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.
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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
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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