State of Hockey Spotlight: South St. Paul
Get to know one of the state’s thriving hockey communities
By: Elizabeth Boger
WHY THEY’RE AWESOME From the moment kids walk into Doug Woog Arena in South St. Paul, they’re reminded of the strong hockey legacy that exists within their own community.
They gaze up at jerseys of former South St. Paul players that adorn the walls of the arena—aspiring to maybe one day see themselves up there next to NHL icons like Phil Housley or successful coaches like Terry Abram.
The arena’s name itself pays tribute to former South St. Paul hockey legend Doug Woog, who led the Packers to four state tournament appearances between 1959 and 1962. Woog went on to be a star player for the University of Minnesota, and eventually returned to his alma mater for a 14-year stint as head coach. For a program that’s been around since 1947, the list of distinguished alumni out of South St. Paul is extensive. And it only continues to grow.
“There’s a long history,” said Andy Gross, President of the South St. Paul Youth Hockey Association. “To this day, there are still families involved in our association that were involved in a lot of that history.”
Pride runs deep for those families within the blue-collar community. Still today, the youngsters can feel a connection to players and coaches that have passed through the program.
“It’s definitely a big deal,” Gross said. “Especially when you have recent players and kids can turn on the TV and they can watch them. It’s really special.”
Former players have supported and given back to the association. In return, South St. Paul named some of its Mite teams after them. There’s the Stalock Team after Alex Stalock, and the Faulk Team after Justin Faulk.
“We try to incorporate history,” Gross said. “We just want the kids, from when they show up at the arena to when they play, to know that from this association, you can become somebody if you keep pushing. They see those jerseys hanging on the wall, and the name of the arena itself, it’s pretty cool.”
SMALL BUT MIGHTY
Despite its impressive list of notable alumni, the South St. Paul Youth Hockey Association isn’t large by any means, compared to its neighbors in surrounding metro towns.
During the 2020-21 season, there were 178 registered players. Gross sees that smaller size as a potential advantage, noting there could be a 1:4 ratio of coaches to players in some instances.
“There is a benefit to being in a smaller association and a tighter community,” Gross said. “You have a lot of parents that want to be involved with their kids, so we have a lot of really good coaches. When you have smaller numbers, you’re getting a lot more one-on-one time.”
While there are generations of hockey families that have passed through South St. Paul, the association is glad to welcome many new faces.
“One of the values we try to teach is that we have to be welcoming to everybody,” Gross said. “There are a lot of kids that are new to the sport that want to come play, because they see other hockey players having fun. We are welcoming and want to make sure that they enjoy themselves.”
To increase the value of playing for South St. Paul, the association is focused on keeping costs low. It’s also motivated to provide quality coaching and maintain good communication with parents.
“We want to attract anyone who wants to play,” Gross said. “There’s no registration fee. That’s something we’re really pushing. There’s also equipment assistance. We’re just trying to make sure anyone that has an interest has the ability to play if they want to.”
GIRLS’ HOCKEY PIONEERS
South St. Paul has been a dominant competitor in girls’ hockey. Since competing in the first-ever girls’ high school hockey game in Minnesota history in 1994, the Packers have continued to be pioneers for girls on the ice.
Dave Palmquist has been running the girls’ program since its inception, leading the high school team to four state championships and 15 state tournament appearances. But perhaps most importantly, he knows success starts at the youth level.
“Some of the high school players will come skate with our youth,” Gross said. “They’re high school players, but kids still really look up to them. That’s another motivation to say, ‘hey, that’s really cool. I want to be able to be like him or her someday.’”
Girls that once learned to skate in South St. Paul have made their way into the college hockey ranks—inspiring a new generation to keep dreaming big.
“There’s a lot of pride,” Gross said. “Just so much pride. A lot of people like to talk about the past, and that’s great. We’re also excited about making sure that sticks around for the future.”