NEW ULM — Those wanting to watch some good hockey and see some future high school and college players can stop at the New Ulm Civic Center this weekend for the Minnesota State AA Bantam Hockey Tournament.

Teams from Rosemount, Farmington, Edina, Rogers, Moorhead, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie and Osseo-Maple Grove wlll converge on the Civic Center with the best 13- and 14-year-old hockey players in Minnesota.

“It all starts Friday at 10 a.m. with a game between Rosemount and Farmington,” said Geoff Torzewski, the New Ulm Hockey Association Director. “That will be followed at noon with Edina and Rogers and then at 2 p.m. by Moorhead and Minnetonka and then close the day at 4 with Eden Prairie meeting Osseo-Maple Grove.”

Games willl continue beginning Saturday at noon and finish up Sunday at 10 a.m., with the championship game slated for 2 p.m. Sunday.

Torzewski said the players are mostly eighth- and ninth-graders.

“But you are watching the best 200 eighth- and ninth-grade hockey players in Minnesota,” he said. “You are seeing future AA high school players and a good amount of these players will go on to play college hockey — some will make it to the NAHL (North American Hockey League) and the USHL (United States Hockey League). You are seeing some DI or DIII players and you may see that a few of these players may play beyond college. This is the best of the best in the state.”

Last weekend Moorhead won the AA state high school championship.

“They consistently win at the Pee Wee and Bantam state level, so players here are going to be playing at the high school level pretty soon,” he said.

Torzewski said that New Ulm hosting the Bantam State AA is a testament to the facilities here.

“If you want to come out and watch some high-level youth hockey at your doorstep, come out and watch,” he said.