Prep Hockey just updated our Junior class rankings and featured a ton of players from many different teams across the whole state. In this article, we delve into who is the top five forwards in this class, and what they did to get ranked that high. All of these five forwards featured today are committed to a D1 school and are for sure playing hockey after high school. Let’s get right into it.
#1 Sam Rinzel Sam Rinzel 6'4" | Defense Chaska | 2023 State MN | Hermantown | 5’9 Forward | #2 Overall ’23 | University of Minnesota Duluth Commit
Sam Rinzel Sam Rinzel 6'4" | Defense Chaska | 2023 State MN is our clear number one ranked forward in the class of 2023. Plante hit the ground running fast in his sophomore year for the Hawks. Last season he finished with an eye-opening 61 points in 20 games. With those 61 points, he had 29 goals and 32 assists. Plante has been out for a couple of months now, with a shoulder injury he suffered against Wayzata. In the seven games, he played this season- he had 4 goals and 2 assists for 6 points. Plante recently got ranked as the 40th best North American prospect for the upcoming NHL draft. It is very very possible that he gets his name called this upcoming summer. With Plante missing half the high school season maybe he comes back for his senior year. Regardless of the NHL draft, he will most likely play at UMD for a year or two. His speed, scoring, and playmaking ability as a forward make him a very intriguing prospect at the next level.
#2 Landen Gunderson Landen Gunderson 6'1" | Forward Maple Grove | 2023 State MN | Warroad | 5’10 Forward | #3 Overall ’23 | University of Minnesota Duluth Commit
The next best forward in this class is also a UMD commit and ’A’ player. Shaugabay started for Warroad his freshman year and hit an astonishing 51 points. He went and improved that in his sophomore year and in fewer games played he hit 53 points. Now in his junior year, he is on pace to hit over 60 points this season. Shaugabay has made the high school elite league two times so far in his high school career, and he has 14 and 19 points in his two stints in that league. This season, Shaugabay currently has 29 assists and is 3rd in the state in that category. If Jayson returns to high school next year, he has a really good chance at hitting the rare 200-point milestone. Shaugabay is one of the most elite playmaking forwards this state has ever seen.
#3 Jayson Shaugabay Jayson Shaugabay 5'10" | Forward Warroad | 2023 State MN | Lakeville South | 6’0 Forward | #4 Overall ’23 | University of Nebraska Omaha Commit
The third-ranked forward in our rankings is Jayson Shaugabay Jayson Shaugabay 5'10" | Forward Warroad | 2023 State MN . He has been committed to UNO before high school even started. Tanner started in high school for the Cougars as a freshman, where he totaled 14 points in 25 games. His sophomore year last year he broke out, where he totaled 50 points in 23 games with 16 goals and 34 assists. So far this season, Tanner has 7 goals and 17 assists for 24 total points in just 11 games played. This summer before his junior high school season, he went down to Lincoln and played for the USHL team. He appeared in 11 games and had no points. Ludtke is also a very good playmaker, like Shaugabay. Ludtke plays against a lot harder competition than him though. There is a good chance that this is Tanner’s last high school season.
#4 Harper Bentz Harper Bentz 6'0" | Forward Moorhead | 2023 State MN | Edina | 6’0 Foward | #5 Overall ’23 | University of Minnesota Commit
Harper Bentz Harper Bentz 6'0" | Forward Moorhead | 2023 State MN of Edina is our 4th ranked forward in the class of 2023. Clark is committed to the University of Minnesota and will likely join them in the 2023-24 season. Clark is a great skater and has played at a very high level his whole life, as he has played in the USHL and high school elite league. He shouldn’t need more than a year of juniors before he takes the ice for the gophers. Clark isn’t the type of player that gets on the scoresheet too much compared to these other players, but he does a lot of the state sheet that helps his team win. Clark is having a very solid year points-wise, as he has 20 points in 13 games. Clark and our #1 ranked senior Trey Fechko Trey Fechko 5'10" | Forward Edina | 2022 State MN make up one of the best duos in the state.
#5 Gavyn Thoreson Gavyn Thoreson 5'8" | Forward Andover | 2023 State MN | East Grand Forks | 5’10 Forward | #7 Overall ’23 | University of North Dakota Commit
Our #5 forward in the class, is Gavyn Thoreson Gavyn Thoreson 5'8" | Forward Andover | 2023 State MN from East Grand Forks. Panzer was one of the players that were wishy-washy to come back this season. He had a very solid summer over in Minot in the NAHL where he totaled 18 points in 16 games. That decision is paying off so far right now, as Panzer just recently hit the 100 point milestone, halfway into his junior season. He is a very unselfish player that gets a good number of assists, but can also light the lamp when needed. This is very likely to be his last season in high school. Juniors are better at preparing you for college hockey than MN ’A’ and he has done enough here to be happy. Panzer will be a very solid college player.