Heather Rule

Here's my annual gripe about having the spring-ahead daylight savings weekend on the same weekend as the boys state high school hockey tournament.

Moorhead coach Jon Ammerman on Minnetonka:

"Just incredibly structured and tough to play against. Our guys had to earn it. That is a phenomenal high school hockey team. ... They made it hard for us, for sure."

Moorhead captain Tyden Bergeson brought up their Jan. 17, 5-4 OT win at Andover.

Spuds were down 3-0 after two periods, scored four in the third and won 35 seconds into OT.

"Just never a doubt that we aren’t winning this game (tonight)."

I haven't found another instance of this happening in the history of the tournament. One class, Class 1A, Class 2A, Tier I/II.

Evan Wanner on tossing his helmet into the crowd after his OT winner:

"I thought of it last night. I was playing the overtime winner. And throwing the helmet in the stands was one of my goals. I don’t know how that one got back to me. but we’ll take it."

The Hughes Effect:

Minnetonka did not meet with the media for the postgame press conference.

Back-to-back years where two northern teams win the titles:

2025
1A East Grand Forks
2A Moorhead

2026
1A Warroad
2A Moorhead

No Class 2A boys hockey team (since 1994) had ever come back from a three-goal deficit, let alone in the third period, in the final to win the championship.

Until Moorhead did it tonight.

Nope.

Minnetonka won two state titles in 2018 and 2023, both times as the top seed.

Top seed again, and with a 4-1 lead headed to the third period, they allow four unanswered goals and lose 5-4 in double overtime.

10:36 in 2026

Moorhead came into last year's championship game with an 0-8 record all-time in the finals.

They broke the streak and now are back-to-back champs.

First back-to-back Class 2A champs since Edina in 2013-14.

That was Evan Wanner with the GWG and the helmet-throw into the stands.

Evan Wanner is the double-overtime hero for the Spuds.

Moorhead wins back-to-back Class 2A championships.

Moorhead wins it. 5-4 in double OT.

One of the Spuds threw his helmet into the lower bowl.

This will be only the third time in the two-class history of the tournament (since 1992) that the two championship games have the same final score.

2003: 3-1 scores
2012: 5-1 scores
2026: 5-4 OT scores

Double-OT goal times in 2A title games:

8:59 in 2022
2:06 in 2021

END OT1

SOG: 27-22, Minnetonka

2011 was the last time both boys hockey championship games went to overtime.

Class 1A: St. Thomas Academy def. Hermantown in 1OT
Class 2A: Eden Prairie def. Duluth East in 3OT

The last Class 2A championship that was not a one-goal game at the end was in 2020. Hill-Murray def. Eden Prairie 4-1.

Since then? A pair of double-overtime finishes and six one-goal games.

The last Class 2A overtime title game was in 2022, when Andover defeated Maple Grove 6-5 in double OT.

Lou Nanne had high praise for that thriller of a game.

Overtime.

END 3: Moorhead 4, Minnetonka 4

SOG: 24-18, Tonka

Both championship games today have included an extra-attacker goal in the final minute of regulation to tie the hockey game.

Absolute cinema.

Spuds tie it with 35.6 seconds left.

4 all.

Moorhead timeout with 2:10 on the clock and offensive zone faceoff coming on the power play.

Second year in a row the Class 2A title game went into the third period with a three-goal gap with the trailing team closing to make it a one-goal game.

Moorhead power play with 3:35 left in the third trailing 4-3.

Zac Zimmerman with the tip in front.

Moorhead gets another. It's 4-3 with 6:36 left in the third.