You know the location. You know the game times. You know the favorites. But here are 10 things you might not know about heading into the 66th boys' hockey state tournament.
NAME GAME Before the 2009 Class 2A, Section 5 championship game, Blaine coach Dave Aus, right, told his players he would name his fourth child after the player who scored the game-winning goal. Gavin Tufte came through for the Bengals, and Aus' baby boy was named Jari Kurri Tufte Aus, a nod to the former Edmonton Oiler thrown in as well.
ALL HAIL Mahtomedi's Ben Marshall is the grandson of Mahtomedi Mayor Judson Marshall.
DEEP ROOTS Breck head coach Les Larson and Edina assistant Dave Langevin were defensive partners on the 1970 Hill team (later Hill-Murray) that won an independent state championship. Langevin, a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, went on to help the New York Islanders win four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-83.
THEY'VE BEEN AROUND Alexandria is participating in the Class 1A field, its third state tournament appearance in as many classifications. The Cardinals went in 1992 (Tier II) and 1996 (Class 2A) previously. It's the only school to participate in those three designations.
GOOD GENES Edina sophomore Lou Nanne (sound familiar?) boasts some impressive lineage. His father, Marty, scored the game-winning goal for Edina in the 1984 state tournament championship game. And his grandfather is former NHL defenseman and longtime tournament color analyst Lou Nanne.
MORE GOOD GENES Apple Valley senior Peter Sikich will pursue his family's third hockey state championship. Older sister Michelle was on the first girls' hockey state championship team in 1995. Older brother Chris, an Eagles assistant coach, won in 1996.
TALENT ON THE BENCH Duluth East assistant coaches Terry Johnson (Class of 1976), Brendan Brooks ('93), Dylan Mills ('97) and Kyle Kolquist ('97) are all former Greyhounds players. Meanwhile, all four of Mahtomedi's coaches were Division I players: Jeff Poeschl (Northern Michigan), Tom Strelow (Northern Michigan), Russ Becker (Michigan Tech) and Jeff Mars (Michigan).