Arguably the two best teams in the Northwest Suburban Conference, No. 2-2A Maple Grove and No. 5-2A Andover play out of different playoff sections, so this game is more about pride than potential postseason positioning.
Junior Kyle Kukkonen, a Michigan Tech commit, has been a do-everything forward for Maple Grove (6-0-0, 3-0-0) this season, posting team bests in goals (six), assists (12) and points (18). Junior defenseman Henry Nelson, who has committed to play at Notre Dame, ranks second in all the same scoring categories (5-8-13).
Senior defenseman Wyatt Kaiser, Andover’s Mr. Hockey candidate and a Minnesota Duluth commit, ranks second among the Huskies (4-1-0, 1-0-0) with 10 points on three goals and seven assists. Top-line center Luke Kron’s return from a wrist injury has bolstered the offense, and he has two goals and four assists in three games.