MYHockey News
Week 19 MHR Games of the Week: Hockey Day Minnesota & More
@hockeydaymn IG photo
Week 19 of the 2023-24 North American hockey season is a big one in the State of Hockey.
That’s right; this week brings us Hockey Day Minnesota, an annual statewide celebration of the sport that this year is being hosted by the town of Warroad, often referred to Hockeytown USA.
In addition to the Hockey Day Minnesota games and associated festivities, there are two additional high-level youth tournaments this week that we will be tracking.
The fifth edition of the annual USHL Frosty Cup, which includes some of the United States’ top 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U Tier 1 boys teams, is being held in the Dallas area this weekend. Meanwhile, the MacPherson Hockey Tournament, featuring some of the top prep, academy and 18U AAA boys programs in the U.S. and Canada, is being hosted by St. Andrew’s College in Ontario.
Nearly 60 teams will be facing off in many Dallas-area rinks during the Frosty Cup, which got underway Friday morning and runs through Sunday. A unique event that also features a pair of contests between the United States Hockey League’s Sioux Falls Stampede and Dubuque Fighting Saints, the Frosty Cup allows Tier 1 youth players to compete against top clubs from around the U.S. and also to get a taste of what it takes to play at the highest level of junior hockey offered in the United States.
The USHL is the only Tier 1 junior league in the U.S. It is tuition free for the players, most of whom are professional or high-end NCAA Division I prospects. In addition to being able to attend the two USHL games, youth players participating in the tournament have an opportunity to play in front of league coaches and scouts.
The 40th MacPherson Hockey Tournament also runs Friday through Sunday in Aurora, Ontario. This year’s field includes teams from Ontario, British Columbia, Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan and New York, and seven of the eight entries are among the top 10 in their specific MHR ranking category.
The motto for Hockey Day Minnesota 2024 is “Come early. Stay late. Skate every day.” The three-plus-day event is a partnership among the host community, the Minnesota Wild, Bally Sports North and Minnesota Hockey. Festivities began Thursday and conclude Sunday with the official “Hockey Day Minnesota” set for Saturday.
Bally Sports North will provide more than 16 hours of coverage beginning at 10 a.m. EST Saturday. Coverage will include three outdoor games from Warroad Athletic Complex followed by the National Hockey League game between the Wild and Anaheim from Xcel Energy Center at 9 p.m. EST.
Saturday’s outdoor games included the following top Minnesota High School matchups:
#18 Warroad (3), #6 Lakeville North Girls (4)
Lakeville North fell behind early but rallied for three-straight goals then held off the hosts for a 4-3 Hockey Day Minnesota victory. The Panthers, who improved to 18-2-1 on the year, were led by Gracie Hanson's goal and two assists to overcome a hat trick by Warrior sophomore Taylor Reese. Reese scored the first goal of the game just over a minute after the puck dropped, but Addie Bowlby evened things late in the oprning Frame. Reese cut the lead to 3-2 late in the second period. Lakeville extended the lead to 4-2 in the final stanza before Reese completed the hatty on the power play in the final minute. Panther freshman netminder Kaia Weiland stood tall in the final period to earn the win in goal.
#25 Moorhead (2) vs. #2 Wayzata Boys (5)
The Trojans knocked off Moorhead for the second time this year in the second Hockey Day Minnesota tilt of the day. Finn and Cade De St. Hubert opened and closed the scoring for the Trojans, who scored the game's first three goals. The Spuds would cut the margin to 4-2 in the third period on a goal by Mason Kraft before Cade De St. Hubert's long-distance empty-netter sealed the outcome.
#13 Warroad (6), #18 Roseau Boys (2)
Taven James recorded the first hat trick of his high-school career, opening the scoring just over a minute into the game, as the Warriors defeated their longtime rivals from Rouseau, 6-2, before a capacity Hockey Day Minnesota crowd. These teams has played earlier in the season, with Rouseau winning, 3-2. Warroad led, 3-0, entering the final period and held off a late Ram rally that cut the lead to two at one point. Murray Marvin-Cordes added a pair of goals for Warroad.
In the latest overall MYHockey Minnesota Girls High School rankings, Class A Warroad is ranked 18th with a record of 15-6-0, while Class AA Lakeville North is No. 6 at 17-2-1.
On the boys side, Class AA Moorhead is ranked 25th overall by MHR with a 7-9-1 record, while AA Wazyata checks in at No. 2 at 14-1-2. Class A Warroad is No. 13 overall at 15-3-0 and AA Rouseau is 18th overall with a 14-3-1 mark.
Hockey Day Minnesota was created in 2007 by the Minnesota Wild to celebrate the sport that has helped Minnesota become known as the “State of Hockey.”
