Unique Events: Minnesota State High School League’s Boys Hockey State Tournament

What started as a stick tap of recognition to boys playing ice hockey on frozen ponds in Minnesota’s most popular winter pastime, eventually evolved into what is considered the crown jewel of all high school activities in the nation. While the Minnesota State High School League’s Boys Ice Hockey State Tournament wasn’t formalized until 1945 with the tournament debut, the game had been in full force for nearly four decades. Prior to that first state tournament, mythical state champions were crowned.

With a structure in place that would shine a spotlight on Minnesota’s elite-level hockey talent for each year to follow, the state tournament, entering its 81st season this school year, remains a coveted destination, not only for participants, but also for fans. Currently played at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul, home of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, more than 120,000 fans annually attend the four-day event that features two enrollment classes and 16 teams.

Standing-room only crowds and long lines for will-call tickets are commonplace each season. Private schools were not permitted to play in the state tournament until 1975. In those first three decades, schools from Minnesota’s Iron Range, teams near the Canadian border and schools in St. Paul dominated play.

Thirteen Minnesotans played on the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team that won the gold medal during the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. Most of their hockey journeys included playing in the MSHSL’s famed state tournament.