Warroad vs. Roseau: The State of Hockey’s Biggest Rivalry Forged on Similarities, Not Differences

The Second World War ended in 1945. That same year, a different war was just beginning in northern Minnesota. It’s a feud, waged on the ice, that has arguably become the biggest rivalry in the State of Hockey – Roseau versus Warroad.

The two hockey teams will do battle for the 185th time this weekend on one of high school hockey’s biggest stages, Hockey Day Minnesota, in the city of Warroad. But what makes this rivalry unique isn’t just the number of times the teams have faced off, or the spotlights they’ve played under. No, it’s something else entirely, because while most rivalries are forged by their differences, Warroad and Roseau have built their rivalry on similarities, beginning with their love for the game of hockey.

The marquee games for Hockey Day Minnesota will be this Saturday, Jan. 27, where in girls’ hockey, Warroad will play Lakeville North at 9:30 a.m. On the boys’ side, Moorhead is up against Wayzata at 1:00 p.m., and Warroad and Roseau will face off at 4:30 p.m.