Johnnie Hockey Fans,
I am writing my first blog in a long time, but I wanted to inform you all of some big SJU Hockey events coming to the Twin Cities in the next month.
First, we are playing a game in Rosemount on December 10th as part of their Minnesota Hockey Fights Cancer Day for Rosemount/Lakeville North HS Hockey Boys and Girls Teams. Last year the event raised $14,000 for a Farmington family who had a boy fighting cancer. This year 100% of all ticket sales from the SJU game is being donated to a Rosemount Middle School student who was diagnosed with cancer about a month ago. He has already had brain surgery and the family was hoping he could get strong enough to get out of the hospital and start chemo. As a parent I can’t imagine! SJU will be playing a non-conference game against Lawrence University that night with a 7:30 p.m. start. For more information on the event, check out the link below.
Rosemount Hockey Fights Cancer
Minnesota Hockey Fights Cancer
Second, you may have heard, but we are playing a game as part of the Hockey Day MN event. This is an outdoor game that will be played in White Bear Lake on Friday, January 27th against Augsburg at 5:45 p.m. This is a great opportunity to showcase both SJU Hockey, but also the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and the quality hockey our league provides. Augsburg and SJU have been battling it out the past few years at the top of the MIAC and it should be a very good game. For more information on this game, check out the link below.
Finally, some alumni and the institutional advancement office have come up with a replica jersey that is now available through the link below. The site will close on December 9th. If you are interested in purchasing one of these jerseys, please check out this link.
We hope to pack these two events with Johnnies from all over the Twin Cities metro area. Both events will be a lot of fun and will provide some great entertainment.
Thanks, and Go Johnnies!
Doug Schueller
Head Hockey Coach
Saint John’s University
What a crazy year! That is really all that needs to be said at this point. I want to start by saying that SJU Hockey has not had a single positive covid test this year and the guys are doing everything they can control to be on the ice and playing hockey. With that said, the season has not been perfect and there has been a lot going on since I last wrote my last blog. Just to keep it a little shorter I will write a timeline to show what has been happening.
January 11th – Season starts with practices in pods of 10 and testing 3 times per week
January 13th – Received a positive covid test that shut down 11 guys
January 16th – Determined the test was a false positive
January 18th – Returned to practice in pods
January 25th – Move to full team practices
January 30th – Lost game at Augsburg 6-0.
February 3rd – Won game at Scholastica 5-2
February 5th – Won game at Bethel 4-2
February 7th – Won MIAC Conference game vs. Bethel 8-2
February 8th – Every team in the MIAC shut down due to COVID except SJU
February 10th – Schedule another game against Scholastica because no MIAC teams to play. Loss 3-1
February 11-24 – Only practices because no team to play games against
February 25th – Won MIAC conference game against Augsburg 4-2
February 26th – Found out a player on Augsburg tested positive and we got shut down for 14 days
February 27 through March 11 – Held practices with 9 guys that were not on quarantine
March 12th – First team practice in more than two weeks!
Still to come…
March 16th – Home game vs. St. Thomas 7pm
March 18th – Home game vs. Saint Mary’s 7pm
March 19th – Away game at Hamline 7pm
March 20th – End of season
As you can see, we have been through a lot this season. With that said, there are some teams that have had is worse than us if you can believe that. There are 3 teams that had to cancel their seasons, some teams that have played less than 5 games, and a couple teams that have done almost a month in quarantine. It is hard to complain knowing that we have been able to play some games and our guys have been healthy.
This upcoming week we are cramming in 3 games and it will be interesting to see how the guys respond to being off the ice for the past 14 days and then playing 3 games in one week. The 8 seniors on this team deserve the chance to finish the season on their terms so I look forward to giving them that this week.
Keep an eye out for a blog after next week and all we can do is pray we get all the games in.
Thanks for following Johnnie Hockey and Go Johnnies!
