UMD's Gabbie Hughes (Lino Lakes, Minn.) and Minnesota's Nicole Schammel (Red Wing, Minn.) are just two of the 356 Minnesota natives in Divsion I college hockey this season. Let’s Play Hockey photo by Mike Thill
Last November, thousands of athletes in numerous sports signed their name to a National Letter of Intent (NLI), fulfilling a dream of earning a scholarship to play Division I or II college athletics. That dream has become a reality for countless hockey players over the years in Minnesota, and this season is no different.
As of Jan. 18, 245 Minnesotans (140 boys, 105 girls) have capped their recruiting process and have verbally or officially become scholarship college student-athletes. Among those 245 are 157 current high school hockey players (56 boys, 101 girls) who will continue their career at the Division I level. Hundreds more will play college hockey at one of the nation’s many Division III institutions. The numbers will only grow as the hockey season wears on with more commitments to come in the spring and summer.
In addition to the 56 high school boys’ hockey players who will play college hockey, 81 other Minnesotans bound for college are currently playing their hockey on one of the many junior teams across North America. The United States Hockey League (USHL) and North American Hockey League (NAHL) are home to 47 and 18 future college hockey players from Minnesota, respectively. Another four Minnesota natives with Division I college commitments are currently playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program in Plymouth, Mich.
On the girls’ side, 101 of the 105 Minnesota-based players set for college are playing high school hockey this season, including seven at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn. The remaining four are playing for Gentry Academy in Vadnais Heights, Minn.
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, 1,113 Minnesota natives (646 men, 467 women) have played college hockey at the Division I level. This season, Minnesota leads all states with 356 players in Division I, followed by Massachusetts (210), Michigan (187), New York (133) and Illinois (130).
But what Minnesota high schools are producing the most Division I hockey players? Perhaps not surprisingly, it’s Edina that has advanced the most players to college hockey’s top level. Between 2010 and today, the Hornets boast 68 Division I players – 41 men and 27 women.
Following the Hornets are Benilde-St. Margaret’s (46 total DI players), Hill-Murray (42 ), Shattuck-St. Mary’s (40, Minnesota natives only), Eden Prairie (39) and Minnetonka (39).
It should come as no surprise that Minnesota’s hockey players are getting noticed by college scouts with the multitude of exposure opportunities available.
Prior to the high school season, the Upper Midwest High School Elite League has been an invaluable resource for both players and scouts alike. The Elite League provided exposure to nearly all of the 242 Minnesota natives who have committed to a Division I institution.
Once the Minnesota high school season rolls around, the exposure continues as numerous regular season games are broadcast online. And, of course, come February and March, the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournaments provide yet another chance for players to be seen, both live at the Xcel Energy Center and across the state via TV.
After the high school season, the Ted Brill Great 8 All-Star Hockey Festival gives Minnesota’s top graduating seniors another chance to impress the scouts. For over 30 years, the Great 8 has grown and expanded over the years to include eight teams and 136 players today. Following the Great 8, 40 players are invited to represent Minnesota at the CCM Minnesota High School Hockey National Invitational Tournament.
Yet another exposure opportunity exists with the CCM Minnesota Hockey High Performance Programs that are designed to identify and develop the top 14-, 15-, 16-, 17- and 18-year-old hockey players in Minnesota. The top players at each level are then provided national exposure at the USA Hockey National Festival Camps.
As seen here, the exposure opportunities have paid off for the 245 Minnesota natives who have committed to a men’s or women’s NCAA Division I hockey program. Playing college hockey is a dream of countless players in the State of Hockey. For over 1,110 players since 2010, that dream became reality.
SEASON | MEN | WOMEN | TOTAL |
---|---|---|---|
2010-11 | 184 | 127 | 311 |
2011-12 | 180 | 146 | 326 |
2012-13 | 184 | 130 | 314 |
2013-14 | 182 | 136 | 318 |
2014-15 | 203 | 147 | 350 |
2015-16 | 209 | 135 | 345 |
2016-17 | 205 | 149 | 354 |
2017-18 | 198 | 161 | 359 |
2018-19 | 196 | 160 | 356 |
RANK | STATE | POPULATION | MEN | WOMEN | TOTAL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Minnesota | 5,628,162 | 196 | 160 | 356 |
2 | Massachusetts | 6,895,917 | 105 | 105 | 210 |
3 | Michigan | 9,991,177 | 154 | 33 | 187 |
4 | New York | 19,862,512 | 80 | 53 | 133 |
5 | Illinois | 12,768,320 | 84 | 46 | 130 |
6 | Wisconsin | 5,818,049 | 49 | 25 | 74 |
7 | California | 39,776,830 | 47 | 26 | 73 |
8 | Connecticut | 3,588,683 | 33 | 28 | 61 |
9 | New Jersey | 9,032,872 | 45 | 13 | 58 |
10 | Pennsylvania | 12,823,989 | 39 | 9 | 48 |
RANK | HIGH SCHOOL | ENROLLMENT | MEN | WOMEN | TOTAL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Edina | 2626 | 41 | 27 | 68 |
2 | Benilde-St. Margaret's | 892 | 27 | 19 | 46 |
3 | Hill-Murray | 629 | 29 | 13 | 42 |
4 | Shattuck-St. Mary's | 482 | 31 | 9 | 40 |
5 | Eden Prairie | 2804 | 21 | 18 | 39 |
Minnetonka | 3044 | 22 | 17 | 39 | |
7 | Blaine | 2658 | 16 | 12 | 28 |
8 | St. Thomas Academy | 988 | 26 | 0 | 26 |
9 | Burnsville | 2191 | 17 | 6 | 23 |
10 | Blake | 523 | 6 | 15 | 21 |
Breck | 478 | 11 | 10 | 21 | |
Wayzata | 3120 | 16 | 5 | 21 | |
13 | Elk River | 1500 | 13 | 7 | 20 |
Lakeville North | 1717 | 14 | 6 | 20 | |
15 | Grand Rapids | 972 | 12 | 7 | 19 |
16 | Hermantown | 629 | 16 | 2 | 18 |
17 | Lakeville South | 1721 | 14 | 3 | 17 |
Roseau | 305 | 8 | 9 | 17 | |
Stillwater | 2595 | 9 | 8 | 17 | |
20 | Holy Angels | 624 | 14 | 2 | 16 |
Hopkins | 1838 | 4 | 12 | 16 | |
Roseville | 1903 | 3 | 13 | 16 | |
23 | Duluth East | 1378 | 13 | 2 | 15 |
Maple Grove | 2170 | 7 | 8 | 15 | |
Moorhead | 1514 | 12 | 3 | 15 | |
Warroad | 283 | 6 | 9 | 15 | |
White Bear Lake | 1995 | 11 | 4 | 15 | |
28 | Eagan | 1910 | 5 | 9 | 14 |
29 | Centennial | 1888 | 8 | 5 | 13 |
