MSHSL is releasing new sections for the 2025-26 season

The Minnesota State High School League has today released their new sections for the two-year cycle for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons. The movements do not come without any concern from hockey experts. Although there was hope that section 1AA would become more competitive, the only change was the addition of Austin, a program that increased from class A where they went 17-9-1 last season before they lost Waseca in the Play-Offs section. Section 2AA remains relatively the same, with the exception of Waconia that to class A.

Section 3AA and 4AA do not add new teams either, but have dropped a few and are now 8 team sections. In 3AA, Hastings moves to class A and in 4AA Tartan and St. Paul Johnson both also drop out a class. St. Paul Johnson is now combined and known as St. Paul Highland Park and will compete at class A level.

Section 5AA had a bit of a commotion with the departure of section champion Rogers and the addition of Section 7AA champion Andover. Anoka, another section 7AA team last season, will participate in section 5AA. Meanwhile Osseo and Irondale/ST. Anthony will compete in class A.

If there was a possibility that section 6AA could become stronger, it would do this with the addition of Rogers, who will now have to compete against multi-year powers Edina, Benilde-St. Margaret's and Wayzata, and those teams will also have to compete with Rogers. Former 6AA -Squadrons St, Louis Park and Blake fell to class A where they should immediately be participants.

Speaking of perennial forces, Andover's had somewhat a grip on section 7AA in recent years, but that is no longer, so the door is a crack for Grand Rapids and Rock Ridge, which is good for having more northern squadrons represented at the State Tournament. Section 8AA belonged to Moorhead last season when they marched all the way to their first state title, and it seems that it could be Moorhead for the near future. The section added Alexandria from class A and Sartell-St. Stephen moved to class for a while Buffalo moved to section 6AA.

Here is a look at the new section alignments for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.

Section 1AA

Austin* (moved from class A)

Farmington

Lakeville North

Lakeville South **

New Prague

Owatonna

Rochester Century/John Marshall

Rochester Mayo

*New team

** 2024-25 Section Champion

Section 2AA

Bloomington Jefferson

Chanhasen

Chaska

Eden prairie

Holy family

Minnetonka

Shakopee **

Prior Lake

Team removed: Waconia (moved to class A)

** 2024-25 Section Champion

Section 3AA

Apple Valley/Burnsville

Kretin-Derham Hall

Eagan

Eastview

Park Cottage Grove

St. Thomas Academy **

Two rivers

Rosemount

Team removed: Hastings (moved to class A)

** 2024-25 Section Champion

Section 4AA

Eastern ridge

Gentry Academy

Hill

Hills View

Roseville

Still water **

White Bear Lake

Woodbury

Teams removed: Tartan (moved to class A), St. Paul Johnson (combined with Highland Park and moved to class A)

** 2024-25 Section Champion

Section 5AA

Andover* (moved from section 7AA)

Anoka* (moved from section 7a)

Blaine

Centenary

Champlin park

Maple Grove

Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids

Totino Grace

Teams removed: Rogers (moved to 6AA), Osseo (moved to class A), Irondale/ST. Anthony (moved to class A)

*New team

** 2024-25 section Champion (Rogers)

Section 6AA

Armstrong/Cooper

Benilde-St. Margaret's

Buffalo* (moved from section 8aa)

Edina **

Hopkins

Holy angels

Rogers* (moved from section 5AA)

Wayzata

Teams removed: St. Louis Park (move to class A), Blake (moved to class A)

*New team

** 2024-25 Section Champion

Section 7AA

Cambridge-Isanti

Duluth Denfeld

Duluth East

Duluth Marshall

Forest

Grand Rapids

Back

Northern edge

Teams removed: Anoka (moved to section 5aa), Andover (moved to section 5AA)

2024-25 Section champion (Andover)

Section 8AA

Alexandria* (moved from class A)

Beemid

Brainerd

Every River/Zimmerman

MoorHead **

Reed

St. Cloud

St. Michael-Albertville

Teams removed: Sartell (moved to class A), Buffalo (moved to section 6aa)

*New team

** 2024-25 Section Champion

The biggest changes in class A are in sections 2A, where they added four new teams, including three who moved from class AA and section 4A where they also added four teams, all of AA. Section 2a added Blake, St. Louis Park and Waconia from Aa. Blake was 19-7-0 and could become a section favorite in 2025-26. St. Louis Park and Waconia both ended 16-10-0 and will also provide a more competitive section. Southwest Christian/Richfield also goes from 4A to section 2A.

In 4a, Osseo, Tartan, Irondale/St. Anthony and Hastings have all moved from class AA. Tartan finished 11-15-0 last season while Irondale/ST. Anthony was 10-15-1. Osseo finished 7-19-1 and Hastings was 11-14-1.

In section 5A, Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato moved from 2A to the section. Little Falls moved from 5a to 6a and took the place of Alexandria who moved to Klasse Aa. Sartell-St. Stephen also goes back to section 6A after playing AA for the past seasons. Sections 7a and 8a remained intact.

Here is a breakdown of the class A section again aligning:

Section 1A

Albert Lea

Dodge County

Faribault

The Crescent-Hokah

Northfield **

Rod

Rochester Lourdes

Meter

Winona

Teams removed: Austin (moved to class AA)

** 2024-25 Section Champion

Section 2A

Blake* (switched on of shape class AA)

Depreciation

Delano

Hutcinson

Minneapolis

Hill Westonka

Orono **

Providence Academy

Southwest Christian/Richfield* (Shape Section 4A moved)

St. Louis Park* (moved from class AA)

Waconia* (entered into form class AA)

Teams removed: Austin (moved to class AA)

*New team

** 2024-25 Section Champion

Section 3A

Fairmont

Luverne **

Mankato East

Mankato West

Marshall

Minnesota River

New ULM

Redwood Valley

Windom

WORTHINGON

** 2024-25 Section Champion

Section 4A

Chisago -Leren

Hastings* (switched on from class AA)

Irondale/ST. Anthony* (moved from class AA)

Mahtotoodi **

Osseo* (called in form class AA)

Simley

Southst. Paul

St. Paul Academy

St. Paul Highland Park

Tartan* (switched on of shape class AA)

Teams removed: Bloomington Kennedy (combined with Bloomington Jefferson)

*New team

** 2024-25 Section Champion

Section 5A

Becker/Big Lake

Litchfield/Dasssel-Cokato* (Form Section 2A moved)

Monticello

Mora/Milac

Princeton

Pine City area

Lakes

Sauk Rapids-Rice

St. Cloud Cathedral **

Teams removed: Little Falls (moved to section 6a)

*New team

** 2024-25 Section Champion

Section 6A

Breckenridge/Whapeton

Fergus falls

Little Falls* (moved from section 5a)

Morris-Benson area

Northern Lakes **

Prairie center

Sartell-St. Stephen* (moved from class AA)

Wadena-deer creek

Willmar

Teams removed: Alexandria (moved to class AA)

*New team

** 2024-25 Section Champion

Section 7A

Cloquet / Esko / Carlton

Ely/Noordoost -Range

Greenway

Hermantown

Hibbing/Chishholm **

International Falls

North coast

Moose Lake area

Proctor

** 2024-25 Section Champion

Section 8a

Bagley/Fosston

Crookston

Detroit Lakes

East Grand Forks **

Kittson County Central

Lake of the Woods

Park Rapids area

Red Lake Falls

Thief River Falls

War board

** 2024-25 Section Champion