2026 Lake Conference Hockey | Page 26

Sherman /
Page 26 Lake Conference Hockey • Thursday, December 11, 2025 sailor. mnsun. com

Sherman /

From page 3
Mariucci Arena. If we could bring that back, imagine how appreciative fans would be.
Regular-season games in the Lake Conference had buildings bulging at the seams last season. Think about Wayzata vs. Edina boys, Minnetonka vs. Edina boys, Eden Prairie vs. Minnetonka boys and Edina vs. Minnetonka girls.
FUTURE SHOCK
With hockey more popular than ever, what will the future of hockey rinks look like 10 years from now? Twenty years from now?
Will there be eight rinks at Braemar? Will Pagel Activity Center in Minnetonka become a suburban subdivision with six or seven ice sheets?
Richfield no longer has high school hockey, but there is plenty of usage for Richfield Arena between Holy Angels hockey and rentals to youth teams from other communities.
Wouldn’ t it be nice if The Blake School had another ice sheet?
I’ m not sure St. Louis Park Rec Center needs another ice sheet as much as it needs a bigger parking lot. Is anyone a fan of parking six blocks away before walking to the Rec?
ANOTHER ISSUE
With youth hockey constantly expanding, there is going to be a need for more competent hockey officials in the coming years.
Not everyone can be a hockey official. Skating ability is a big part of the job. You have to keep the game moving at all times.
I would like to encourage former high school and college hockey players to come to the rescue. You don’ t realize how much the kids playing the game love to see good adult skaters with them on the ice.
Many former players go into coaching, of course, and thank goodness for that. But if you are looking for another way to stay in the game, buy a whistle, take the Minnesota State High School League test and brush up on the rules. Young players will appreciate you, even when they don’ t agree with one of your calls.
( SUN PHOTO BY JOHN SHERMAN)
Eden Prairie High boys hockey defenseman Charlie Schultz crashes into the boards to avoid landing on a fallen Prior Lake player during a 5-5 nonconference tie.

GALAXY OF STARS

Lake Conference Hockey

Boys Galaxy /

From page 21
games of the 2025-26 season.
BEN KNIGHT
In his senior year with the Hopkins Royals, Ben Knight is a candidate for postseason honors as a defenseman who dominates in his zone.
WYATT KUZNIK
As the top returning scorer for Maple Grove,
wing Wyatt Kuznik is gaining the attention of Lake Conference opponents with his speed and shooting ability.
CADEN LINDSAY
One of the top returning Lake Conference scorers is Minnetonka forward Caden Lindsay who recorded 12 goals and 13 assists in 26 games during the 2024-25 campaign.
ELI MOLDE The top returning
scorer for the Wayzata boys team, senior forward Eli Molde, was the leading scorer last season with 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points.
SAM PECKHAM
One All-Lake Conference player who did return to the Edina High boys hockey team this season is senior defenseman Sam Peckham. A dynamic player on the blue line, he contributed to the offense with three goals and 22
assists last season.
RYAN PELLINGER
Wayzata goalie Ryan Pellinger had a 13-8-3 record and a 2.72 goalsagainst average last season. He returns as one of the Lake’ s premier puck stoppers.
CAMERON RICE
Senior captain Cameron Rice anchors Eden Prairie’ s boys hockey defense as a three-year starter. He had nine assists
from the blue line last season.
RYDER SKANSON
Maple Grove goalie staked out his crease in the CCX Media Turkey Trot at Plymouth Ice Center with wins over Lake opponents Edina and Wayzata. He followed up with a 3-0 shutout against Grand Rapids.
KIRILL UDALTSOV
Big offensive stats came to Kirill Udaltsov last
season. Playing alongside graduated superstar Weston Schenkelberg, Udaltsov had 32 points on eight goals and 24 assists.
BENNETT WILMER
Eden Prairie senior captain Ben Willmer was in goal for 975 minutes last season when the Eagles tied Edina for the Lake Conference championship. His record was 11-5-2 with a goalsagainst average of 2.30.