Previous host locations have included Baudette Bay (2007, 2008), Phalen Park (2009), Hermantown (2010), Moorhead (2011), Minnetonka (2012), Grand Rapids (2013), Elk River (2014), St. Paul (2015), Duluth (2016), Stillwater (2017), St. Cloud (2018), Bemidji (2019), Minneapolis (2020), Guidant John Rose MN Oval (2021), Mankato (2022) and White Bear Township (2023).
Earlier in the week, youth teams from Warroad and Roseau got a chance to play on the outdoor ice as did the junior-varsity girls’ teams from Warroad and Lakeville North and the varsity boys’ sides from Waseca, Thief River Falls, Lake of the Woods and Kittson County Central.
Friday’s festivities include an NCAA Division III matchup between Concordia and St. Olaf at 6:30 p.m. EST and a Warroad vs. Roseau alumni game at 9 p.m. EST. Warroad’s Bantam A team also will take on the AA team from Moorhead Saturday at 8:30 p.m. EST on the outdoor rink.
In addition, there will be a screening of “The Electric Indian,” a documentary about Warroad-native Henry Boucha, whose National Hockey League career was cut short by injuries he suffered as the result of an on-ice attack, at 4 p.m. EST Friday.
In addition to the outdoor rink, the Warroad Athletic Complex has been repurposed to include a sledding hill, a miniature Riverbend Skate Path, photo-op spots, food trucks and several warm-up locations, including the Hockeytown Lodge, a rinkside VIP tent, fire pits and igloos. Live music and other entertainment is offered throughout duration of the event.
The Hockey Day Minnesota Village will remain open for youth games and other activities on Sunday.
This year’s edition of the USHL Frosty Cup features 56 USA Boys Tier 1 teams competing at the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U age levels. Playoffs, consolation games and championships will be held for the 14U, 16U and 18U divisions. Games will be played at the Comerica Center and other Dallas-area Children’s Health StarCenter rinks. Most, if not all, of the games should be available via webstream at LiveBarn.
The Frosty Cup 14U Division includes four of the top 26 teams in the U.S., according to the latest MYHockey rankings. At the 15O level, two top-12 teams and eight of the current top-33 clubs are entered. A pair of top-10 clubs and five of the top-30 teams will participate in the 16U tournament, and the 18U division includes six of the top-28 U.S. teams.
Frosty Cup 14U Top Friday Matchups
#18 Wilkes Barre/Scranton Jr. Knights (7), #43 Omaha Mastery (2)
#26 Colorado Thunderbirds (3), #46 Long Island Royals (1)
#22 Seacoast Performance Academy (4), #37 Madison Capitols (1)
Frosty Cup 14U Top Saturday Matchups
#26 Colorado Thunderbirds (1), #18 Wilkes Barre/Scranton Jr. Knights (5)
#8 Dallas Stars Elite (2), #22 Seacoast Performance Academy (5)
#18 Wilkes Barre/Scranton Jr. Knights (6), #46 Long Island Royals (5)
#26 Colorado Thunderbirds (3), #43 Omaha Mastery (6)
#18 Dallas Stars Elite (2), #37 Madison Capitols (3)
Frosty Cup 14U Sunday Semifinals
#22 Seacoast Performance Academy (3), #46 Long Island Royals (4)
Long Island rallied from a 1-0 first-period deficit with three goals on nine shots in the second period and held off SPA in the third period to advance to the championship game. Charles Semetsis, William Gallagher and Matthew Bispo scored during the three-goal run, and Jack Hinteman potted the eventual game-winner with 4:30 left in the third period. The real hero, however, was Royals netminder James Schofield, who finished with 47 saves.
#37 Madison Capitols (2), #18 WIlkes Barre/Scranton Jr. Knights (5)
WBS exploded for four second-period goals to blow open what had been a 1-0 game after the third period and waltz into the title game. Grayson Espenshade, Alexander Abolenskiy, Brendon Matyscak and Avery Fixman potted the four goals, with Espenshade also scoring in the first period. Mason Courville made 19 saves to earn the win in goal.
Frosty Cup 14U Sunday Championship Game
#18 Wilkes Barre/Scranton Jr. Knights (5), #46 Long Island Royals (3)
Long Island rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to even the score, but Wilkes Barre scored three of the game's final four goals to claim the championship. Grayson Espenshade, Alexander Abolenskiy and Matthe Kealey potted the deciding tallies, with Kealey's goal sealing the outcome after C.J. Pena had cut the margin to 4-3 in the third period. Espenshade scored twice in the opening period to stake the Jr. Knights to a 2-0 lead and record a hat trick. Mason Courville stopped 31 shots to earn the win in goal.
