The Hornets Are Buzzing

Perennial power Edina is solid this season, from the Peewees to the Preps

By John King • Photos by Jim Rosvold

For the top high school players the options to continue their career are made clear by advisors, recruiters and coaches who call them with advice. For most high school players, however, once that horn blows — the final one they will hear in their high school career — what to do next can be a difficult puzzle to solve.

That buzzing sound you’ve been hearing — it’s the Hornets, they’re back. Edina hockey is booming again, from Mites to varsity, and it appears the state may be on the verge of another Edinasty. Tradition isn’t new to Edina hockey; the cover on programs at Braemar proudly reads “Celebrating 123 State Championships.” But look closer and you’ll notice after four state championships in the ’70s, and three in the ’80s it’s been over a decade since Edina last won a high school state championship in 1997.   

Edina High School varsity coach and former NHL defenseman Curt Giles hopes to change that, and after nine years as bench boss, he feels Edina hockey is indeed experiencing a moment. “What we’re seeing now [coming through the system] is more highly skilled kids.  Our kids have always worked hard, but we’re seeing more kids coming through who can see the ice, move the puck and skate well, the last five or six years.”

Giles credits extracurricular hockey, including summer schools and camps, for contributing to better skills. Many have pointed to the creation of the Minnesota Made Ice Center in 2006 as a contributing factor. Located on the edge of town, Minnesota Made adds two more ice sheets and state-of-the-art training facilities to a community that can’t get enough hockey. 

Another major factor to the Hornet resurgence has been Edina hockey players of the past returning to the community.  “We’ve started to see a lot of second-generation Hornets coming home,” said Giles.  “You’re seeing another generation of those hockey names like the Nannes, Brauers, and Hankinsons. 
We’re also getting a lot of brothers later on. On the team now I’m coaching another Budish [Zach] and I think I’m on my second or third Jorgenson [Jack].” 

Despite big numbers in the youth program, Giles insists there’s no secret sauce to the structure of Edina hockey. “We’ve been doing it this way for a long time,” says Giles. “The compliment goes to the Edina Hockey Association itself.  They do a great job of promoting the game.  And you’ve got to give the parents a lot of credit as well.”

Giles also dismissed the idea that there’s an Edina system. “No question it [the system] depends on the personnel you have each year. You need to be adaptable.  If you have a bunch of skilled kids that can move the puck, you can play an up-tempo style. If they’re not quite as quick, but they’re stronger physically, you can play defensive.  It depends on the group of kids you get.”
Giles chooses not to get overly involved at the youth level, instead trusting the structure that’s already in place. “A lot of those coaches have been in place for a long time and they already have their way of doing things,” Giles said.

While the faces and the style of play may change from year to year, one constant for Edina hockey is the community that stands behind their Hornets.  Giles explained it’s not uncommon for him to be paid a visit from one of the many hockey supporters in the community.

“It’s not so much the forty- or fifty-year old guys.  It’s the sixty, sixty-five, and seventy year olds that stop me to say ‘hello.’ Bud Sorem will stop by, and Willard Ikola will say ‘hi.’ They stop by when we’re winning, and they stop by when we’re not winning. It’s just a different group that stops by when we’re not winning,” he joked.

While this revolution may not be televised, all one has to do is check out the current rankings for Edina teams.  At present, Edina boasts a #1 PeeWee A team with a sparkling 23-2 record, as well as a #3 ranked Bantam A squad.  The lady Hornets are also on the rise, with the high school girls’ team ranked #6 and U14A and B teams both ranked #1.

On the varsity boys’ side of the equation, Edina made it to state last year for the first time in seven years, losing in the first round.  But this year’s team looks even tougher, ranked #2 in state with only one loss.  Giles knows the big banner is on his boys’ minds and he’ll do his best to keep them focused this spring. “They think about it [winning state].  But we try to get them not to think about it because when you’re so focused on the prize at the end you’re more likely to skip something along the way and never get there,” he said. 

Enjoying the process is important to Giles, and he can’t imagine a better opportunity than playing high school hockey for the Hornets. “It’s probably one of the best experiences to have in your life,” he said. “Sure, they play juniors in other parts of the world, but that’s because they can’t have this experience to stay home and play with your buddies.”  Giles would like to see more patience in the hockey community in general. “The last five or six years it seems like everyone wants to get somewhere fast. If you’re a good enough hockey player, someone will find you. There are scouts all over.

I guess I’d like to see the NHL leave college alone and Juniors leave high school alone,” he said. 

With NHL alumni like Giles, Don Beaupre, Brian Lawton, Brian Bellows and more involved with Edina hockey, Braemar Arena has become quite an interesting place these days, and Giles is a big fan. “For one thing, it’s a great facility.  You have three ice sheets thirty seconds apart.  It’s a great high school facility with great history. It’s a fun place to practice, and it’s great for games.  When you come in here there’s always interesting people around.  It’s just a great high school rink, and there are not many left in the state anymore,” he explained.

As a whole, Edina hockey is buzzing. But for another Edinasty to commence, the varsity squad will need to plant the flag. With just six seniors on the varsity roster and some highly skilled players coming up the ranks, it’s clear this March won’t be Edina’s last chance to hang a banner.  But Giles believes this year’s team is something special.

“We work extremely hard. It’s an unselfish team with good skill and good size,” he said. “But more than anything, it’s a fun group to coach. They’re willing to learn and listen.  They’re respectful to other teams, to little kids. I’m proud of them on and off the ice because not only are they good hockey players, they’re great citizens.”

And you could say the same all the way down to the Mites.