Minnesotans call it “The Tourney” for a reason. The 2026 Minnesota boys high school hockey state tournament is set to turn Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul into the loudest building in the state from March 4-7, as 16 teams chase the dream of hoisting a championship trophy in front of a statewide audience. 

The action begins Wednesday with the Class A quarterfinals, followed by the Class AA quarterfinals on Thursday. Semifinals for both classes are stacked into a marquee Friday, with championships and third-place games closing things out on Saturday in what has essentially become a four-day holiday for high school hockey fans. 

For players, this is the culmination of months of work and years of backyard rink hours. For fans, it’s a chance to watch community-based programs take center stage in an NHL-caliber setting. 

In Class A, Hibbing/Chisolm enters as the top seed after a 24-2-2 season and a run through a rugged northern section that frequently produces state contenders. The Bluejackets open the tournament Wednesday morning against Dodge County, a program that has quietly built a reputation for skill and scoring depth in recent years. 

The rest of the bracket is loaded with familiar names: Mahtomedi, a recent state champion, draws St. Cloud Cathedral in a noon matchup that pits a disciplined Zephyrs group against a Cathedral squad used to playing a tough schedule.

The evening Class A games bring a different flavor. 

Delano, the No. 2 seed at 22-4-2, faces Mankato West in what could be one of the more uptempo games of the first day. Delano has become a tournament regular over the last decade, mixing strong goaltending with a balanced attack that can beat you off the rush or on the power play. 

Warroad, the No. 3 seed, gets the nightcap against Northern Lakes, a cooperative program drawing players from several small communities in the Brainerd Lakes area. Warroad’s tradition and high-end skill are well known. Still, Northern Lakes’ path through Sections 6A shows they’re more than just a feel-good story.

On the Class AA side, Minnetonka wears the target as the top seed after a 24-2-2 campaign that included one of the toughest schedules in the state. The Skippers open at 11 a.m. Thursday against Gentry Academy, a program that has already proven it can adapt quickly to the big stage environment. Minnetonka brings size, depth, and a wave-after-wave forecheck that can suffocate opponents. However, Gentry’s skill and transition game offer a legitimate blueprint for an upset if they can handle the early pressure. 

The midday Class AA quarterfinal may be one of the most intriguing, with Rosemount drawing Grand Rapids. Rosemount’s 23-4-1 record and physical, structured style earned them the No. 4 seed. However, Grand Rapids is a classic northern program that rarely backs down under the bright lights. In the evening, Moorhead brings a 24-3-1 record and the No. 2 seed into a matchup with Lakeville South, followed by a nightcap featuring perennial power Edina as the No. 3 seed against Section 7AA champion Andover. Between Moorhead’s high-end talent and Edina’s tradition, there is no shortage of star power in the late window.

Beyond the matchups, everything surrounding the games makes this week special. Student sections plan out coordinated outfits and chants, bands echo through the concourses, and families circle these dates on the calendar months in advance. The building fills not just with parents and classmates, but with youth players from across Minnesota dreaming that one day they might skate in this same tournament. 

Every year produces new heroes: a hot goaltender who stands on his head, an unheralded senior who scores an overtime winner, a small-town team that captures the state’s imagination with a surprise run. With deep, talented fields in both Class A and Class AA, the 2026 edition of “The Tourney” has all the ingredients to deliver another unforgettable chapter in Minnesota’s high school hockey story. 

Whether it’s a powerhouse adding to its legacy or an underdog writing a new one, by Saturday night, one team from each class will skate into history while the rest of the state watches and remembers why this event means so much.

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