Interview with Wally Chapman

The Alumni Office met with former Breck Boys Head Coach Wally Chapman to catch up, reminisce, and hear what he is doing now.

What brought you to Breck as a JV hockey coach in the 1988–89 season?

I never envisioned myself coaching sports, but I injured my knee when I played hockey for the Utica Devils in the American Hockey League during the 1987–88 season and moved back to Minnesota to work on rehabbing my knee. I intended to make it back to Utica for the 1988–89 season, but prior to the season, Craig Sarner, the Breck Varsity Boys Hockey Coach, called me out of the blue and asked me to coach the Breck JV hockey team. My knee wasn't responding well to the physical therapy, I was offered a job in the financial services industry, and I met my future wife, Eva, so it made my decision easier to retire from hockey and move to coaching. I visited Breck, fell in love with the school and the program, and started coaching for the 1988–89 season. 

I had a great first year coaching. The Breck JV team had a player from Sweden named Pella Bildtsén, who eventually went on to play Division I at Yale. He was ineligible to play varsity until January 1, and he ended up playing with the JV. With the core team of players and Pella, we were outstanding that year, and the whole team had a lot of fun playing together. They varsity 

During your 16 years as Breck’s Boys Hockey Head Coach, what was your coaching philosophy? What were the keys to building a solid hockey program?

From day one, my coaching philosophy at Breck was to have fun and work hard to learn the game of hockey. We knew that if we worked hard and stuck to our systems, there was a good chance we would achieve our goals. Through the support of Sam Salas, Lee Anderson, Jon Theil, Brett Bergene, our devoted hockey parents, and the boys, we grew Breck boys hockey from an extracurricular secondary sport into a solid hockey program. As the wins started becoming more and more frequent, the old adage of success breeds success came true for us. 

What is your favorite memory from your time as the Breck Boys Hockey Head Coach?

I have a lot of great memories from my time coaching at Breck. However, my favorite part of coaching was how hockey brought kids to Breck to become who they should be. The boys I coached added to the school in so many positive ways, and Breck had a large part in shaping who they are now. I still deeply value connecting with my former players over a call or lunch. They are great people.  

When asked about my favorite Breck hockey memories, I think of all the special moments with teams and players. All the state championship teams and the teams before the Class A and AA split that were absolutely incredible come to mind. Holding my son Blake on the ice after games when he was little (and the guys would all call him Breck as a joke). Memories of games in the old arena with the hump at the blue line and talking with Red Carey, the rink manager, about his day. I also think about when former players like Woody Rash ’88 and Tommy Simmons ’00 shared with the teams during the season. And who can forget when Herbie Brooks gave a talk to the team in 2000 before the championship game? They guys were in awe the whole time. Another fond memory was when Erik Petzel scored the winning goal in the section final in triple overtime!
 
How did your experience as a state champion, gopher hockey player, and professional player shape how you coached hockey?

I learned valuable hockey knowledge from each stage of my playing career. In high school at Edina, I learned the value of repetition to perfect different systems. My coach at the U of M toughened me up to be ready for any challenge. I also learned more of an international skating game from my coach in the minors. I took what I believed to be the best from each style and implemented it at Breck as we grew the hockey program.  

What are you doing now?

I continue to live in Edina with my wife, Eva, whom I thank for years of support as I coached hockey. My three kids, Blake, Abbey ’12, and Isabelle, are all grown and working or attending graduate school. I've worked at RBC Wealth Management for the last 23 years.