How Minnesota High School Hockey Works (2025–2027 Breakdown)
Minnesota High School Hockey is unlike any other in the country. With sold-out arenas, massive community support, and a state tournament that draws over 100,000 fans, it’s no surprise that one of the most common questions we get is:
👉 “How does Minnesota High School Hockey work?”
In this guide, we’ll explain the Class A and Class AA system, how section playoffs work, and which teams are in each section for the 2025–26 and 2026–27 seasons.
🏒 Class A vs. Class AA Explained
Minnesota High School Hockey operates under a two-class system:
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Class A: Primarily for smaller schools (typically under ~1,200 students with some exceptions of course), some private schools also fall into the class A side.
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Class AA: Larger metro schools and any smaller schools that opt up to face higher competition levels (e.g., Edina, Hill-Murray, Roseau).
Each class is divided into eight sections, and every two years the MSHSL (Minnesota State High School League) reevaluates and updates section placements for competitive balance.
🔥 How the Playoffs Work
When section playoffs begin, teams are seeded based on regular-season performance. The seeding format looks like this:
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#1 seed plays the lowest remaining seed in the section (or receives a bye if the number of teams is uneven).
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#2 seed faces the second-lowest team, and so on.
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Winners continue through a single-elimination format until one team is crowned section champion.
Each section winner earns a spot in the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament, one of the most prestigious and well-attended high school tournaments in the country.
This structure rewards strong regular seasons while giving underdogs a chance to make a run—it’s what makes Minnesota playoff hockey so electric.
🗺️ 2025–2027 Minnesota High School Hockey Section Alignments
🔹 Section 1
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Class A: Albert Lea, Dodge County, Faribault, La-Crescent, Northfield, Red Wing, Rochester Lourdes, Waseca, Winona
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Class AA: Austin, Farmington, Lakeville North, Lakeville South, New Prague, Owatonna, Rochester Century, Rochester Mayo
🔹 Section 2
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Class A: Blake, Breck, Delano, Hutchinson, Minneapolis, Mound Westonka, Orono, Providence Academy, SW Christian/Richfield, St. Louis Park, Waconia. Check out our Class A Section 2 season preview article here!
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Class AA: Bloomington Jefferson, Chanhassen, Chaska, Eden Prairie, Holy Family, Minnetonka, Prior Lake, Shakopee
🔹 Section 3
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Class A: Fairmont, Luverne, Mankato East, Mankato West, Marshall, Minnesota River, New Ulm, Redwood Valley, Windom, Worthington
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Class AA: Apple Valley/Burnsville, Cretin-Derham Hall, Eagan, Eastview, Park of Cottage Grove, St. Thomas Academy, Two Rivers, Rosemount
🔹 Section 4
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Class A: Chisago Lakes, Hastings, Irondale, Mahtomedi, Osseo, Simley, South St. Paul, St. Paul Academy, St. Paul Highland Park, Tartan
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Class AA: East Ridge, Gentry Academy, Hill-Murray, Mounds View, Roseville, Stillwater, White Bear Lake, Woodbury
🔹 Section 5
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Class A: Becker/Big Lake, Litchfield Dassel-Cokato, Monticello, Mora, Princeton, Pine City, River Lakes, Sauk Rapids-Rice, St. Cloud Cathedral
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Class AA: Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Centennial, Champlin Park, Maple Grove, Spring Lake Park, Totino-Grace
Check out our Minnesota High School Hockey section 5A preview here!
🔹 Section 6
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Class A: Breckenridge, Fergus Falls, Little Falls, Morris/Benson, Northern Lakes, Prairie Centre, Sartell, Wadena, Willmar
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Class AA: Armstrong/Cooper, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Buffalo, Edina, Hopkins, Holy Angels, Rogers, Wayzata
🔹 Section 7
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Class A: Cloquet, Ely, Greenway, Hermantown, Hibbing, International Falls, North Shore, Moose Lake, Proctor
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Class AA: Cambridge-Isanti, Duluth Denfeld, Duluth East, Duluth Marshall, Forest Lake, Grand Rapids, Rock Ridge, Northern Edge
🔹 Section 8
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Class A: Bagley/Fosston, Crookston, Detroit Lakes, East Grand Forks, Kittson Central, Lake of the Woods, Park Rapids, Red Lake Falls, Thief River Falls, Warroad
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Class AA: Alexandria, Bemidji, Brainerd, Elk River, Moorhead, Roseau, St. Cloud, St. Michael-Albertville
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