Doug Schueller
It has been a long time since you heard from me and a lot has happened. All the players returned to campus on January 11th, and all of them had to return with a negative COVID test in hand. We then started our weekly testing on that Monday. To compete in MIAC play, we need to test 3 times per week. We are currently doing the tests on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
On Wednesday, January 13th, we received a positive test for one of our players that shut down 11 total players on our team. We lasted a whole 2 days! The following Friday we received the test results from the Wednesday test and that same player tested negative. We then had him take another PCR test from another site and that also came back negative. The positive test proved to be a false positive. We then found out we were not the only team in the MIAC dealing with a false positive test. I guess it is good that this is happening before we start the competitive season, but it is still frustrating as we lost 11 guys from practice for 5 days.
With all that, we started back as a full team on Monday, January 18th. Things are going well, and we are starting to get the team and players into game shape. We now have about a week to prepare for our first game on January 30th against Augsburg.
The MIAC recently released the competition guidelines for our 2021 season. We will have 7 regular-season MIAC games and will also be able to schedule 4 non-conference games. We have all the games scheduled and you can see that schedule through this LINK. Our 4 non-conference games are against Augsburg, Bethel, Concordia and St. Scholastica. We will play 7 conference games against the teams participating in the MIAC season. The only team not competing is St. Olaf.
All of our home games will be live-streamed through our Stretch Internet portal, which is linked throughout gojohnnies.com. We have a great rink to show our games and the quality is always one of the best in MIAC. You can use this LINK to get to our games. I believe all the teams will be streaming the games so I will be sure to share any links to the game through the SJU Hockey social media outlets. The away-game streaming links can also be found on our web page through this LINK.
Unfortunately, we are not able to have fans at our games this season, but at least we get to play games. I know there are going to be difficulties in the season, and I will be surprised if we get all our games in without any issues with COVID. I just hope we can provide the best experience possible for the student-athletes on this team and especially for our 8 seniors.
I look forward to giving my weekly updates and I hope that you can catch some of our games online.
Doug Schueller
SJU hockey family,
It has been a pretty crazy year and an especially crazy few months since the start of the school year. The guys reported to campus the last week of August and a lot has happened since they returned.
Hockey was allowed to start small-group practices on October 1st, but the week prior to starting practice, we had a couple guys come down with COVID. This caused us to pause practice for a week and I required all of the guys to get tested before we started. These tests came up positive for a few more of the guys, but we were able to start with all the guys that tested negative on October 12. Things were going along well until we had another group of guys test positive at the end of October. This caused us to shut down one of our small groups and took us down to about 15 guys practicing. Finally, on November 5th, we officially put a pause on practices through Thanksgiving break. This pause was recently extended until mid-January by the university due to students leaving campus and returning to campus after visiting with family and friends for the holidays. The Governor’s mandate didn’t help things for hockey and other sports, either.
I should mention that my family was not immune to COVID either and everyone in my house went through having COVID. This took me away from the office and the guys for 14 days. With that said, the symptoms were mild for my wife and I and very little for my kids. I am thankful that it did not hit us too hard. I am also thankful that my kids will now have immunity and should be safe from getting it again. I have also learned how thankful I am for all teachers! I have become a preschool, 3rd grade and 5th grade teacher lately at home and I have no idea how they do it with 20+ kids in a classroom!
So, it has been a roller coaster of a school year so far. I can’t tell you how sad I feel for the guys on the team and especially the seniors. Everyone keeps saying that the seniors can get another year of eligibility, but hockey is different in a lot of ways and that additional year doesn’t appeal to many guys. Most of my guys played 2-3 years of junior hockey after high school, so most of the seniors have been out of high school for 6-7 years already. A few of my seniors are also 25 years old. They really don’t want to or can’t take another year off from getting on with the real world. It is sad for everyone involved.
