The tradition has run since the start of 2020, the Nutcracker Cup held by the Oahe Capitals which is a fun in-house tournament in which former players come back and play along side the year’s JV and Varsity squad.
For the alumni, it’s a chance to see some old teammates and hang out on the bench again. Some get to play along with their brothers. Peter and Riggs Sanchez spent one season playing together, but over the course of two days got to play on the same team. Peter, a 2016 graduate, is a physician in Iowa so this gets to work out more from happenstance and he says anything he can do with family is a good time…
Riggs, a 2018 graduate, says they’ve had a couple of chances to play hockey together after high school, and unfortunately didn’t have their older brother on the ice too, but it’s a lot of fun to skate with him…
Jaden, Talon and Ashton Griese all get to play again this year with both Jaden and Talon coaching in the Oahe Capitals system and Ashton playing for Augustana Club Hockey. They are still brothers who give each other a hard time. Talon, a 2019 graduate, says It’s fun for the rest of the family too…
Ashton, a 2023 graduate, says it’s fun being able to play with his old teammates and friends again…
Jaden, a 2017 graduate, the oldest of the three brothers is happy all are out of high school to play with them now…
Dave and Cole Nelson are the father-son duo who played on the same team this year at the Nutcracker Cup. Cole, a 2020 graduate, jokes he has bad memories of other years playing against his dad in this tournament…
His father, Dave, has coached for over 30 years with the Oahe Capitals and he says getting to play with his son is a treat…
In some way, Dave Nelson has coached every kid that comes back to play in the Nutcracker Cup, if it’s been for one year or many years and Dave says he looks forward to this every year…
The annual tradition keeps growing every year for the Oahe Capitals.
