The St. Cloud Crush and St. Cloud Cathedral boys hockey teams will not meet during the 2026‑27 season, marking the second time in five years that the longtime rivals have missed a scheduled game.
Traditionally part of the Granite City Showcase, the matchup fell apart because Cathedral needed to play Class A opponents at the event, while the Crush faced a shortage of Class 2A opponents available over the Christmas vacation period.
Both coaches, Robbie Stocker of the Crush and Pete Matanich of Cathedral, voiced disappointment at the cancellation but said they remain hopeful that the two programs could reconvene in the 2027‑28 season.
A brief history of the rivalry
The teams last played in February 2017, when the Crush secured a 4‑2 victory; prior to that Cathedral had won every meeting. A planned game on March 4, 2021, was scrapped because of COVID‑19, and the most recent unscheduled season occurred in 2018‑19.
Looking ahead, the Minnesota State High School League’s reclassification process may reshape scheduling options, potentially opening the door for future meetings as the schools navigate new class alignments.