Now for the big question…Are we going to have a season? The simple and only answer for that right now is, I don’t know! My emotions change daily on this possibility, but at this moment, I am not feeling very positive that we will have a season. There is so much that goes into that decision. The two major keys are: 1. The cost of testing and how often we will be required to test. 2. Will we have anyone to play? We already lost St. Olaf and I have heard that several other schools are leaning toward canceling their seasons. If any more conferences in Division III hockey drop out of this season, hockey will fall below the 30% needed to have a NCAA championship tournament. That would leave conferences with only their conference championships to play for. I do know that if we are allowed to play, it won’t happen until February and it will not include much more than 7-10 games. Again, I go back to how sad this is for the guys.
Well, I hope you appreciate the update. We should know more about our season after December 14th when the MIAC presidents meet. All we can do till then is present them with as much information about how we can have a season safely and why it is so important for the mental health of the athletes.
Thank you very much for your support of Johnnie Hockey and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
Doug Schueller
Head Hockey Coach
Saint John’s University
320-363-2242 office
320-250-5344 cell
SJU Hockey Family,
I hope you are all well and thriving during these crazy times. This Thursday, September 3rd, we will be holding the second annual Johnnie Strong – Go Johnnies Challenge. I know that these are uncertain times for everyone and SJU Hockey is not immune to that. This event will really help the hockey program this year in a number of ways. One of the biggest aspects that I would like to maintain is our assistant coach, Cory Thorson. Cory has been an integral part of our success and keeping him on staff and working for Johnnie Hockey during these crazy times will help our program stay on top of the MIAC. We will also use the funds raised to improve the overall experience of the student-athletes. I want to provide the best equipment, the best food and the best hockey experience possible for these young men that give so much to the hockey program.
With that all said, I am asking for your support once again on September 3rd. We knocked this event out of the park last year raising over $40,000. We were one of the top sports in the department in regard to donors and money raised.
There are a number of ways that you can help:
1. Support the hockey program through a simple donation. Make sure to set hockey as the designation. DONATE
2. Become an advocate and encourage and promote the event on any social media outlets. ADVOCATE
3. If so inclined, set up a matching gift that will encourage others to donate. Make sure to set hockey as the matching designation. MATCHING GIFT
a. Enter dollar amount and decide if you will make the full gift regardless If the match is not complete met (check box)
b. Select “Other” and enter a dollar amount to give and check the “Per donor” box
c. Select the Match a designation box and select the designation you want to match
d. Fill out the rest of the form
We currently have 4 matching gifts set up and ready to go!
Pat Rolfes - $5,000 - $100 per donor for first 50 donors
Dan Dryer - $5,000 - $50 per donor for first 100 donors
Pat Cronin - $1,000 - $20 per donor for first 50 donors
Stacey Christiansen - $1,500 - $50 per donor for donors 50-80. Help with the push to 100 donors!
Doug Schueller - $250 - $10 per donor for first 25 donors Big Money!
Thank you very much and let’s make Thursday, September 3rd a great day for Johnnie Hockey!
Doug Schueller
Head Hockey Coach
Saint John’s University
320-363-2242 office
320-250-5344 cell
This has been an interesting time to say the least. I hope that you all are staying safe and spending time with family when possible. There is still a lot of uncertainty in the world of sports and college sports specifically. At this point, I truly have no idea what the 2020-21 season will look like. I do know that the MIAC Presidents Council meets on July 15th and we should know some more about things after that meeting. With that said, I also know that most, if not all, conversations that are had are going to involve the fall season (football, soccer, golf, etc.) and not the winter season. I do hope that the decisions that are made will give us some idea of what the winter season will look like.
With all that uncertainty, we have made the decision to move forward with our SJU Hockey Golf Outing. The outing will have a little different look, but it will still be a great chance to get together with some friends of SJU Hockey. We have been told that we will still be able to have a shotgun start at this point, but that we will not be able to have a gathering after the event inside the clubhouse. I have decided to feed all golfers lunch prior to the event with brats and hotdogs that will be served outside the venue and that can be eaten in your carts, instead of entering the clubhouse. All of the details for the event can be seen below.
