By: Canaan Nonnemacher

The Saint Paul hockey team is a cooperative high school team for Highland Park, Central, Como, and Johnson. This unified team was formed in 2025 because there weren’t enough players for each school to have its own team. By combining, the students could continue to play hockey.

About the Scots

The Highland Park Scots hockey program has a history that includes a significant “comeback.”

After the varsity team merged with Central in 1987, it didn’t exist for over two decades. The comeback began in 2008 with a junior varsity team, and the Scots played their first varsity season in 23 years in 2010.

The Scots won their only St. Paul City Conference title in the 1975-76 season, a year in which they also had their best record with 19 wins.

In recent years, they have been very successful, including one of their best seasons recently when they reached the section semifinals for the first time since 1976. This was a huge accomplishment for the team and shows how hard they have worked.

About the Governors

Before the merge, the Johnson Governors were a historic program dating back more than 100 years. The Governors were known for their success on the ice, winning four state championships and producing good players, including Herb Brooks, the coach of the “Miracle on Ice” 1980 U.S. Olympic team.

The end of the Governors as a stand-alone team was a sad moment for the community, but their team lives on as part of the combined Saint Paul hockey program. The history and tradition of the Governors are now a big part of the combined team’s identity.

By joining together, the Saint Paul hockey team is a powerful combination of tradition and a fresh start. The team not only preserves the history of programs like the Scots and the Governors but also builds a strong, unified identity. This collaboration lets student athletes keep playing.