It was in 1991, the very last season of traditional single-class high school hockey in Minnesota, that Mike Randolph coached Duluth East to the state boys’ tournament for the first time. The Greyhounds provided a thrilling ride that year, edging an outstanding Cloquet team in a section final overtime thriller before eventually falling to Hill-Murray in the state championship game.

It seems every February, regardless of record or what has taken place during the regular season, Randolph has his teams peaking and are, at minimum, a solid contender for the Section 7AA title. They have been the ultimate “tough out” for nearly three decades, and while numerous section crowns attest to the program’s success, multiple gut-wrenching losses deep in the playoffs also validate its greatness.

Coming into this season, the Greyhounds were back in the role of prohibitive favorite, returning a strong nucleus from squads that lost heartbreaking overtime section finals to Grand Rapids in each of the last two years. So far, they have yet to disappoint, losing for the first time this past Saturday at Eden Prairie as they once again navigate an extremely challenging schedule. As always, Duluth East is willing to take on any opponent, content to sacrifice a few easy victories to get a true barometer of their own weaknesses.

As the regular season approaches its final month, contenders abound in 7AA, making it one of the more competitive sections in either class once again. All of them continue to jockey for position in hopes of securing a home game in the first round. Playing on familiar ice provides the easiest route to “Semifinal Saturday,” the always-raucous afternoon doubleheader at Duluth’s Amsoil Arena that provides one of the great atmospheres in Minnesota high school hockey.

While it’s been several years since one of the southern members of the section has won a title, both Andover and Elk River/Zimmerman have been solid to this point. The Huskies, despite losses to the Elks and Duluth East, have several quality wins including a 7-2 thrashing of a very good Cloquet-Esko-Carlton (C-E-C) team. Meanwhile, the high-scoring Elks have enough talented scorers to upend anyone in a single-game, win-or-go-home situation.

C-E-C hopes to continue its habit of peaking as the postseason nears. With a combination of skilled forwards and experienced defensemen, the Lumberjacks again look primed to make a late-season push. A wild 6-6 tie with Duluth East, just before the holidays, was a definite confidence-booster, as was a recent home win over Duluth Marshall. 

As for Duluth Marshall, their third year of playing up a class has made them a seasoned AA team with a lot of potential. Overtime losses to Duluth East and Class A powerhouse Hermantown speak volumes on the Hilltoppers’ competitiveness. They will provide a stiff test for whoever they draw come tournament time.

The biggest wildcard could be defending state champion Grand Rapids. Despite struggling thus far, the Thunderhawks have the experience of recent success on their side. The thrill of back-to-back section championships is still fresh, and no opponent will want to face them in the first round when nerves can come into play. It’s entirely possible they could face Duluth East in a 1 vs. 8 matchup, and although the Greyhounds badly outshot the Thunderhawks in a victory earlier this week, the 3-1 final showed Grand Rapids has the capability to make things interesting.

With four weeks remaining in the regular season, there is still plenty of positioning to take place. 

There are several games involving contenders, where teams will attempt to improve their seeding while perhaps making a statement to a potential playoff foe.