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Why I Came Back: Meet the Mr. Hockey Candidates Carrying the Torch

By Drew Herron, 01/14/25, 9:00AM CST

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Photo Credit: Vintage MN Hockey

A little more time to mature physically, be a leader and mentor, have more time with the puck on their stick, and one last chance to play with buddies in front of family, friends, and classmates. 

It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that continues to be the biggest draw for Minnesota high school hockey players every winter.

Minnesota Hockey talked to four 2025 Mr. Hockey candidates from across the state, asking them why they opted to play their senior year of high school for their school and community as players with next-level options. There are a lot of common threads as to why they see their best path of development through the Minnesota State High School League, not least of which is trust in the tradition.

So far, 22 of the Minnesotans who have played in the NHL this year played high school hockey through their senior year of high school, and all 18 PWHL players from Minnesota played high school hockey through their senior year.

John Hirschfeld, St. Cloud Cathedral

For John Hirschfeld, the decision where to play his senior season wasn’t easy, especially after finding success this fall with 14 games in the USHL for Lincoln. But the opportunity to help Cathedral defend its Class 1A State Championship, and perhaps work his way into Mr. Hockey Award consideration became too special to pass up.

He’s back at it in Cathedral blue after posting 83 points in 31 games as a junior.

“I liked Lincoln a lot; it was super fun, the crowds were big, and after games you are signing autographs, and there are a ton of fans who were so supportive,” says Hirschfeld, who is committed to Vermont. “But Minnesota High School Hockey is special. At the MAC (in St. Cloud), all my friends are there, my parents and family, and the community is there. It’s something special, and it only happens once.”

Not just the atmosphere, Hirschfeld adds, but also the opportunity to grow and develop factored into his decision.

“I like playing with the puck on my stick and being comfortable to give it up to get it back,” Hirschfeld says. “Playing at Cathedral allows me to continue to learn to play the game the right way and to be a leader. That’s important in development, too.”

Brent Solomon, Champlin Park

The Upper Midwest Elite League’s leading scorer and University of Wisconsin commit is a Champlin Park Rebel, through and through. 

Champlin last made the State Tournament in 1995, but now is an exciting time for the program. For the strong and fast two-way forward with an exceptional shot, it came down to loyalty and relationships.

Where he would spend his senior season was something that didn’t weigh much on Solomon. 

“I’ve played with these guys my entire life, and leaving my senior season is not something I would be interested in,” he says. “I’ve always felt that this season, with this group, it is going to be special, so let’s make a run at State.”

Wearing a Rebels jersey carries its weight, too. Solomon, as a youth association player, used to sit and watch hockey school games at the Ice Forum and wished he could step into the action.

Now he’s the role model.

“One of the biggest reasons I had to come back was to play in front of the younger kids,” Solomon says. “I am really going to miss it when it’s over. The sense of community with the Mites and other association players who come out to support you, give you fist bumps as you run out onto the ice…it’s pretty special.”

Brett Ludvigsen, Dodge County

Brett Ludvigsen vividly recalls his first high school home game. Taking the ice as a freshman, he stood on the blue line at the ice arena in Kasson, soaking in Dodge County’s first action following the Wildcats’ improbable run to the State Championship game some months before. 

The place was packed, and it was loud; the band bolted out the school song, and spectators fought for position along the glass, two to three people deep. 

“I was so nervous,” Ludvigsen says. “But I remember thinking, now I am a part of it.”

For Dodge County, the best days are ahead with a growing youth program, and top players like current Gophers’ forward Brody Lamb blazing the trail, while players like Ludvigsen carry the torch. Proud of the program, they want the community’s brand of hockey to grow and thrive, they want it left in good hands, and they want to be a part of it.

Dodge County is a unique community in that it spans three high schools (Kasson-Mantorville, Byron, and Triton) in southeast Minnesota. It’s a team that brings people together from multiple smaller towns where hockey has not always been the dominant draw. But the Wildcats have been successful, having won nearly 70 percent of their games over the past five years.

“People ask me if it’s weird to play with teammates who I don’t go to school with, but I feel it’s really cool because I’ve made a lot of friends from the surrounding schools,” Ludvigsen says. “Even people that don’t play hockey, or play other sports, people who show up to our games, or are mutual friends. I feel like that’s been pretty cool.”

Carrying on the tradition is important. So is development. Ludvigsen wanted to continue developing physically while taking on more leadership skills.

With two years of steady production in the Elite League to his resume, Ludvigsen can trust in high school hockey to get him where he wants to be while offering him the most socially as well. 

“If you look at Division I rosters or junior rosters, it seems like half of those teams are made up of players from Minnesota, and I think that tells you something about the level of skill that exists here,” Ludvigsen says. “When you compete here against those guys, it prepares you for the next level. And playing games in the Elite League against players who, all of them, will go on to play somewhere, that means high-level competition is right here for you.” 

Taven James, Warroad

Things are always a little different in Hockey Town, USA, and Warroad senior forward Taven James knows it. 

There is free ice every day, and he and his friends sure love to use it.

“It’s an amazing community here for hockey, and I want to be a part of it,” James says. “To represent that (Warroad) logo every day, what it means and what it represents about our community, it’s amazing. It shows what we are all about.”

Warroad, a town of 1,959 people on the southwest shore of Lake of the Woods, and 6 miles from the Canadian border crossing, has produced 7 Olympians, 5 NHL players, and more than 80 D-I college players. There is something in the water in Warroad. James knows he’s in the right place. 

Hardly able to believe he gets to wear the ‘C’ on his sweater, James feels that honor and challenge are more vital to his development than anything he can find in junior hockey.

“Being the captain means a lot to me,” James says. “I think that responsibility and everything that goes with it is preparing me well for whatever is next.” 

James tallied 63 points with 22 goals as a junior for a team whose only loss of the season came in the Class 1A State Championship thriller, a 6-5 double-overtime stunner to Mahtomedi. 

Whenever the Warriors get their State Tourney sendoff and board the bus to St. Paul, the reception is grand, and the town shuts down for a little while. James and his teammates will do everything they can to return to the X this March.

“Warroad is a unique place, but so is Minnesota hockey in general,” James says. “The traditions and the tournament are something every player should get to experience. Some don’t, and that is unfortunate, but getting to represent your community is something that is amazing.”