Frosty Cup 15O Top Friday Matchups
#33 Pittsburgh Vengeance (2), #26 Okanagan Colorado (4)
#28 Team Illinois (3), #31 Rocky Mountain RoughRiders (1)
#26 Okanagan Colorado (1), #12 North Jersey Avalanche (4)
#10 Seacoast Performance Academy (7), #24 Dallas Stars Elite (2)
Frosty Cup 15O Top Saturday Matchups
#24 Dallas Stars Elite (2), #33 Pittsburgh Vengeance (0)
#31 Rocky Mountain RoughRiders (2), #45 New Hampshire Mountain Kings (5)
#10 Seacoast Performance Academy (6), #33 Pittsburgh Vengeance (2)
#12 North Jersey Avalanche (4), #28 Team Illinois (3)
Frosty Cup 15O Sunday Top Matchups
#24 Dallas Stars Elite (5), #25 Wilkes Barre/Scranton Jr. Knights (8)
#28 Team Illinois (1), #33 Pittsburgh Vengeance (4)
#10 Seacoast Performance Academy (4), #12 North Jersey Avalanche (2)
#24 Dallas Stars Elite (3), #26 Okanagan 2
Frosty Cup 16U Top Friday Matchups
#10 St. Louis AAA Blues (2), #30 Jersey Hitmen (3)
#28 Chicago Fury (2), #38 Anaheim Jr. Ducks (1)
#26 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes (0), #56 Seacoast Performance Academy (2)
#30 Jersey Hitmen (3), #37 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (1)
Frosty Cup 16U Top Saturday Matchups
#34 Colorado Thunderbirds (1), #38 Anaheim Jr. Ducks (5)
#10 St. Louis AAA Blues (2), #37 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (0)
#4 Dallas Stars Elite (5), #34 North Jersey Avalanche (3)
Frosty Cup 16U Sunday Semifinals
#56 Seacoast Performance Academy (1), #4 Dallas Stars Elite (7)
Dallas sprinted to a 4-1 lead after two periods and cruised into the championship game with three more in the final frame. Six Stars recorded multiple points, with Lucian Deering, Nolan Mara, Chance Burlison, Blake Patterson and Landon Amrhein each notching a goal and an assist and Alec Nasreddine dishing out a pair of helpers. Micah Adams earned the win in goal with 24 saves.
#30 Jersey Hitmen (3), #28 Chicago Fury (6)
The Fury scored the first three goals in the opening two periods before the Hitmen rallied to cut the margin to 3-2 late in the second period. Chicago responded with three-straight goals, however, to advance to the championship game. Wyatt Sypniewski scored the second of those three deciding markers to complete a hat trick, with Rocco Salvi, Danny Reynolds and Anthony Preskar also scoring and Gage Cutting stopping 30 shots.
Frosty Cup 16U Sunday Championship Game
#4 Dallas Stars Elite (5), #28 Chicago Fury (0)
Dallas scored all five of its goals in the opening two periods, with Jackson Crowder scoring two in the first stanza, to roll to the Frosty Cup title. Lucian Deering, Ryder McLeod and Chance Burlison also scored for the Stars, and Aiden Eskit earned the shutout with 20 saves. Crowder and Burlison also each picked up assists in the victory.
Frosty Cup 18U Top Friday Matchups
#24 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (2), #28 Chicago Fury (3)
#24 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (1), #25 Jersey Hitmen (0)
#28 Chicago Fury (2), #68 Colorado Thunderbirds (0)
Frosty Cup 18U Top Saturday Matchups
#34 Anaheim Jr. Ducks (2), #28 Chicago Fury (5)
#15 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes (6), #54 North Jersey Avalanche (3)
#29 Dallas Stars Elite (4), #25 Jersey Hitmen (5)
Frosty Cup 18U Sunday Semifinals
#15 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes (5), #29 Dallas Stars Elite (1)
Phoenix netted three opening-period goals, capped by Daniel Rassega's short-handed marker, en route to a 4-0 lead to skate into the finals. Rassega also scored the fourth Coyote goal, to go along with tallies by Aiden Bergner, Isaiah Yates and Jacob Solano. Max Millstine made 28 saves to earn the victory in goal.
#28 Chicao Fury (2), #68 Colorado Thunderbirds (3) - SO
These two teams battlied back and forth, with Colorado rallying from a 1-0 deficit to take a 2-1 lead early in the third period only to see Chicago tie it up on Charlie Szymczak's goal with 14:29 left in regulation. The Fury would earn the victory in a shootout to advance to the championship game. Reese Allman and Charlie Szymczak scored for Chicago, while Thomas Forgrave and Max Haims tallied for the T-Birds. Torran Origitano and Declan Maloney scored the shotout goals for the Fury, and Jake Junzon made 15 saves to pick up the win in goal.
