Hibbing/Chisholm went 28-3-2 last season, won Section 7A with a 3-2 overtime win over Cloquet/Esko/Carlton in the championship, and then lost 5-4 in overtime to Warroad in the State Class 1A Championship game. What makes 2026-27 genuinely interesting: the section’s defending champion loses its goaltender and two elite scorers, the team that nearly beat them returns 159 points from four scorers, and a sophomore who was already the best player on a section finalist roster as a 10th grader still has two years left. Section 7A is young, loaded, and wide open at the top.
2025-26 Final Results
| Team | Record | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Hibbing/Chisholm | 28-3-2 | Section Champion (beat Cloquet/Esko/Carlton 3-2 OT in final); State Runner-up |
| Cloquet/Esko/Carlton | 15-13 | Runner-up (lost to Hibbing/Chisholm 2-3 OT in final) |
| Hermantown | 17-6-4 | Semifinalist (lost to Cloquet/Esko/Carlton 1-4) |
| Proctor | 13-13-1 | Semifinalist (lost to Hibbing/Chisholm 1-10 after upsetting International Falls 2-0) |
| International Falls | 22-2-2 | Quarterfinal (lost to Proctor 0-2) |
| Ely | 8-15 | Quarterfinal (lost to Hibbing/Chisholm 1-14 after beating Moose Lake Area 13-6) |
| Greenway | 12-13 | Quarterfinal (lost to Cloquet/Esko/Carlton 0-6) |
| North Shore | 6-16-1 | Quarterfinal (lost to Hermantown 0-14) |
| Moose Lake Area | 1-22 | First round (lost to Ely 6-13) |
Hermantown: The Slight Favorite on Paper
On returning production alone, Hermantown has the edge. Beau Christy (47 points), Micklain Martalock (43), Kole Lendzyk (35) and Paxson Madill (34, as just a sophomore) combine for 159 returning points from four proven scorers. That’s a deeper returning group than any other program in the section can claim. The question is in net — Bryce Francisco’s .914 save percentage over 27 starts is gone, and the job likely falls to Liam Sundell, who saw some varsity ice time last season. How Sundell steps into that role is the variable that determines whether Hermantown is simply a section contender or the clear favorite.
Hibbing/Chisholm: Elite Talent, Real Losses
Hibbing/Chisholm loses Tate Swanson (71 points), Isaiah Hildenbrand (59 points) and goaltender Gavin Lamphere — the latter graduating after a .919 save percentage in 31 appearances that ended one overtime goal short of a state title. Those are significant departures. Cole Swanson (63 points as a sophomore) and Whitaker Rewertz (50 points as a sophomore) both return, combining for 113 points. The talent is genuinely elite. But replacing three departing contributors of that caliber — including a goaltender of Lamphere’s quality — is a real task, even for a program this talented.
Cloquet/Esko/Carlton: Talent Plus Uncertainty
Cloquet/Esko/Carlton reached the championship game on the strength of Jordy Sewell’s 48-point season as a 10th grader, which is its own argument for the program’s ceiling heading into 2026-27. But the team faces two real unknowns: Jacob Iallonardo’s .927 save percentage graduates without a proven successor, and the cooperative’s structure may shift if the Carlton-Wrenshall consolidation is finalized. How that reshapes the roster is worth monitoring all offseason.
The Young Class That Changed the Section
Two of the most compelling individual storylines in Section 7A don’t belong to championship contenders. Proctor’s Jax Hardy posted 38 points as a 9th grader and returns as a sophomore, backed by a goaltender in Ashton Lee who went .931 in limited duty and takes over the job outright next season. International Falls goes the opposite direction — losing 176 combined points from Anthony and William Yerxa and both goaltenders — but Brodie Baldwin’s 50-point sophomore campaign gives the program a foundation that didn’t seem possible watching those graduation numbers.
2026-27 Outlook
On paper, Hermantown’s returning production gives it a slight edge — 159 points from four proven scorers is a deep group by any measure. But Hibbing/Chisholm’s talent at forward is elite even after graduation, and the program’s track record means it will be in the conversation regardless. Cloquet has a sophomore who was already the best player on a section finalist, if the coop situation doesn’t take away any players, the section that produced a 28-win state runner-up and a freshman-led playoff upset in the same year has every reason to be just as competitive in 2026-27.
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