Minneapolis Stars Compete in Elite Hockey League

Juniors Wilson Lamberty and Ryan Mullen showcase their skills to scouts this fall.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Hockey

Minneapolis Stars Compete in Elite Hockey League

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Minneapolis Southwest High juniors Wilson Lamberty and Ryan Mullen are playing in the Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League during the fall 2026 season. The pair aims to improve the reputation of the Minneapolis hockey program through their performance.

Why it matters

The league provides a platform for high school athletes to gain exposure to scouts, with the goal of securing future college opportunities. Lamberty and Mullen hope their participation elevates the profile of city hockey players.

The Elite League has operated for 25 years and has seen more than 200 of its players selected in the NHL draft. Only seven players from Minneapolis Hockey have participated in the league throughout the past decade.

The players

Wilson Lamberty

He is a junior at Minneapolis Southwest High who is currently playing in the Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League.

Ryan Mullen

He is a junior at Minneapolis Southwest High who is pursuing college hockey opportunities through the Elite League platform.

The details

Lamberty and Mullen, both juniors at Minneapolis Southwest High, compete in the hand-selected circuit designed to showcase talent to scouts. They represent the latest efforts to highlight local talent following the 2010-11 merger of Minneapolis public school teams.

The Minneapolis public school hockey programs merged into a single squad during the 2010-11 season.
Minneapolis Hockey reached the Class 1A state tournament in 2022.
Lamberty and Mullen are competing in the Elite League during the fall 2026 season.

Season Trajectory

The participation of Lamberty and Mullen follows the long-term consolidation of city programs that began with the 2010-11 Minneapolis public school hockey merger. This trajectory aims to maintain the competitive standard set when Minneapolis Hockey reached the 2022 Class 1A state tournament.

Lamberty and Mullen are tracking toward college-level play, which would add to the limited count of seven Minneapolis players in the league over the last decade. Their performance serves as a key indicator of the current talent pipeline available to local scouts.

The takeaway

Participation in elite circuits is a proven path for high schoolers to capture the attention of scouts. Aspiring athletes should focus on league placements that offer the highest visibility to collegiate and professional programs.