Howie: Hermantown hockey, Duluth Marshall girls basketball making headlines
Top-ranked Hermantown is 12-1-3 and No. 2 Hibbing-Chisholm 13-1-1 in boys hockey; super-sophomore Chloe Johnson scores career-high 45 points at Stevens Point
Sports
Howie: Max Plante is playing himself into the NHL/AHL, but only if he can stay healthy
The Detroit Red Wings are watching to see if the Bulldogs sophomore forward is ready to step into a much harsher world. Judging by the way he played this weekend, that question is starting to answer itself.
National Scouting Combine roster announced
National Scouting Combine has released its player roster for 2026. Draft-eligible athletes and free agents from across the country will compete Tuesday through Friday at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples, Florida. The world-class event will provide players the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of professional football
Hermantown girls riding a 7-game winning streak
The Hermantown girls basketball team has found its rhythm — and its confidence — heading into January. After navigating an early stretch that tested the Hawks against quality competition, Hermantown has posted seven straight victories and enters the week at 8-2 overall and 3-1 in the Lake Superior Conference. “After a tough
Howie: McCarthy's toughness question isn't going away
McCarthy didn’t just remove himself from a game. He removed himself from a moment. And moments like that don’t come back. Not in January. Not in training camp. Not with a clean injury report.
Howie: Bulldogs, Prep Hockey Notebook
UMD men's hockey is surrounding its future core with the kind of balance you rarely see in a single signing haul: scoring up front, size and skating on the back end, and a top-flight goaltender to anchor the whole operation.
Howie: Northstar Ford Arena opens January 3
For the broader community, Northstar Ford Arena is a gathering place — the kind that small towns understand better than anyone. Rinks aren’t just buildings here. They’re living rooms. Story banks. Time machines. They hold memories whether they’re supposed to or not.
Howie: Let's support our hometown Monsters, the best team in the prestigious AF1
“The city of Duluth embraced this team when they were the Duluth Harbor Monsters. Going to all these games — for me to take that away from them would have been selfish.” -- New Minnesota Monsters owner Jacob Lambert
Hermantown Sports Notebook
Hermantown delivered a three-sport statement Friday night, with the Hawks’ boys hockey, boys basketball and girls basketball teams all turning in convincing wins. The Class A top-ranked Hawks hockey team knocked off host Maple Grove 7-4. Defenseman Gabe Swenson had five assists. Bryce Francisco stopped 25 shots in goal for
Howie: Monsters to move to Amsoil
Duluth has always supported teams that show up honestly and invest consistently. The formula hasn’t changed. Don’t overpromise. Don’t disappear when things get hard. Build something people can recognize as theirs. When that happens, this city responds — not with blind loyalty, but with earned trust.
Howie: Hermantown girls hoopsters keeping pedal to the floor
Leadership has mattered during the uneven stretches. Senior captains Bailey Hermanson and Aurora Decker have been the stabilizers — not just when the Hawks are rolling, but when they’re searching.
Howie: Hermantown blitzes Denfeld, 9-2
Denfeld had seen this movie before. Hermantown coach Patrick Andrews reminded his team before the Lake Superior Conference game that the Heritage Center has been tricky for his team in recent years — ties, slow starts, even a three-goal hole a season ago. This time, there was no messing around.
Red-hot Hermantown to visit Duluth Denfeld on Tuesday night
Four-time Minnesota Class A boys hockey state champion Hermantown closed a demanding stretch of its schedule with its most complete performance Saturday night, scoring four unanswered goals in the third period to pull away for a 7-3 victory over nonconference Rosemount at Hermantown Arena. The Hawks led 3-2 entering the
Hawks Sports Events This Week
Monday, Dec. 15 Hermantown’s boys eighth-grade basketball team plays at Ordean East Middle School at 4:30 p.m. The girls C basketball team hosts Superior at Hermantown Middle School at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16 The Proctor/Hermantown boys varsity Nordic skiing team competes against Grand Rapids
Howie: Will C.J. Ham retire after this season?
Ham will show up somewhere that needs someone dependable, respected, and comfortable doing the hard work without applause. Which, if we’re being honest, means he’ll still fit right in around here.
2026 Top-10 Not-Too-Early 50 Yard Football Rankings
1. Vegas Knight Hawks (IFL) 2. Albany Firebirds (AF1) 3. Green Bay Blizzard (IFL) 4. Nashville Kats (AF1) 5. Arizona Rattlers (IFL) 6. Minnesota Monsters (AF1) 7. Fishers Freight (IFL) 8. Orlando Pirates (IFL) 9. Quad City Steamwheelers (IFL) 10. Tulsa Oilers (IFL) "Vegas has to be considered the