Moorhead enters the 2025–26 season as one of the biggest mystery teams in Minnesota High School Hockey. The defending State Champions will look dramatically different from last year’s powerhouse squad, having lost a substantial portion of their scoring and leadership. Still, like other top programs with deep associations, the Spuds have more than enough talent in the pipeline to remain a serious AA contender once again.
2024–25 Moorhead Team Stats
| W–L–T | 28–2–1 |
| GPG | 5.71 |
| GAA | 2.10 |
| PP% | 37.2 |
| PK% | 83.0 |
*81% of last season’s scoring will be gone if the players projected to stay in junior hockey do not return.
Gone are key players such as Mason Kraft (the state’s second-leading scorer last season with 94 points in 31 games), Brooks Cullen, Carver Hasbargen, and Charlie Stenehjem, all of whom graduated. In addition, Brandon Mickelson, Zac Zimmerman, and Tyden Bergeron have moved on to junior hockey. That means Moorhead could open the year without its top six scorers from last season…..an exodus that would cripple most teams. But in Moorhead, it simply opens the door for the next wave of talent to step forward.
Players like Max Cullen, Will Cullen, Evan Wanner, Cam Coulter, and Johnny Gramer will headline the Spuds’ forward group, each expected to take on expanded roles and shoulder more offensive responsibility. Michael Herman, Seamus Campbell, Brayden Kvamme, and George Arnold will also look to seize the opportunity as they are eligible to come back and solidify the team’s secondary scoring. With this mix of returning experience and hungry young talent, Moorhead’s forward corps should still be dangerous.
Defensively, the Spuds look well-stocked with skill and mobility. Drew Simonich, Zak Devig, Drew Kortan, and Brady Steffen return to anchor the blue line, while Finn Paulson adds further depth and reliability. This group should remain one of the team’s strengths, providing stability as the offense retools.
Moorhead’s Bantam AA State Championship team will help refill the varsity roster (a couple mentioned already), though the incoming crop won’t be quite as deep as expected due to several players moving on, including Drew Thoreson, who joined the NTDP, and others who opted for Tier 1 programs out of state. Even so, the Spuds’ system continues to produce quality players ready to step into key roles.
In goal, Nolan Cook returns after appearing in just one game last season, and the position will likely feature a preseason competition for the starting job. Whoever emerges will be backed by a motivated and defensively solid group in front of them.
While Moorhead’s lineup turnover is significant, don’t expect a drop in competitiveness. This is a program built on development and these players have spent years preparing for their chance. Last season they were riding shotgun….this winter, they’re behind the wheel. Expect growing pains early, but also expect the Spuds to be right back in the mix when March rolls around. They will be a top 10 team this year and a return to state is in the cards.