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Off to college

01/17/2019, 9:30am CST
By Kevin Kurtt - Let's Play Hockey Editor

Over 1,100 Minnesota natives have played NCAA Division I hockey the last seven seasons


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.

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Minnesotans in Division I Hockey (2010-19)

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

Division I Players by Home State (2018-19)

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

Top-producing Minnesota High Schools to Division I Hockey (2010-19) • By Enrollment

From Minnesota High School to Division I Hockey (2010-19)

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