East Grand Forks Boys Hockey Season Preview 2026-27
East Grand Forks went 11-14-2 last season and fell 3-1 to Detroit Lakes in the Section 8A semifinal. The record undersells what this program actually is. East Grand Forks won the Class A championship in 2025, and three of last season’s top four scorers are back. Under head coach Tyler Palmisano this is a program built to compete every night, not one starting over.
Players Lost to Graduation
Tucker Lovejoy (F) led the team by a wide margin, posting 27 goals and 23 assists for 50 points, with 7 power-play goals, 6 power-play assists, 2 short-handed goals and 2 game-winners.
Nolan Meulebroeck (F) added 25 points on 9 goals and 16 assists, with 3 power-play goals and 7 power-play assists.
Wyatt Cordts (12 points), Cole Schmiedeberg (11 points), Braden Overgaard (10 points) and Jake Chupka (8 points) round out the departing scorers. Aiden Gunderson (G), who saw one goaltending appearance, also graduates.
Returning Players for 2026-27
Jace Panzer (F), a senior next season, was the team’s No. 2 scorer, posting 12 goals and 26 assists for 38 points, with 2 power-play goals, 10 power-play assists and 2 game-winners.
Max Bies (D), also a senior next season, added 32 points from the blue line on 8 goals and 24 assists, with 5 power-play goals and 8 power-play assists.
Cy Hjelmen (F), a junior next season, contributed 26 points on 10 goals and 16 assists as a sophomore. Between them, Panzer, Bies and Hjelmen combined for 96 points last season, and all three return.
Ryan Clauson, Grant Kovar and Shawn Lind add returning depth, and Easton Olson gives the program another scoring option as a junior.
Goaltending Situation
Noah Schindele (G), a senior next season, returns after carrying the full workload last season. He posted a 10-13-2 record with a 3.05 GAA, an .880 save percentage and 2 shutouts across 25 appearances. Those numbers look more modest out of context than they actually are. East Grand Forks faced Delano, Hermantown, Detroit Lakes, Warroad and Moorhead last season, and Schindele held up against that competition all season. Chayson Boespflug (G), also a senior next season, returns after limited action.
Players to Watch
Jace Panzer’s playmaking was one of the better numbers at forward in Section 8A last season, and he’s not finished developing. Max Bies gives the program a proven, high-scoring defenseman. Cy Hjelmen’s 26-point sophomore season points toward a breakout year as a junior. This is the core of a program that won a state title within recent memory, not one hoping to get back there someday.
Key Players to Replace
East Grand Forks’s offseason priorities center on:
- Tucker Lovejoy’s 50 points and goal-scoring
- Nolan Meulebroeck’s 25 points and power-play production
- Depth scoring from Wyatt Cordts, Cole Schmiedeberg, Braden Overgaard and Jake Chupka
2026-27 Outlook
East Grand Forks’s 11-14-2 record last season came against one of the toughest schedules in Class A, finishing third in the Mariucci Conference behind Warroad and Moorhead and still reaching the Section 8A semifinal. Jace Panzer, Max Bies and Cy Hjelmen give the program a proven core heading into 2026-27. Don’t let last season’s record fool you. Should they all return this is one of the stronger groups anywhere in Section 8A.
Statistics reflect the 2025-26 regular season and Section 8A playoffs.
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