Hockey takes center stage

The Prep Bowl is in the rear view mirror, and now it's full speed ahead with winter sports. Next up on our preview list is boys' hockey. St. Thomas Academy took home the Class 1A championship last year, and Hill-Murray was the 2A winner. What will this year bring? Here's a look at some players, teams and trends to keep an eye on:

1Goaltending could be the make-or-break position for a lot of top teams this season. Hill-Murray, Edina and Centennial are among the teams that will have new faces in goal. Hopkins, meanwhile, will benefit from having Alex Fons around for one more season. Benilde will be led by senior Jacob Meyers.

2Big things have been expected from Edina's senior class since its bantam days. Though Marshall Everson, Zach Budish, Anders Lee and Connor Gaarder have had outstanding prep careers, Edina has yet to win a state championship, which was widely anticipated before this group graduated. These Hornets will have one more shot, but they will have to do it without Budish, who will miss the season because of a knee injury suffered in football.

3Bloomington Jefferson has a rich history in boys' hockey, and the Jaguars appear to have a shot at returning to the state tournament after a three-year absence. They were 14-5-1 in a competitive Lake Conference last season with a relatively young team. The Jaguars are deep at forward and along the blue line.

4This season does not quite boast the headliners of last season, but there still will be plenty of big-time talent playing at a rink near you. Among those who have made Division I verbal commitments are Edina's Everson (Harvard), Eden Prairie's Nick Leddy (Gophers), Cretin-Derham Hall's Mark Alt (Gophers), New Prague's Tyler Lapic (Wisconsin) and Centennial's Tyler Pitlick (MSU Mankato).

5Duluth East is expected to be a powerhouse among the outstate schools. Minnetonka, Centennial, Blaine and White Bear Lake are among the metro teams that will face the Greyhounds during the regular season.