Essentia High School All-Star Hockey Game Returns To The Northland For 24th Year
A Northland tradition continues this March, as the best high school hockey players in the region take the ice in the 24th annual Essentia Health High School All-Star Hockey Game at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Sports Center in Duluth.
This year's event is a double-header, with the girls and boys teams playing on the same night. In both games, players from the Duluth area will play against players from the Iron Range.
Players from around the region are nominated by their coaches, with only the top 34 (17 from the Range, 17 from the Duluth area) making the all-star teams by vote from coaches around the region.
The boys rosters were just announced Monday, featuring 25 seniors and 9 juniors from around the region featured on the teams.
2023 "Team White" - Duluth Area All-Stars
- Grant Winkler (D) - Duluth East - Senior
- George Peterson (D) - Hermantown - Senior (Captain)
- Lucas Rauner (D) - Cloquet-Esko-Carlton - Senior (Assistant Captain)
- Henry Murray (D) - Duluth East - Senior
- Aidan Spenningsby (D) - Duluth East - Senior
- Carson Pavlowich (D) - Proctor - Junior
- Dayne Painovich (F) - Cloquet-Esko-Carlton - Senior
- Christian Cole (F) - Duluth East - Senior (Assistant Captain)
- Dallas Vieau (F) - Hermantown - Junior
- Thomas Gunderson (F) - Duluth East - Junior
- Wyatt Carlson (F) - Hermantown - Senior
- Patrick Dunaiski (F) - Cloquet-Esko-Carlton - Senior
- Brendan Friday (F) - Duluth Marshall/Lakeview CA - Senior
- Joe Antonutti (F) - Cloquet-Esko-Carlton - Junior
- Carson Gotelaere (F) - Superior - Senior
- AJ Reyelts (G) - Proctor - Junior
- Garron Opsahl (G) - Hermantown - Senior
- Coach: Evan Nelson - Superior
- Coach: Dale Jago - Duluth Denfeld
2023 "Team Blue" - Iron Range All-Stars
- Matt Wherley (D) - International Falls - Senior
- Sam Troutwine (D) - Rock Ridge - Junior (Captain)
- Tristen Babich (D) - Hibbing/Chisholm - Senior (Assistant Captain)
- Bauer Murphy (D) - Grand Rapids - Junior
- Cael Knutson (D) - Bemidji - Senior
- Christian Edmunds (D) - Hibbing/Chisholm - Junior
- Beau Frider (F) - Hibbing/Chisholm - Senior (Assistant Captain)
- Dylan Hedley (F) - Rock Ridge - Senior
- Broden Fawcett (F) - Hibbing/Chisholm - Senior
- Wyatt Mattfield (F) - Bemidji - Senior
- Blayne Mortenson (F) - Grand Rapids - Senior
- Isaac Flatley (F) - Rock Ridge - Senior
- Hayden Davis (F) - Grand Rapids - Senior
- Keeghan Fink (F) - Hibbing/Chisholm - Senior
- Deegan Richards (F) - Ely - Junior
- Myles Gunderson (G) - Grand Rapids - Senior
- Brayden Boyer (G) - Hibbing/Chisholm - Senior
- Coach: Chris Gamst - Moose Lake Area
- Coach: Pete Steen - Moose Lake Area
Players selected but not able to play include: Casey Rupp (Bemidji), Andy Larson (Duluth Denfeld), Kyle Henke (Grand Rapids), Will Stauffer (Grand Rapids)
The girls roster was announced last week on Facebook, featuring 16 seniors, 9 juniors, 7 sophomores, and 2 freshmen girls from across the region.
Action for All-Star night at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center gets underway on Tuesday, March 14. The girls take the ice at 5:30 pm, followed by the boys at 7:30 pm. Tickets for the event are available at kernkompany.com, with youth hockey players who wear their local club jersey able to get in free to the event. Additionally, high school students with an ID get in for $5.
Here's to an awesome end to a great season for all of the Northland's high school hockey players!