Section 8A produced the Class 1A state champion last season. Warroad went 25-5-1, beat Hibbing/Chisholm 5-4 in overtime for the title, and returns the most productive player in the section in Gavin Andersen. But the section doesn’t stand still around the defending champion — Thief River Falls brings back Spencer Anderson and the entire class that made the Prowlers a semifinal team, East Grand Forks has a proven senior core from a 2025 state champion program, and Detroit Lakes returns one of the best goaltenders in the section along with a defensive group that took them to the section final.
Here’s how we see the top four — and the rest of the section — shaking out.
| Team | 2025-26 Record | Result | Key Returning Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warroad | 25-5-1 | State Champion | Gavin Andersen (73 pts), Ayven Hontvet (43 pts, gr9), Rodrick Jackson (39 pts, gr9), Finn Hanson (.927 SV%) |
| Thief River Falls | 12-13-1 | Section SF loss | Spencer Anderson (55 pts, Miami Ohio), Hudson Brouse (41 pts), Ian Winter (22 pts), Beckem Johnson (19 pts, gr9) |
| East Grand Forks | 11-14-2 | Section SF loss | Jace Panzer (38 pts), Max Bies (32 pts), Cy Hjelmen (26 pts), Noah Schindele (.880 SV%) |
| Detroit Lakes | 17-10-1 | Section Final loss | Griffin Lindberg (.920 SV%), Bauer Walter (gr10), Rhett Walter (24 pts, gr9) |
| Bagley/Fosston | 18-8 | Section QF loss | James Palmer (81 pts, gr10), top 4 scorers return |
| Park Rapids | 12-15 | Section QF loss | Finn Henry (47 pts), Konnor Ball (24 pts), Easton Brovold (23 pts), Gustav Pedersen (19 pts) |
| Red Lake Falls | 15-12 | Section QF loss | Boe Nelson (37 pts); major rebuild |
| Kittson County Central | 5-18 | First round loss | Eli Muir (31 pts), top 5 return |
| Lake of the Woods | 3-20 | First round loss | Brody Block (13 pts, gr9), Carson Brouse (10 pts, gr8) |
| Crookston | 15-10-1 | Section QF loss | Full rebuild — entire scoring core graduates |
Warroad — Defending Champions, Section Favorite
Gavin Andersen put up 73 points as a junior — 35 goals, 38 assists, 6 short-handed goals, 8 game-winners — and returns as a senior. The graduation losses are real: Ryan Shaugabay (57 points) and Broden Hontvet (40 points from the blue line) are both gone, along with Patrick Kennedy. But the depth returning around Andersen is what makes this program so hard to dislodge.
Ayven Hontvet posted 43 points from the blue line as a true freshman — 9 power-play goals, 13 power-play assists, 4 game-winners — and is a sophomore next year. Rodrick Jackson added 39 points as a true freshman forward. Two freshmen combining for 82 points on the state’s top team. In net, Finn Hanson steps back into the starter role after posting a .927 save percentage and 5 shutouts in 26 appearances — he was Warroad’s established starter before injury last season, and there is no concern there. Jay Hardwick is in his 14th year and 245 career wins. Warroad is the pick to defend the section title.
Thief River Falls — The Real Challenger
No team in Section 8A returns a more intact roster. Spencer Anderson scored 40 goals in 26 games as a junior — committed to Miami (Ohio), returns as a senior. Hudson Brouse (41 points, 30 assists) returns alongside Ian Winter (22 points), Jed Kelly (18 points) and Johnny Rogalla (13 points), all as seniors. Beckem Johnson posted 19 points from the blue line as a true freshman and is a sophomore next year. Kyle Anderson’s program improved by four wins in year two, and graduation losses total exactly one defenseman with 5 points.
The one honest question is the net. Cooper Roff graduated after starting 26 games. Austin Lawrence is the only returning goaltender with any varsity appearances and his tracked minutes are minimal. If Lawrence develops, Thief River Falls has the offensive firepower to push for a section title.
East Grand Forks — Pedigree and Proven Production
The 2025 state champions went 11-14-2 last season, which reads worse than it is — East Grand Forks plays one of the tougher schedules in class A. Three of their top four scorers return as seniors: Jace Panzer (38 points), Max Bies (32 points from the blue line) and Cy Hjelmen (26 points as a sophomore). Tucker Lovejoy (50 points) graduates, but Noah Schindele returns in net. Tyler Palmiscno is 15 seasons in, and the senior class he has coming back — Panzer, Bies, Hjelmen, is a good one.
Detroit Lakes — Will ride a senior Goalie
Detroit Lakes was the section runner-up last season and may be the most underrated team heading into 2026-27. Griffin Lindberg returns in net after posting a .920 save percentage — and the Walter defensive pairing returns intact, with Bauer Walter back as a junior and Rhett Walter, who put up 24 points as a true freshman, returning as a sophomore. Teams that lose to Detroit Lakes tend to lose because they can’t solve Lindberg. That doesn’t change next year.
The graduation losses matter — the top scorers from the section final run are gone — and Detroit Lakes will need to find offense from a younger group. But with elite goaltending and a proven defensive structure, they belong firmly in the top four conversation and are capable of another section final run.
The Rest of the Section
Bagley/Fosston went 18-8 and returns James Palmer, who scored 81 points as a sophomore — one of the highest single-season totals in Class A. Palmer is a legitimate name to know. The caveat is competition: the Northwest Conference schedule doesn’t reflect what Palmer and company will face in the section bracket, and the quarterfinal is where those gaps tend to show. Still a team to watch come playoff time.
Park Rapids returns four senior scorers — Finn Henry (47 points), Konnor Ball (24), Easton Brovold (23) and Gustav Pedersen (19) — with minimal graduation losses and Logan Felton back in net. They’re a genuine 12-win team with depth, but the gap to the top four is real.
Red Lake Falls has Boe Nelson (37 points) as the anchor of a major rebuild with both goaltenders graduated.
Kittson County Central returns its entire top five scorers including Eli Muir (31 points), and Lake of the Woods has two of the more interesting young players in the section in Brody Block (13 points, freshman) and Carson Brouse (10 points, 8th grade).
Crookston faces a full rebuild with the entire scoring core gone.
Section 8A 2026-27 Predictions
Section Champion: Warroad
Section Runner-up: Thief River Falls
Semifinalists: East Grand Forks, Detroit Lakes
State tournament: Warroad
The section title is Warroad’s to lose. Gavin Andersen is the real deal, Finn Hanson is an established starter, and the two freshmen returning as sophomores give the program a runway that goes well beyond next season. But Thief River Falls has the pieces to make this one interesting— Spencer Anderson and Hudson Brouse against Gavin Andersen is exactly the kind of matchup that makes the section worth watching from opening night. If Austin Lawrence figures out the net, the final could go either way.
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