To truly understand St. Paul Johnson high school hockey, Steve Younghans said, one has to visit Gustafson-Phalen Ice Arena. That’s where you’ll see all the banners, the photos of all-Americans, and the old jerseys of Governors stars such as the late Les Auge.

That’s the only place, said Younghans — better known as “Moose” — one can appreciate the combined accomplishments of the program that appeared in 22 state tournaments, won four and, against the odds, stayed relevant as long as it did.

“I was lucky to be a part of it,” said Younghans, a 1974 Johnson graduate who spent his school days playing football and has been running the Governors’ program for 40 years, fielding competitive teams despite declining numbers.

That came to an official end Wednesday afternoon when St. Paul Public Schools informed district players and families that Johnson’s program will be folded into a new co-op with Highland Park starting next fall.

“It has been decided by SPPS administration and the athletic directors to combine (co-op) the hockey teams and create one SPPS starting in the 2025-26 season,” the letter said.

Highland Park will be the host school, and the program will be run by the Scots’ current coaching staff.

The move is the latest of many in the Twin Cities, mostly in St. Paul and Minneapolis, to consolidate ice hockey programs because of declining participation numbers. A 10-year co-op between Central and Como Park dissolved in 2016. Como Park has since played with Johnson.

Highland Park dropped its program in 1987, then briefly joined Central in a co-op before relaunching its program for the 2010-11 season.

Since the co-op with Central was formed, Highland Park has successfully been able to field varsity and JV teams every year. The Scots this winter secured their first postseason win since 2017 and made their first section semifinal appearance since 1976 before falling to Mahtomedi.

Johnson is different, though.

The Governors were hockey royalty in St. Paul. In 1995, they advanced to the last of their 22 state tournaments. Five other St. Paul public high schools have played at state — four of those schools now defunct — but none of them as many times, and none of them won it all.

Coaching legend Herb Brooks, the architect of the Miracle on Ice and NCAA title-winning coach at Minnesota, played for the Governors.

So did Wendell Anderson, who went on to play in the 1956 Olympic Games and become Minnesota’s 33rd governor from 1971 to 1976.

The Governors were the featured program on the State of Hockey documentary series “Dream State” for the 2019-20 season, but Younghans said the hockey arena connected to the school is where you’ll best see the reach of Johnson hockey all in one place.

“The banners, all the high school stuff, the Bantam stuff,” he said. “All the guys who went on to play college hockey,” at least 40 by Younghans’ estimate.

But numbers continued to dwindle.

Younghans kept the program afloat for as long as possible, but the Governors were set to have just seven returning players next season — four from Johnson, two from Como Park and one from Open World Learning. Those players will now have the option to play at Highland Park next season.

The option to have one St. Paul public school team was also on the table in 2022. Highland Park athletics director Patrick Auran had trepidation about the potential move back then, for fear of having to make roster cuts if a merger took place.

He is confident no cuts will be required next season, even with the additional players joining the program.