Frosty Cup 18U Sunday Championship Game
#15 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes (2), #28 Chicago Fury (1)
Brayden Boucher buried the game-winning goal with 6:40 left in the third period to break a 1-all tie and lift Phoenix to the title. Aiden Bergner had the other Coyote goal, while Torran Origitano scored for Chicago. Ben Vatis made 24 saves to defeat his counterpart Frankie Cambria, who stopped 25 shots.
Courtesy of LiveBarn, here are the Top 5 Goals from the Frosty Cup!
Hosted by Canada’s top-ranked Independent Boys Prep team from St. Anrdrew’s College in Aurora, Ontario, this year’s 40th edition of the MacPherson Tournament includes a mixture of top Canadian Prep teams, North American Prep and academy teams and 18U AAA teams.
Represented among the tournament field are seven teams ranked among the top-10 in their respective MHR rankings categories as well as a team of U18 all-stars from the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL).
The tournament is broken down into two four-team pools.
In addition to St. Andrew’s, the top Canadian Independent Prep team, the Hamilton Pool includes the No. 7 USA 18U Tier 1 National Bound Bishop Kearney Selects, No. 6 Western Canada and Canada RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna and the GOJHL All-Stars.
The Meagher Pool includes USA Tier 1 National Bound No. 4 Culver Academies, No. 9 USA Overall Northwood School, No. 8 New England Prep Brunswick School and No. 6 USA Tier 1 National Bound Victory Honda.
With this type of field, every game is a matchup of high-end teams. Here’s a rundown of the schedule:
Friday & Saturday MacPherson Tournament Schedule
Friday at 9:10 a.m. EST
GOJHL U18 Stars (1), #7 USA T1 Bishop Kearney Selects (3)
Friday at 9:30 a.m. EST
#6 W. Canada/Canada RHA Kelowna (2), #1 Canada Prep St. Andrew’s (4)
#4 USA T1 Culver Academies (4), #6 USA T1 Victory Honda (2)
#8 NE Prep Brunswick School (1), #9 USA Overall Northwood School (2)
Friday at 4:00 p.m. EST
#6 USA T1 Victory Honda (3), #9 USA Overall Northwood School (4)
#8 NE Prep Brunswick School (2), #4 USA T1 Culver Academies (4)
Friday at 4:15 p.m. EST
GOJHL U18 Stars (1), #6 W. Canada/Canada RHA Kelowna (5)
Friday at 7:00 p.m. EST
#7 USA T1 Bishop Kearney Selects (5), #1 Canada Prep St. Andrew’s (8)
#8 NE Prep Brunswick School (2), #4 USA T1 Culver Academies (4)
Saturday at 9:00 a.m. EST
#8 NE Prep Brunswick School (3), #6 USA T1 Victory Honda 4
Saturday at 11:00 a.m. EST
#9 USA Overall Northwood School (3), #4 USA T1 Culver Academies (1)
#1 Canada Prep St. Andrew’s (4), GOJHL U18 Stars (0)
Saturday at 11:15 a.m. EST
#6 W. Canada/Canada RHA Kelowna (1), #7 USA T1 Bishop Kearney Selects (3)
Saturday's Semifinals
#1 Canada Prep St. Andrew's (4), #4 USA T1 Culver Academies (2)
Four different St. Andrew's players scored as the hosts opened up a 2-0 and 3-1 leads only so see Culver cut the margin to 3-2 on Jack Zhang's third-period goal with 2:01 remaining. But Dean Letourneau's empty-net goal sealed the victory and a spot in the championship game for St. Andrew's. Liam Furey made 27 saves for the victors, who also got goals from Aidan Lane, Kieren Dervin and Jack Good.
#7 USA T1 Bishop Kearney Selects 3, #9 USA Overall Northwood School (0)
Bishop Kearney got all the scoring it would need in the first period as Tyler Kelly, Brayton Frick and Michael Kowalski each tallied for a 3-0 lead that would hold up as the final score. Frick also assisted on Kelly's goal, with Vincent Ipri assisting on B.K.'s first two markers. Jabe Breitzke stopped all 21 shots fired his way to earn the shutout for the victors.
Sunday's Championship Game
#7 USA T 1 Bishop Kearney Selects (0), #1 Canada Prep St. Andrew's (4)
The hosts scored twice in the first period and added single goals in the second and third frames to capture the championship at the 40th MacPherson Hockey Tournament. Paolo Frasca stopped all 37 B.K. shots fired his way to lead his team to the title and earn the clean sheet. Jared McNeil, Jack Good, Connor Arseneault and Kieren Dervin each scored once for St. Andrew's, which had 11 different players record a point.
