The balance of power between the last two public hockey-playing schools in St. Paul has been positioned squarely in St. Paul Johnson’s East Side of town in recent years. But the times are a changin’ in the city, and the Scots appear poised to snatch the torch as St. Paul’s standard bearer for at least the next few seasons.
Remember, though, this is one of those expect-the-unexpected rivalry games — the teams will play for the St. Paul Cup on Tuesday at TRIA Rink — so there’s no outcome that can be considered surprising.
Johnson won last season’s games by scores of 7-2 and 5-1. The Governors also dominated in 2019-20, winning the two-game series by a combined 11-3. Johnson (2-5-0) enters Tuesday’s game having lost four straight. The Governors have scored just 10 goals this season, including four from senior Hayden Pelletier.
Highland Park (4-4-1) which also draws a significant number of players from St. Paul Central, is unbeaten in its last three. In their most recent outing the Scots beat Rochester John Marshall 3-2 on Dec. 21 on a goal by sophomore Emmett Eischens with 5 seconds left in overtime. Senior Javier Hamlin leads the Scots in scoring with 11 points.