Warroad pounds Hutchinson in boys' hockey tournament

The name of the greatest player in state tournament history was flashed repeatedly on Xcel Energy Center's scoreboard. Past greats occupied several of the building's hunter green seats. Even the postgame media session veered heavily into discussions about legends of state tournaments past.

No. 1 seed and No. 1-ranked Warroad's 9-3 demolition of unseeded Hutchinson (19-9-1) on Wednesday in a Class 1A quarterfinal included a performance for the ages. Warriors senior Grant Slukynsky had a hat trick 6:22 into the first period and finished with seven points (three goals, four assists), including a record-tying five in the opening period.

"He scored three before there were two commercials," Warroad freshman Jayson Shaugabay said. "Yeah, we knew it was his night."

Slukynsky's five first-period points tied the record set by Eveleth's John Mayasich, the most dominant player in the tournament's history, in 1951.

"I think that's probably the fastest kid we've played all year," Hutchinson coach Matt Telecky said about Slukynsky, a Mr. Hockey finalist who boosted his season scoring totals to 37 goals and 57 assists.

Shaugabay, the state's top-scoring freshman with 67 points, also had a hat trick for Warroad (27-2-0). But he played a sidekick to Slukynsky's leading man in a game attended by former Warriors stars such as Henry Boucha, David "Izzy" Marvin and Larry Olimb.

Warroad coach Jay Hardwick noted that a Warriors goal was eerily reminiscent to the one that won a state title for the program in 2005. Two more legendary names, T.J. Oshie and Aaron Marvin, combined on that double-overtime winner.