St. Paul's School

Our Program

Hailed as the "cradle of American hockey," St. Paul's School is proud of its rich ice hockey tradition. The first organized hockey game in the U.S. was played on the ponds that Gordon Rink now overlooks, and it was on the black ice of these ponds that the legend of Hobey Baker, Form of 1909, began. Baker is joined by a long list of St. Paul's alums who have played and coached at all levels of collegiate and professional hockey.

The primary goal of the St. Paul's hockey program is to develop student-athletes who will be impactful on and off the ice and beyond SPS. We do this by replicating what players will see at the junior hockey and college hockey levels on a daily basis in order to minimize the transition period when moving to the next step of their playing careers. The team plays with intensity, is detail-oriented within its systems, and strives to be creative and tenacious on offense. Each time the team steps on the ice we remember and work to honor Hobey Baker and all of those who wore the SPS jersey before us.
If you are interested in playing hockey at St. Paul's School, please fill out our questionnaire. 

Coaching

Varsity Head Coach Scott Harff, a member of the SPS Form of 2009, was a three-year member of the SPS hockey team. As a defenseman, he played an integral role on the 2007-08 St. Paul's team that won the 2008 ISL Championship and lost to Avon Old Farms in overtime in the 2008 NEPSAC Ice Hockey Championship game. The following year Coach Harff served as captain of the team before heading to Brown University to continue his playing career. He transferred to Colby College, playing three years there and captaining the team as a senior. After graduating from Colby in 2013, Coach Harff went on to play two years of professional hockey in the SPHL for the Huntsville (AL) Havoc.

Following his playing career, Coach Harff began coaching at Trinity-Pawling School (NY) where he helped lead recruiting efforts, oversaw development of defensemen and was responsible for special teams. In his seven seasons at Trinity-Pawling, Coach Harff developed players who went on to play for Dartmouth, Clarkson, UMass- Amherst, UMass-Lowell, Mercyhurst, West Point, UMaine, Merrimack, Williams, Wesleyan and Amherst. He was also instrumental in recruiting and developing Phip Waugh, Trinity-Pawling class of 2018, who recently signed an AHL contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Coach Harff joined the SPS faculty in 2022.

Facilities

The Big Red's home is the SPS Hockey Center's Gordon Rink, a 200' x 95' ice sheet with state-of-the-art Playsight used for livestreaming games and filming practices. In addition, the Hockey Center's Ingalls Rink is a classic NHL-sized sheet, fully outfitted for both practices and games. The Hockey Center also includes the Captains Room, a reception and memorabilia room with views out to the Lower School Pond and down onto Gordon Rink.

Beyond SPS

St Paul's alumni have gone on to play at the highest levels of collegiate and professional hockey. Our goal is to provide every player with the skills and knowledge to have the opportunity to make an immediate impact at the next level. In recent years, our former players have played in the USHL, NAHL, NCDC, BCHL, EHL and NCAA Division I and NCAA Division III.

Become Big Red. The color will suit you.

Sportsmanship, respect and kindness are at the core of our coaching and playing, whether at the club, junior varsity or varsity team level. On the field, court and ice, students step into leadership roles, taking as their role models the coaches who also serve as their classroom teachers and house advisers. Our 95,000-square-foot Athletic and Fitness Center serves the entire St. Paul's community, helping all students prioritize their physical well being — no matter their athletic interests or skill level.



Still have questions about the SPS hockey program? Send us an email: boyshockey@sps.edu