Gallery • 3 Photos

Submitted by Eric Edhlund

Edhlund (left) observes the painting of the ice rink.

Empty of players, Drake Arena is quiet. The only sounds come from the Ice Arena Team, making sure the rink is ready for a new hockey season. Ice Arena, Property and Events Manager Eric Edhlund has an incredible connection to Drake Ice Arena. He has enjoyed his experience at the St. Paul Academy and Summit School ice arena since he was a child. Now, Eric Edhlund leaves after a 14 year career at SPA.

“My time at SPA has been fantastic,” Edhlund said. “Working in Drake Arena, the rink where I learned how to ice skate growing up in St. Paul, was a dream come true.”

Working with this community has provided Edhlund with a wide range of benefits he will carry with into the future.

“At SPA I have been given many opportunities to grow both professionally and personally,” Edhlund said. “I have made some of the best contacts and relationships that have been very successful.”

Edhlund’s contributions to the community were vast, as he made sure the SPA grounds stayed functional and kept them in great condition.

“I have also been managing the grounds for the school, which includes athletic field setups, landscaping beds, mowing, snow removal and general upkeep of the exterior grounds/properties.”

Edhlund said that although he does not interact with students every day he had the opportunity to coach fifth and sixth-grade soccer.

“It was a great opportunity for a staff member to become ‘part of the school’ a bit more,” Edhlund said. “A lot of times students don’t know who staff are; they just see them walking around the halls.”

In spite of that, Edhlund loves the part of his job where he gets to see students’ growth and development as athletes and as people.