Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1531040
T'S BEEN NEARLY 20 YEARS since Shakopee made an appearance at the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament. Few casual fans would name Shakopee among the most prolific programs in the State of Hockey, a list that includes Edina, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, Warroad, Hermantown, Hill-Murray and others. But there's something bubbling under- neath the rinks and frozen ponds of this city of 47,000, nestled in the Minnesota River Valley about 25 miles Southwest of Minneapolis. Known as a suburban enter- tainment center, particularly for fans of horse racing, blackjack and/or roller coasters, Shakopee has earned its place in the conversation about rising Minnesota hockey hotbeds. "It's a bit crazy," said Shakopee High School Boys' Hockey Head Coach Calvin Simon. "When I first took over, we were bad. We struggled to keep our kids in town. We only had one sheet of ice and struggled to field a Peewee or Bantam AA team. We didn't have the right resources. Now, thanks to unbelievable support from the community, coaching staff and everyone involved with the program, we're coming off a season where we were conference champions, we were ranked in the top 4 or 5 teams in preseason and it's really exciting. But it's also humbling, because it wasn't that long ago that we were in the bottom 40." With a highly regarded varsity squad, playing host to Hockey Day Minnesota, being featured on the Emmy-winning documentary series "Dream State" and growing an already thriving youth program, perhaps 2024-25 could be called the "Year of the Saber." J A N / F E B 2 0 2 5 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 23 Photos / Zach Siegert/ZW Photograph THE RISE OF SHAKOPEE HOCKEY b y S T E V E M A N N