Senior A hockey lives on as Parkers host Reunion

General Manager and Coach Marv Jorde

Legendary Marv Jorde of the St. Paul Parkers cordially invites all former Senior A players Who either played for or against the St. Paul Parkers / Kostka Electric hockey club  to attend the 30th Annual Parker reunion.

The reunion for Senior A hockey will be held this coming Monday, 12-23-13 starting at 11:30 am, at Tom Reid’s and will be an informal setting.  Their is no price for admission.   The club is now extending an invitation out to all former Senior A players as the team would like to honor Senior A hockey and honor those who played or were associated with Senior A hockey, which is considered  the highest level of amateur hockey.  

 

For those who never knew this existed, at one time, Senior A hockey was the zenith of all hockey in Minnesota.  Proud hockey communities from all over the state featured their mens team as the town’s team, with the earliest days of Minnesota hockey having the Senior A team from each town taking precedent over the High School clubs.  The honor of playing for your city in the early days of Minnesota hockey was what all young players looked forward to in the hopes of one day wearing the towns Senior A sweater. 

 

In fact, what is now known as Minnesota Hockey.org was first created to organize the Senior A teams in the state and organize a state tournament.  With club teams from Roseau to Rochester and Warroad to St. Paul, at it’s zenith the clubs featured former Division one and Division three players or local hockey hot shots and competed in 60 minute stop time full contact games.  The games were not for those who did not like physical play, as besides skill, mental and physical stamina were the characteristics that the teams coach looked for. 

 

With no Senior A teams from Minnesota in existence, this is a gathering for those who recall the glory years of Senior A hockey.  The  legendary Parker team featured many players who were elite Division one and Division three players and also comprised of players who played professionally.   During their existence, the team was invited to play in Japan, Germany and Austria, after compiling 9 Minnesota State titles to go with their 7 National championships.  The team barnstormed over the US annually, with trips to Fairbanks Alaska, Sun Valley Idaho, Vail Colorado along with playing teams that are still in existence in the Badger State Hockey League in Wisconsin including Eagle River, Mosinee, Marquette Michigan and others.

 

The Senior A teams dwindled in numbers throughout the last 50 years, with only 25 or so teams left  by the early  80’s and continued to dwindle through the 90’s.  Some of the last remaining teams included clubs like the  Roseau Leafs, The St. Paul Parkers, The Minnetonka Saints, Minneapolis Bucks/Buck’s Unpainted Furniture, Becker’s Carpet, Moby Dick’s, the North St. Paul Blades, The Stillwater KS 95  Club , South St. Paul Senior A, The Metro Hawks  and the Taconite Hornets. 

 

 For the men who played and the people who made the games possible, The Parker’s would like to keep the Senior A game alive as we recall the glory days of Senior A Hockey.  The club is trying to get the word out, so please share this article and invitation with those who would be interested in attending.