Spike Rats – A Minnesota State Tournament Tradition
Tonight all of the teams from A, AA, and AAA, along with coaches, friends, family and All-State Nominees will gather for a special banquet at the St. Paul City Centre. This is a celebration for all involved and marks the start of the state tournament.
One of the best traditions is the Spike-Rat team merchandise. Every team in the tournament will be represented with a Spike Rat wearing their school’s colors on a shirt for purchase. The people behind this tradition have strong ties to the MNSHL and work hard to provide a memorable experience with the t-shirts and banquet.
It started almost 30 years ago when Mark Hultgren was the hockey coach for Bloomington Kennedy. They advanced to the state tournament. When they won, his close friend and hockey enthusiast, Paul Deutsch and artist, Mike Curttie, created the design of an eagle hanging onto seven rats. Each rat had their competitor’s names. This sparked the “rink rats” idea for the two friends, both in the printing business. Mark and his wife Marya Hultgren run STB Screen printing & Embroidery in Bloomington, MN. Likewise, Paul owns and operates Depaul Lettering and has for the last forty years.
It isn’t just the t-shirts; they quickly began running the state tournament banquets too. It is a wonderful event in which families, players, and coaches get to socialize with one another. They serve a wonderful meeting and also have speakers and awards. All State nominees, who’s teams may not be the tournament, are also invited; along with anyone who wishes to purchase a ticket.
The merchandise, started as a way to off-set banquet costs for schools. A portion of every t-shirt sold, went towards the event, or school’s would profit if they sold a given quantity. Now, it is one of the most-well recognized traditions for state participants. The unveiling of the Minnesota Rats represents their accomplishments in a fun, unique way. Not only are there the Rink Rats and Spike Rats, but also Gym Rats, Tumble Rats, Lax Rats, Court Rats, Mat Rats, and even Turf Rats. Together Mark, Paul, Marya and artist, Bret Ostvolden, create these special pictures.
This year alone, they have approximately 800 shirts to make. They work non-stop once the the schedule is announced and orders are placed. This leaves them with only a few days to produce all the shirts. Meanwhile, they are also prepping for the huge banquet. When I reached out to Mark he spoke like a true coach who knows the importance of the team, naming Marya and Paul as the most important part, as they lead and speak at the events and manage a lot of the behind-the-scenes work. The popularity and excitement for the shirts and banquet grow with every new athlete that makes it to the state tournament.
The Girls State High School Volleyball Tournament Banquet will be a special memory for every participant to come, and the Spike Rat’s a great memento.