This event is very important to Johnnie Hockey in that it helps raise money for the program. With all of the uncertainty going on, this is even more important than before. The main focus for the fundraisers this summer will be the player experience, but also to retain the SJU Hockey assistant coaches. Specifically, Cory Thorson has done a lot for this hockey program and has committed a lot of time and energy the past 4 years to bringing this program to where it is today. Cory was also in charge of facility rental at SJU this past year, which allowed me to make his position full-time. I am uncertain that portion of his job will remain, so I need to raise money to keep him part of this family. Trust me that he is worth the effort and does a ton for this program. All help is greatly appreciated.
So with all that said, here are the details for the golf event. There are also links to sponsorship opportunities if you are interested in supporting through that avenue. Finally, if you have anything that you would be willing to donate to the event for a raffle or auction, please let me know.
Date: Friday, August 28th
Time: 1 p.m. shotgun start (12 p.m. lunch served and check-in available)
Location: Monticello Country Club (Monticello, MN)
Cost: $80 ($60 for current CSB/SJU Students)
Your $80 registration includes:
•Range balls
•Golf cart
•18 holes of golf
•Lunch
•SJU Hockey give away item
•Great time with friends and fellow alumni!
The Hockey program would like to thank our generous sponsors from last year.
Thanks again for all your support for Johnnie Hockey and I hope to see you in August.
Andrew Lindgren
Senior Goalie
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Last Team: Johnstown Tomahawks (NAHL)
Major: Global Business Leadership
Our lives as seniors have changed a lot since the start of this pandemic. The second half of our last semester consisted of online classes, which was a lot different from what we were used to. In the end, we adapted and made the most out of our last semester together as seniors.
My four years at Saint John’s have been incredible and I am so happy I made the decision to come here. Over my four years, I have made friends that I am certain I will keep in contact with long after my college career has ended. Saint John’s has taught me many life lessons that I would not trade for anything. I think I have grown as a person since I first enrolled as a freshman, and I have the people I met at SJU to thank for that.
My hockey experience at Saint John’s has been great as well. The memories that we as teammates have made together will last a lifetime. I want to thank all the guys who made my hockey experience at Saint John’s so great and those are my teammates. Every year that I was at Saint John’s we had great senior classes that took care of the younger kids on the team. I still have great relationships with the people who were seniors when I was a freshman, and I think that is rare. There have even been guys who graduated before I even got to Saint John’s that I have formed friendships with. I think my favorite memory as a hockey player at Saint John’s was our team trip to Japan. We had such a fun group of guys that year, and we made the most out of our trip. I don’t think I would have gotten the same experience if I would’ve chosen a different Division III hockey program.
I also want to thank my family for all that they have done for me. First and foremost, my mom and dad. They have sacrificed so much over the years for me and my brothers to have the best chance of succeeding in the sport we love. My dad started off as my goalie coach for many years when I was a kid and he taught me so much about the game. Both of my brothers have taught me so much about hard work and what it takes to be the best and I thank them for all their support over the years. My grandpa has also been a huge part of my hockey career and my growth as a person. He has been a huge role model for me and has taught so many life lessons that cannot be replaced. My cousin, Tommy, and my uncle, Tom, have also supported me a lot and I want to thank them as well… even though Tommy graduated from St. Olaf last year! I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for my family and I am so fortunate to be a part of such a tight-knit group.
My future plans are a little uncertain at the moment because of this pandemic that is going on. I had planned on applying for the Minneapolis Fire Department in April, but it has been pushed back indefinitely. I will still pursue that dream of mine and am confident I will end up there at some point. In the meantime, I will be starting my real estate classes and plan on joining my mom and uncle in their real estate business. I am hoping that being a real estate agent will work well the schedule of a firefighter. With that being said if any of you are looking for a house anytime soon you know who to call!
Finally, I want to thank Coach Doug, Thorson, Hommerding and Holly for all that they have done for me over my four years. They recruited some of the best people I will meet in my lifetime, and I cannot thank them enough for that.
