The St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies men's ice hockey team represents the University of St. Thomas. St. Thomas is one of the oldest ice hockey programs in the nation, predating even Minnesota, having played their first varsity game in the 1920-21 season.
That year St. Thomas, along with six other small Minnesota colleges, formed the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and began playing one another in many sports.
Early Years and Dominance in Division III
Over the course of the first sixty-five years, St. Thomas was one of the better teams in the conference, but it became the leading program once Terry Skrypek arrived in 1987. In total, during its time as a Division III program, St. Thomas had more wins than any other program, with 1,164 victories over 96 seasons.
In 2019, the MIAC took the unprecedented step of removing St. Thomas from its membership because of concerns about “athletic competitive parity.” Because the removal affected all sports and was effective at the end of the 2020-21 season, St. Thomas had time to decide what it would do next.
University of St. Thomas opens new sports arena
Transition to Division I
Before the 2021-22 season, St. Thomas hired Rico Blasi to be their new head coach and bring them into their Division I era. The Tommies' first few seasons in Division I were rough, with the team only managing three wins in their first year.
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The Tommies would take their first step forward in the 2023-24 season, finishing 2nd in the CCHA, though they would be upset in the first round by 7th-seeded Lake Superior State. In the 2024-25 season, the Tommies finished with their first winning record in Division I, making it all the way to the CCHA Tournament Championship before losing 2-4 to Minnesota State.
New Era: Lee and Penny Anderson Arena
In the 2025-26 season, St. Thomas will open the new Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, replacing their current venue, St. Thomas Ice Arena, one of the smallest rinks in Division I hockey at the time.
Home Ice Through the Years
From the program's first season in 1920, home games were played on makeshift outdoor rinks each winter at different spots on campus, including locations atop tennis courts near Ireland Hall and a patch of land behind Dowling Hall. The hockey team left campus in the early 1960s, playing in various off-campus arenas nearby until settling at the Minnesota State Fair Coliseum for nearly 30 years. Attempts were made to bring the team back on campus, including a fundraising effort in the 1980s. Eventually, the team built a shared ice arena with Saint Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights in 2003.
Various outdoor rinks on-campus, St. Cow Palace (now known as Doug Woog Arena), South St. Paul Academy, St. Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, St.
STA Junior Gold Hockey Program
Junior Gold hockey in its current form dates back to 2005 in Minnesota. Junior Gold A, B, and 16 levels were formalized, replacing Midget and Juvenile programs. Mike Dougherty ’78 and Bill Hickey ’74 started the STA Junior Gold program in 2007, with one Junior Gold B team. The team finished 5th in their division.
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The program was expanded to 2 teams in 2012 when an Under16 team was added. STA Junior Gold Hockey promotes character development while playing hockey. As part of a quality high school-level hockey program with certified coaches and staff, the program continues to develop, providing an excellent hockey experience for STA student-athletes who want to continue playing competitive hockey and represent Saint Thomas Academy.
STA Junior Gold teams compete in the Junior Gold High School League, a league with more than 50 teams at 3 different levels. Currently, there are three STA teams: STA Junior Gold A, STA Junior Gold B, and STA Junior Gold 16, involving more than 50 players each year. The overall program has achieved modest team success, including Junior Gold B State Championships in 2016 and 2018, a JGB State Consolation Championship in 2017, and State Runner-up at the JGB level in 2014 and the JG16 level in 2019.
Venues:
- Various outdoor rinks on-campus
- St. Cow Palace (now known as Doug Woog Arena)
- South St. Paul Academy
- St. Lee & Penny Anderson Arena
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