Ely’s high school hockey team has new leadership this winter, but the face behind the bench will be very familiar.
Ben Johnson, who led Ely’s program from 2015-2021, is back as head coach this winter, and he’ll lead the Timberwolves into action in Saturday’s season-opener against Moose Lake Area, set for 2 p.m. at the Ely Arena.
A former standout at Duluth East who has worked for the Minnesota Wild, coached at the junior level and also had a stint as head coach at Rock Ridge.
Johnson will replace Jake Myers, who stepped down after four seasons at the helm.
Johnson inherits a Wolves team that didn’t have a whole lot of firepower a year ago, when they went 5-18 overall.
Six seniors graduated from that team, including all-conference honoree and multi-year starting goaltender Ben Leeson.
Lewis Powell and freshman Henry Fetterer will step in between the pipes and battle for starting netminder job, and Ely likely will have to do more to put the puck in the net to improve on its 2024-25 win total.
Junior Owen Marolt and senior Rhett Johnson figure to be two of the Wolves who will carry the load offensively.
They are two of the team’s top returning scorers from last winter and both lit the lamp when the Wolves scrimmaged three teams Nov. 15 at International Falls.
Also back is senior Hunter Halbakken, who scored along with Rhett Johnson in a scrimmage win against North Shore.
Ely also put five goals on the board - two each by Johnson and Marolt - in a scrimmage against Lake of the Woods. Sophomore Cooper Mayranen also scored for the Wolves.
Other forwards for the Wolves include junior Sean Merriman, freshman Parker Niskala, sophomore Lucas Stalboerger, junior Mason Kurnava, and senior Jesse Oelke.
On defense, seniors Jayden Zemke and junior Evan Leeson are back and will carry the load with help from junior Stig Majerus, freshman Sawyer Hegman, senior Ryland Sandy and sophomore Oscar Shock.
Saturday’s clash at the Ely Arena is the first of two and possibly three games with the Rebels, who knocked the Wolves out of the Section 7A playoffs a year ago.
The docket includes 10 home contest - one in Babbitt.