Sincerely,
Andrew Lindgren
Brady Heppner
Senior Forward
Hometown: Crookston, MN
Last Team: MN Magicians (NAHL)
Major: Global Business Leadership
Since the pandemic, has started life has changed a lot. It’s been mostly finishing up school work and trying to stay active with my roommates. We’ve played a lot of tennis and golf, as of late, since the nice weather. It would’ve been a lot different had the pandemic not happened as I would’ve been in Virginia playing hockey. This was a huge shock as it took away the first couple months of getting my professional hockey career started. Of course, it was necessary and we have been staying safe up here and hunkering down in good ol’ St. Joe.
Coming from a small town in northwest Minnesota, I never thought I would be able to afford going to a private college. I’d drive past it all the time going to the Twin Cities and was amazed by how much land a college could have, but never truly imagined I could go there. After playing junior hockey and talking to the coaching staff here, I realized it was afforfable and it was the right fit for me. Being at SJU these past four years has been the best years of my life so far. The relationships I’ve built and the lasting community that will always be there for me is incredible. Being here has shaped me into the person I am going to be heading into the “real world”. Through the amazing faculty, to our awesome coaches, it seems everyone has completely bought into the culture here to create a community anyone would want to be a part of. I’ve loved every minute here, and am going to cherish the memories that I will have forever.
Playing hockey at SJU, I have been blessed to play with some of the best guys I have ever met. Every year the new faces we would have and the new relationships we’d get to start was so much fun. Being able to walk away from SJU knowing that we won a regular-season MIAC championship and making history is something I will always be proud of. A memory like playing a quadruple-overtime, MIAC-championship thriller is another thing I will never forget, as I still have nightmares about hitting the crossbar in the first OT. The families we have built within our hockey teams is one that I have never seen before. Hockey here at SJU has given me a family each year and one that I will have forever and couldn’t be more grateful for.
To my parents, who have helped me so much along this journey. I’d be nowhere if it wasn’t for them. They drove me around endlessly when I was a kid to away games every weekend and practices everyday. My dad made an outdoor rink for my brothers and buddies to skate on everyday in the winter. My parents are the most selfless people I have ever met and have sacrificed so much for me in trying to live out my dream of playing college hockey. I can’t even begin to imagine how many miles they’ve put on their cars since I have been at SJU, driving 3.5 hours one way to home games and more to the others on the road almost every weekend just to watch me push a black circular object around the ice for an hour and give them a hug afterwards. They have always pushed me to be a good person and have good morals. They’ve taught me so much and will always be my biggest role-models. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me and continue to do for me on a daily basis. I will never be able to repay you for everything you have done. My brothers, as well, have been so instrumental in my hockey career as well and in life and they have truly helped me become the person I am today and I thank them, too .
In the future, I am plan on continuing to try and live out the dream and play professional hockey either in the United States or Europe. It’s been my dream for as long as I can remember to get paid to do the thing I love most in the world, and that’s playing hockey. I am going to give it a shot and see what happens.
I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way these last four years. My coaches who have pushed me to become a better hockey player, as well as a student and person. My teachers and faculty at CSB/SJU, along with the entire athletic department at SJU. Without these people I wouldn’t have had the chance to be a student-athlete in college and live out my dream of playing college hockey.
Kyle Wagner
Senior Forward
Hometown: St. Francis, MN
Last Team: MN Magicians (NAHL)
Major: Global Business Leadership
Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, life has been very different, and it has taken time to adjust to. My usual day consists of waking up around 9:30 a.m. for class. After my roommates and I are all done with classes, we try our best to get outside and do something active. We have been battling out on the tennis courts and the golf course.
My 4-year experience at SJU has been the highlight of my life so far. I have met life-long friends that I cherish every day. I have also been able to receive an education from one of the most pristine colleges in Minnesota. The last 4 years have shaped me into the person that I am today.