30 | Cretin-Derham Hall | 1145 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
31 | Andover | 1638 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
Bloomington Jefferson | 1556 | 8 | 3 | 11 | |
33 | Cloquet | 594 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
Eastview | 2058 | 6 | 4 | 10 | |
35 | Apple Valley | 1392 | 7 | 2 | 9 |
Bemidji | 1179 | 5 | 4 | 9 | |
Forest Lake | 1874 | 7 | 2 | 9 | |
Mounds View | 1712 | 2 | 7 | 9 | |
Totino-Grace | 734 | 7 | 2 | 9 | |
40 | Brainerd | 1640 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
East Grand Forks | 489 | 6 | 2 | 8 | |
Hibbing | 569 | 7 | 1 | 8 | |
Mahtomedi | 1136 | 6 | 2 | 8 | |
New Prague | 1250 | 3 | 5 | 8 | |
Red Wing | 692 | 2 | 6 | 8 | |
South St. Paul | 799 | 4 | 4 | 8 | |
47 | Chaska | 1270 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
Holy Family | 394 | 7 | 0 | 7 | |
St. Cloud Cathedral | 438 | 5 | 2 | 7 | |
Thief River Falls | 546 | 4 | 3 | 7 | |
51 | Alexandria | 1120 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
International Falls | 335 | 5 | 1 | 6 | |
St. Paul Academy | 411 | 3 | 3 | 6 | |
Woodbury | 1776 | 5 | 1 | 6 | |
55 | Duluth Marshall | 282 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
Farmington | 1894 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
Irondale | 1404 | 0 | 5 | 5 | |
Mound Westonka | 614 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
n/a | - | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
Rosemount | 2058 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
Tartan | 1347 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
Visitation | 658 | 0 | 5 | 5 | |
62 | Achiever Academy | n/a | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Anoka | 2075 | 0 | 4 | 4 | |
Buffalo | 1725 | 0 | 4 | 4 | |
Faribault | 1894 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Hastings | 1343 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
Kasson-Mantorville | 585 | 0 | 4 | 4 | |
Lake of the Woods | 112 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
Marshall | 704 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Orono | 928 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Osseo | 1620 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Prior Lake | 2466 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
Rochester Century | 1307 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Rogers | 1472 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Sartell-St. Stephen | 1129 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
Shakopee | 2143 | 0 | 4 | 4 | |
Spring Lake Park | 1306 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
St. Francis | 1303 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
St. Louis Park | 1240 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
80 | Chanhassen | 1635 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Chisago Lakes | 1017 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Como Park | 932 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
Coon Rapids | 1647 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
Crookston | 286 | 03 | 3 | ||
Detroit Lakes | 737 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
Duluth Denfeld | 666 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
Little Falls | 659 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
Monticello | 1061 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
New Ulm | 599 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
North St. Paul | 1399 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Park | 1587 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
Park Center | 1501 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
Providence Academy | 318 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
Robbinsdale Armstrong | 1699 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Sauk Rapids-Rice | 1183 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
St. Michael-Albertville | 1804 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
97 | B.E. Emerson | - | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Champlin Park | 2415 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
Delano | 772 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
East Ridge | 1726 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
Fergus Falls | 596 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Hutchinson | 840 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
Mankato East | 970 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
Mankato West | 1054 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
Northfield | 1183 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
Park Rapids | 371 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Proctor | 485 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Rochester John Marshall | 1424 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
Rochester Lourdes | 434 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
St. Cloud Tech | 1195 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
St. Paul Johnson | 903 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
Virginia | 374 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
113 | Austin | 1109 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Byron | 525 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Cambridge-Isanti | 1302 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Eveleth-Gilbert | 266 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Greenway | 269 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
La Crescent | 386 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle | 230 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Luverne | 344 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Minnehaha Academy | 341 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
North Branch | 776 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Owatonna | 1276 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Pequot Lakes | 494 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Richfield | 844 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Rochester Mayo | 1434 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Simley | 950 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
St. Cloud Apollo | 1097 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
St. Paul Central | 1406 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
St. Paul Highland Park | 1034 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Tag(s): State Of Hockey News College Kevin Kurtt