From Drake Arena to Sweden: SPA Hockey Alumni Bring the Game Full Circle
This past December, Drake Arena became the meeting point of past and present as the St. Paul Academy and Summit School boys hockey program welcomed a U18 Swedish hockey team for a memorable connection for both sides. Led by SPA alumni David Landes ’92 and Dan Nyberg ’91, the visit brought international connections back to campus, a full circle moment that was recently featured in the Star Tribune. Read the full Star Tribune article here.
For Landes, returning to SPA was especially meaningful.
“I played three seasons of hockey at SPA, which may not seem like much in the grand scheme of life,” he said. “But those three seasons ended up having an outsized impact on my life.”
That impact began during his junior year at SPA, when Landes hosted a Swedish exchange student and hockey teammate, Dan Nyberg. What started as a high school experience would ultimately shape Landes’ future, leading him to Sweden, where he has now lived for nearly 20 years. “While I didn’t know it at the time, hosting Dan would alter my life trajectory in ways I could never have foreseen,” he said.
Returning to Drake Arena brought back memories that felt instantly familiar. “It was really special to walk back into Drake Arena all these years later,” Landes shared. “Even if there have been some improvements over the years, it still felt familiar. All hockey rinks have a characteristic smell, and Drake’s was just as I remembered it.”
Although his teams had modest success on the ice, including a senior season as captain with a tough record, Landes credits SPA hockey with shaping him far beyond the scoreboard. “The lessons and learnings I took with me from that experience have been invaluable,” he said. “Team sports are a fantastic training ground for life, working with others, setting goals, managing adversity, and SPA hockey was a great training ground.”
Coach Bill McClellan, who welcomed the Swedish team to campus, also reflected on the standout moments from the visit:
“Seeing both teams work together on the ice to make each other better, knowing they are from two different countries almost 5,000 miles apart, was incredible. Our captains exchanging jerseys with Järfälla’s captains during brunch after the skate was another highlight. And seeing players and coaches interact over those two days reminded me just how vibrant the hockey community truly is.”
McClellan added that the experience extended beyond the scheduled skate. “We worked our players very hard in practice the day after our joint skate, and the Järfälla coaches invited our players to skate another hour with their team afterward. Five or six of our players went out — it was an opportunity of a lifetime.”
The visit wasn’t just about hockey; it was about connection.
Landes added that “knowing what sort of magical things can happen when young people make connections across borders made this really meaningful,” he said. “I was excited to make a connection, however modest, between our team from Sweden and the team from SPA.”
A particularly special moment for Landes was seeing his son skate at Drake Arena. “Seeing my son on the ice at Drake was so special, even if he wasn’t wearing the Spartan blue and gold,” Landes said. “Now he and his teammates have SPA jerseys, thanks to Coach McClellan. When I’m back in Sweden, I’ll have even more reminders of the program that indirectly brought me there in the first place.”
For McClellan, sharing the game he loves is a lifelong mission. “My experience in hockey has shaped my life as a person,” he said. “It was a privilege to grow up and play hockey in Minnesota… Coaching has opened many doors for me: coaching my two sons in youth hockey, coaching high school hockey, working with some of the top youth players in the United States, and representing our country with the U17 National Team in international competition. Hockey has provided me with relationships with many passionate hockey people and a lifetime of memories. My experience last week with the Järfälla team was another opportunity to build relationships and another chapter in my lifetime of hockey memories.”
The visit ended with hope for future exchanges. Landes dreams of one day welcoming an SPA team to Sweden to complete the circle. “High school hockey is a unique and cherished Minnesota institution,” he said. “It’s something I’m proud to have been a part of. Hopefully, we’ll be able to complete the exchange someday by having our club in Sweden host a team from SPA.”
Beyond the ice, the visit was a celebration of SPA hockey’s legacy: teamwork, perseverance, and lifelong friendships. From alumni to current players, it was a day that proved the lessons of the rink extend far beyond the scoreboard.