Being on the Saint John’s Hockey team has been a great privilege. An example of the type of hockey team that we have here is one season we had the highest GPA out of all sports, and we had a chance at the MIAC Championship. Being alongside guys who are that committed to hockey and their education is why our culture is so valuable. My most memorable experience of my hockey career was the 4-overtime game against Augsburg in the 2018-19 season. Although we didn’t come out on top, we gave everything we had, and it was such a ride getting to that game.
I first off want to thank my parents for the support through my career. Unfortunately, I chose one of the most expensive sports to play. And they haven’t complained once. They are always the first people I want to talk to after a game and the first people I want to talk to when something doesn’t go my way. The hours and hours in vehicles to come watch me play is something I will cherish forever. My sister has also been there for me from day one. And I have always been there for her to support her career. I have had amazing coaches throughout the last 10 years. And of course, the last 4 years the best trainer in hockey (Holly Blenker). Doug, Thorson and Hommerding have also made the last 4 years amazing.
In the near future I hope to sign with a professional team in either the East Coast Hockey League or somewhere in Europe. I hope to play a few years of professional hockey and then move into a sales position somewhere.
Thank you,
Kyle Wagner
Adam Orn
Senior Defensemen
Hometown: Ramsey, MN
Last Team: North Iowa Bulls (NA3HL)
Major: Economics
We have been doing all we can to stay busy during this strange time. Lingo, Heps, Wags, Souts, and I chose to remain at our college house when the stay-at-home order was put in place. We have been golfing pretty much every day since the courses opened back up. Along with that, we have been keeping up on schoolwork and playing a lot of tennis, softball and poker. Personally, I have been trying to bike a couple times a week since the gyms are closed. My parents recently bought a cabin up in Alexandria so I have been going back and forth and helping them with housework. I am up in Alex right now getting ready to do some fishing for opener.
When choosing colleges, I had really no idea what Saint John’s was all about. My goal was solely to continue my hockey career and I chose to come to Saint John’s because Coach Schueller recruited me more than other schools. I did not have any family members or friends who previously attended SJU and my knowledge was limited. My four years at Saint John’s were probably the four best years of my life. I studied abroad, earned a degree in business and made lifelong friends. I’m extremely fortunate to have spent the last four years at SJU.
Playing hockey at Saint John’s was by far the best part of my college experience. We traveled to Boston and Japan, two places I have never been before. We made the playoffs three of the four years and lost a heartbreaker last year in triple overtime at Ausburg. This year we finally won a regular-season MIAC Championship after a comeback victory at Saint Mary’s. Now that my career has come to an end, I will cherish and miss the bus rides, the locker room, the gameday prep and much more. My teammates over the years have turned into lifelong friends and the guys this year made my senior season the best of them all.
I want to start by thanking the coaching staff. Holly, Hummer, Thors, Z, and Doug, thank you for all you do for this program and all you do for the boys. We appreciate it more than you know. You guys were a huge part of my positive experience at Saint John’s so again, thank you for everything. SJU is extremely lucky to have a staff like you guys. Next, I want to thank the boys. To the guys who have another year, enjoy every minute of it. I remember being a freshman watching the senior speeches and thinking how far away it is until I am giving mine, and here I am now. You guys made my senior season the best of them all and I am truly grateful for that. I wish you guys the best of luck and if you ever need anything at all, don’t be afraid to reach out. To the three other seniors, thank you guys for four unreal years. We made some great memories and I am going to miss all of them as we move onto the real world. Finally, I want to thank my family for the constant support over the years. My parents are my biggest role models and they allowed me to live out my dream of playing collegiate hockey. I hope I can be be half the parent they are someday and I cannot thank them enough for all they have done for me and for my career. I love you guys and from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Upon graduation, I am going to move to Minneapolis with a friend from high school. He owns the house and he will technically be my landlord. Hopefully, I don’t get into too much trouble! I am currently applying for jobs. Having a business degree and a economics minor, I have been applying for a wide array of jobs. I am not entirely sure of what field or industry I want to get into but I have been applying for jobs in sales, supply chain, operations and analytics. I have a couple offers and will likely be making some decisions in the near future here.
