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Jordan “Jordy” Sewell’s transfer from Cloquet-Esko-Carlton to Hermantown gives the Hawks boys hockey team another elite scorer and reinforces what already appeared unmistakable: Hermantown has the personnel to be a Class 1A state powerhouse in 2026-27.
Sewell will enter his junior season after producing 27 goals and 22 assists for 49 points as a CEC sophomore. He does not arrive in Hermantown as a developmental prospect expected to work his way gradually into the lineup. He is a proven varsity scorer joining one of the deepest and most accomplished returning forward groups in Minnesota high school hockey.
The fit is immediate and nearly ideal.
Senior forward Beau Christy led Hermantown last season with 27 goals and 20 assists for 47 points. He scored five power-play goals and developed into the Hawks’ most dangerous finisher. Dubuque selected Christy in the sixth round of the 2026 USHL Phase II Draft, further confirming his standing as a high-end offensive prospect.
Senior forward Micklain Martalock followed with 23 goals and 20 assists for 43 points, including six power-play goals. Martalock provides another established scorer who can finish at even strength, contribute with the man advantage and play against an opponent’s best personnel.
Senior forward Kole Lendzyk added 16 goals and 19 assists for 35 points. He gives Hermantown a third returning forward who surpassed 30 points last season and another player capable of moving throughout the lineup without weakening a line.
Christy, Martalock and Lendzyk combined for 66 goals and 125 points last season. Add Sewell’s CEC production, and that group accounted for 93 goals and 174 points in 2025-26.
That is exceptional returning production at the Class 1A level.
Junior forward Paxson Madill recorded 11 goals and 23 assists for 34 points as a sophomore, although his status must be treated separately. Madill signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Red Deer Rebels in June and participated in the club’s training camp. If he returns to Hermantown, the Hawks’ collection of proven offensive talent becomes even deeper.
Senior defenseman Gabe Swenson also returns after producing 23 points last season. He gives Hermantown an experienced puck mover who can start the attack, distribute on the power play and get the puck cleanly to a forward group built to finish.
This is why Sewell fits so naturally.
Hermantown will not need him to carry the offense by himself, as he might have been asked to do at CEC. Opponents cannot structure their entire defensive plan around stopping Sewell because Christy and Martalock already command top-pair defensive attention. Lendzyk gives the Hawks another proven scoring option, while Swenson can drive possession from the back end.
Sewell’s presence creates choices most Class 1A opponents are not equipped to handle.
Hermantown can place him beside veteran playmakers on a loaded scoring line, or separate him from Christy and Martalock to build two units capable of controlling a game. He can play on the half wall, attack through the middle or position himself as a finishing option on a power play that should have multiple dangerous shooting threats.
Most important, Sewell will not have to manufacture every scoring opportunity himself. Hermantown’s depth, puck possession and ability to sustain offensive-zone pressure should give him more favorable matchups and more opportunities to find open ice.
That could make an already productive forward even more dangerous.
The move also creates significant competitive consequences for CEC. The Lumberjacks are losing a player who appeared ready to become the centerpiece of their offense during his final two high school seasons. A 49-point sophomore is not replaced by promoting one player or adjusting one line. CEC will need increased production throughout its lineup.
Hermantown, meanwhile, is adding Sewell to a program that already measures itself against the best teams in Minnesota, including a demanding collection of Class 2A opponents.
The Hawks finished 17-6-4 last season but did not reach the state tournament. That alone guarantees urgency within a program where section championships and trips to St. Paul are expected rather than merely hoped for.
There are still legitimate questions. Hermantown must replace senior goaltender Bryce Francisco, and the final roster will depend upon which elite players remain in high school rather than move full time into junior hockey. Those are meaningful issues, particularly at the most important defensive position.
They do not change the larger conclusion.
If Hermantown’s projected senior nucleus remains together, the Hawks will have Christy, Martalock, Lendzyk and Sewell leading an offense with four established varsity scorers. Swenson anchors the experienced portion of the defense. Additional talent will rise from a youth system that routinely prepares players for varsity hockey.
Sewell is particularly valuable because he gives Hermantown something beyond ordinary depth. He gives the Hawks another player who has already proven he can lead an offense, score under pressure and produce against northern Minnesota’s strongest programs.
A team can never have too many players capable of deciding a game.
Hermantown now has several.
The Hawks should enter the season as a Section 7A favorite and one of the leading Class 1A championship contenders in Minnesota. With Sewell joining that returning scoring core, calling Hermantown a potential state powerhouse is not preseason exaggeration.
It is the proper reading of the roster.
