Minnesota Mr. Hockey Mason Kraft joins Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

CEDAR RAPIDS - Folks around here know the history and popularity of the boys’ state high school wrestling tournament. It’s an event that’s woven into the fabric of Iowa.

But the state immediately to the north has something that’s just as significant sports wise to its residents. Even bigger, quite frankly.

The Minnesota boys’ state hockey tournament is played annually at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul to sold-out crowds. That’s every game, every session, not just the finals.

Everyone who has experienced it will tell you ... it’s something.

“There is really nothing like it,” said Mason Kraft. “The fact that you get to play in front of 20,000 people every game as a 16, 17, 18 year old is just such a really cool thing. It’s something that you don’t get anywhere else in the country. So that’s what makes Minnesota so special: 20,000 people at a high school game is unheard of, no matter what sport or anything like that.”

Kraft led Moorhead High School to its first state championship a couple of weeks ago. The Spuds (what a great nickname) outscored Stillwater, 7-6, for the Class AA (biggest schools) title. Moorhead is located in the northwest part of Minnesota and is part of the Fargo, N.D., metropolitan area.

He scored four goals in the game, including a hat trick in the first period. Named the 2025 Minnesota Mr. Hockey, the 18-year-old forward has joined the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders for the end of the regular season and playoffs.

He is the first Mr. Hockey from the self-proclaimed State of Hockey to play for Cedar Rapids. Former winners of the honor include former and current NHL players like Paul Martin, Ryan McDonagh, Casey Mittelstadt, Nick Leddy and Nick Bjugstad.

“Obviously it’s a super special honor,” said Kraft, who had 46 goals, 49 assists and 95 points in just 31 games. “There have been lots of people who have been named Mr. Hockey or just even been up for it. You look at the names, it’s a true honor. There were a lot of kids there that deserved it, could have won it, for sure. But it doesn’t happen without a really good team, great coaching all year and even better kids.”

Kraft’s United States Hockey League rights were acquired in a trade earlier this season from the Sioux Falls Stampede. He plans to play next season in Cedar Rapids, then go to Minnesota State.

He played two games last week for the RoughRiders but may not play this weekend because of a slight injury. Cedar Rapids hosts the United States National Team Development Program’s U17 team Friday and Saturday nights at ImOn Ice Arena.

“It’s been really good, a good transition to the locker room,” Kraft said. “Guys have been super welcoming. They’ve made it easy on me to just go out and play hockey. The coaching staff has been great. Can’t complain about anything, really. It’s been a good time so far.”

“He’s a very good person, for one,” said RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson. “That’s something that is important to us, being a high-character guy. Then he has really, really worked hard over the last year or so to improve his game, to improve his overall conditioning level, that kind of thing. His hockey sense, his vision, his ability to make plays, his work ethic have been really good since he’s been here.”

Kraft’s father, Ryan, played collegiately at Minnesota and had a 12-year professional career that included seven games in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks. He is the head girls’ coach at Moorhead and has been a huge influence, Mason said.

Mason Kraft said it was an easy decision for him to play his senior high school season instead of perhaps jumping to the USHL because of his teammates, classmates and community. Moorhead had been to the state tournament 21 previous times, including eight times in the finals, without ever winning it all.

“Moorhead is really special,” Kraft said. It’s just such a good, close-knit community. There aren’t really other places like it. You go into the grocery store, and people are saying ‘Good luck this weekend.’ You’re just running errands, and it just feels like every 10 minutes someone comes up and says something really nice to you. It’s stuff like that that makes it special.”

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