-3-1)
2. Delano (18-7-0)
3. Orono (15-9-1)
4. Blake (13-12-0)
5. New Prague (10-14-1)
6. Waconia (13-11-1)
7. Minneapolis (15-8-2)
8. Bloom. Kennedy (12-13-0)
9. Mound Westonka (6-19-0)
10. Providence Academy (4-19-2)
1. Lakeville North (19-5-1)
2. Farmington (15-8-1)
3. Lakeville South (14-10-1)
4. Roch. John Marshall (19-6-0)
5. Owatonna (15-9-1)
6. Rochester Mayo (14-10-1)
7. Rochester Century (10-14-1)
8. Dodge County (4-21-0)
1. Minnetonka (18-6-1)
2. Eden Prairie (16-7-2)
3. Holy Family Catholic (19-5-0)
4. Prior Lake (18-7-0)
5. Chanhassen (13-11-1)
6. Shakopee (4-20-1)
7. Chaska (13-10-1)
1. Benilde-St. Margaret's (24-0-1)
2. Wayzata (16-8-1)
3. Edina (14-9-2)
4. Cretin-Derham Hall (14-11-0)
5. Hopkins (6-17-1)
6. St. Louis Park (14-11-0)
7. Armstrong/Cooper (11-12-2)
8. Holy Angels (6-17-0)
FRIDAY'S SEEDING RESULTS
1. Hermantown (21-2-1)
2. Hibbing (22-3-0)
3. Duluth Denfeld (11-12-1)
4. Greenway (21-4-0)
5. North Shore (18-7-0)
6. Virginia/MI-B (9-14-2)
7. Proctor (11-13-0)
8. International Falls (10-13-1)
9. Eveleth-Gilbert (7-17-1)
10. Ely (6-15-1)
WEDNESDAY'S SEEDING RESULTS
Class 2A, Section 7
1. Grand Rapids (17-6-1)
2. Duluth East (15-8-0)
3. Elk River (15-7-1)
4. C-E-C (10-13-0)
5. Duluth Marshall (8-13-1)
6. Forest Lake (10-12-2)
7. Andover (7-17-0)
8. St. Francis (7-16-1)
9. Cambridge-Isanti (11-13-0)
Class 2A, Section 8
1. Bemidji (20-2-2)
2. Moorhead (14-9-0)
3. Brainerd (13-11-1)
4. St. Michael-Albertville (14-7-2)
5. Roseau (10-12-2)
6. Rogers (16-7-0)
7. Buffalo (9-11-3)
Class 1A, Section 3
1. Luverne (19-5-0)
2. Litchfield/D-C (16-7-0)
3. Hutchinson (11-12-0)
4. Redwood Valley (15-6-0)
5. New Ulm (12-10-2)
6. Willmar (8-17-0)
7. Marshall (14-9-1)
8. Windom (7-17-0)
9. Fairmont (4-19-0)
10. Morris (2-20-0)
11. Worthington (0-22-0)
Class 1A, Section 5
1. Princeton (17-7-0)
2. Chisago Lakes (11-13-0)
3. Monticello (9-14-1)
4. Sauk Rapids-Rice (5-19-0)
5. Pine City (15-10-0)
6. Mora (14-9-0)
7. North Branch (5-18-0)
8. Legacy Christian (8-14-0)
9. Moose Lake (4-15-1)
10. Becker (2-18-1)
Class 1A, Section 6
1. St. Cloud Apollo (22-2-0)
2. St. Cloud Cathedral (17-6-1)
3. Sartell-St. Stephen (16-8-0)
4. Little Falls (16-7-1)
5. Fergus Falls (10-12-2)
6. St. Cloud Tech (13-12-0)
7. Alexandria (10-13-1)
8. River Lakes (8-16-0)
9. Wadena-Deer Creek (12-11-1)
10. Breckenridge-Wahpeton (13-8-0)
Class 1A, Section 8
1. Thief River Falls (19-5-0)
2. East Grand Forks (13-10-2)
3. Warroad (10-15-0)
4. Detroit Lakes (13-9-2)
5. Crookston (11-13-0)
6. Park Rapids (13-11-1)
7. Northern Lakes (9-13-2)
8. Red Lake Falls (9-12-4)
9. Lake of the Woods (7-16-1)
10. Bagley/Fosston (3-19-0)
11. Kittson Central (3-20-1)