Man, another disappointing season for the Wasps... I might have to start looking elsewhere for a team to support. I'll certainly be pulling for White Bear Lake in the tournament!

1914 North Playoffs



Eveleth Hockey Club vs Fergus Falls Hockey Club
Belt to ass. What more is there to say? The Eveleth Hockey Club showed why many still consider them one of the best hockey teams in all of the nation, putting a whooping on Fergus Falls and sending them back home with their tails between their legs. The Reds are heading back to the Super Series for the 7th time in the 8 year history of the tournament after topping Fergus by a score of 10-0.

Brainerd Hockey Club vs International Falls Hockey Club
Gregory Park was packed as locals filled the bleachers and stood around the rink to watch their Central Lakes champions take on International Falls out of the Northland League. Brainerd got on the board first, ripping their first shot on goal past the I-Falls netminder to take an early lead. The score would remain at 1-0 for quite some time with the next goal not coming until the third period when the visitors leveled the score at one. After getting on the board, International Falls began to buzz, firmly controlling the flow of play and eventually burying a rebound to take a 2-1 lead midway through the period. Brainerd, motivated by the support of the hometown crowd, refused to surrender. The Lumberjacks kept fighting and began to turn the tide in their favor with sheer determination and tenacity. A Brainerd shot was stopped but the puck laid loose in the slot. It was chaos as a mass of bodies converged just a few feet in front of the International Falls net with players from both teams swinging their sticks frantically as they tried to clear the puck or put it on net. The puck deflected off of so many sticks, shins, and skates that only god knows who it touched last, but it found its way past the goalie and into the back of the net, tying the game late in regulation. Those in attendance were treated to free hockey as we went to overtime in Brainerd with the score even at two apiece. The two went back and forth in overtime though neither team had any real scoring chances. Over 10 minutes had passed and still nothing. It wasn’t until 14:35 into extra time that we finally had our winner. Brainerd carried the puck into the offensive zone, dumping a pass off to a trailing teammate who wasted no time ripping a shot towards goal. The shot rang off the left post with a loud clang before rippling the twine and sending the Jacks back to the Super Series for the fourth time with a 3-2 win over International Falls.

Red Lake Nation Hockey Club vs Long Prairie Hockey Club
UPSET ALERT! We had a shocker on the rez with Long Prairie making the most of their first playoff appearance as they took on Red Lake Nation and walked away victorious. It was a great hockey game with the teams equally matched and playing at the top of their games. There was a lot of physicality as well with both teams making sure to finish their hits and taking some jabs at one another. We were deadlocked at three after 60 minutes of play, sending us to overtime on frozen Lower Red Lake. The puck was dropped and we were underway in overtime. It would only take a few minutes before we had our winner. A Long Prairie player took a shot from a distance and one of the Red Lake defensemen attempted to block it, holding out his stick and putting it in the shot lane. Unfortunately for him, his block would do nothing but act as a deflection, changing the trajectory of the shot and eliminating any chance his goaltender had of stopping it. The puck found its way to the back of the net and the Red Lake defenseman collapsed to the ice in devastation at what he had done. The Long Prairie Hockey Club is heading to the Super Series for the first time ever, eliminating Red Lake Nation with a 4-3 win in overtime.

Superior Hockey Club of Wisconsin vs Thief River Falls Hockey Club
The streak continues for Superior, not that it’s anything to be proud of. Four playoff appearances, zero wins. It seems like no matter how good of a team they have, the Sconnies always find a way to lose come postseason. All that said, this is no shot at 6x RRHL champions Thief River Falls who showed why they’re a perennial contender in the Red River League. Superior had a solid game, putting three on the board, but were simply outpaced by the explosive Thieves offense which outpaced the Sconnies two goals to one on their way to a 6-3 victory and the first Super Series appearance in club history.

1914 Super Series Bracket

A committee of media members from around the state met in St. Paul to seed the 1914 Kellogg Cup Super Series participants now that the Regional Playoffs have come to an end.

The number 1 seed was hotly debated but ultimately given to Eveleth with Mill City earning the 2 spot. First time playoff participants Long Prairie were given the 8 seed and will face the Reds while the Millers will take on their crosstown rivals from Powderhorn in their first round matchup. White Bear Lake was selected as the 3 seed where they will face the 6th seeded Thief River Falls Hockey Club. Finally we have the 4 & 5 seeds with Brainerd getting “home ice” against Anoka in their first round match.



Who do you want? Who do you think will win? Let me know, comments are always appreciated!

As someone who graduated from Winona State, lives in La Crosse, and has visited many of these cities and towns across Minnesota, I have an affinity for this series. Shame to see Winona come up short again, but I love the designs and logos in this series. The attention to detail and the scope of this project is incredible. Keep up the good work.