TOMAHAWK – The Tomahawk High School hockey team closed out the 2025-26 regular season with another sweep of all Great Northern Conference (GNC) opponents to claim their third consecutive conference title.
The Hatchets have not lost a conference game in the past two seasons and amassed a convincing 36-2 conference record against conference opponents over the past three years.
The Hatchets entered this season as the defending Division II State Champions; however, due to a relatively new, albeit controversial, WIAA “Competitive Balance Plan,” Tomahawk’s success exceeded the plan’s quota. Tomahawk, as the smallest enrollment public school, was forced to move up to Division I to compete with the largest schools in the state.
“It was our biggest challenge entering the season,” said head coach Dewey Reilly. “Last year, we had one mission, and that was to win the Division II State Championship. We believed that we could, and we did. Now, this year’s team had to commit to the belief that we could go back to State and compete at the D-1 level.”
The very beginning of the season in November found the Hatchets with another challenge. Like many small schools, Tomahawk's students are multisport athletes. An unprecedented run deep into the playoffs for the football team had players still on the gridiron.
“It was obviously a good problem to have,” said Reilly, who coaches both teams, “but we literally ended our football season on a Friday night and hit the ice on Monday.”
The Hatchets didn’t have long to transition, as their first opponent of the season was a State Championship rematch with the Amery Warriors. The tone was set with a 4-2 victory, and the Hatchets went on an eight-game win streak, including victories over Northland Pines and Somerset.
Midseason, the Hatchets returned to the Division I Holiday tournament in Appleton, where they received their first losses of the season to SPASH and Eau Claire North.
“I don’t care much about regular season records,” Reilly said. “I’ve always believed in scheduling the toughest competition you can find. It prepares you for the postseason and ultimately makes you better.”
Following that ethos, the Hatchets made the long trek in January to face perennial power Superior. Another loss, but lessons learned, and the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. Defensive pairings, second line development and a return to “Tomahawk” hockey of puck control and tone setting physicality course-corrected, and the Hatchets haven’t lost a game since.
Eleven more victories, and the Hatchets ended with a THS best-ever record of 21-3 in their regular season schedule of 24 games, their only losses coming from Division I opponents, and beating the top seeded teams of Division II.
On the verge of the playoffs, this year’s team is set to make another run and show that this small school has talent beyond divisions.
Sophomore Jett Reilly and senior Jonah Dickens have led the way for the Hatchets offensively.
Reilly set the all-time Tomahawk school record for points (goals and assists) in a season last year as a freshman with 78 and has now raised the bar again with 84.
Dickens, in the last game of the regular season, tallied his 182nd career goal, breaking the all-time state record and is the Hatchet all-time points leader, currently at 287 for his career.
Defensemen Jake Albert and Brayden Lamer have showcased their offensive prowess with 35 and 34 points, respectively.
Senior forward Landyn Seymour, working on the first line, has contributed 32 total points, while brother Hudson has been between the pipes for all 21 wins with six shutouts and save percentage of .881%.
The unsung heroes for the Hatchets have been the line of Beau Stromberg, Caiden Reichelt, Cole Peterson, Rex Reilly and Mason Jaecks. This line combination has consistently outworked and stifled opponents with relentless effort, physicality and great forechecking.
“I am lucky to have a one-two punch when it comes to lines,” coach Reilly stated. “The effort and toughness that my second line shows week in and week out is amazing; agreat group of young men buying into their roles and beating opponents on both ends of the ice.”
Now the focus shifts to playoffs. In the first round of the Division I Section 1 bracket, the Hatchets will face Eau Claire North on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
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