They do family get-togethers a little differently at the Rick and Sue Saintey household.

No matter the occasion, the same theme always emerges inside the Rosemount home in which the Sainteys raised their three boys — all of whom went on to become hockey coaches, just like their dad.

As the day unfolds it’s not unusual for power plays to be diagrammed on scraps of paper, breakouts to be scribbled on whiteboards and forecheck patterns to be plotted on sliding glass doors. 

When the evening meal ends the fun really starts.

“We take the dining room table and move it to the front entryway,” Rick said. “The dining room and living room are attached, and it turns into a really good space to play.” 

Play? Play what? Remember, these are the Sainteys. So the game of choice is knee hockey, of course.

Teams are formed and all three generations of Sainteys get to hooting and hollering as they fire slapshots off various pieces of furniture and pray they don’t break windows or china cabinets.

“It becomes all out war,” Ricky Saintey, one of Rick and Sue’s three boys, said. “The grandkids get involved. It gets pretty aggressive.”

Ricky is in his eighth season as the head coach at Rosemount. His dad, who goes by Senior, serves as his assistant. Ricky’s brother James, who lives in Wisconsin, is an unofficial assistant coach, breaking down video and offering suggestions — sometimes by phone during the middle of games.

“He’ll call in between periods and say, ‘You guys have to fix this or change that,’ ” Ricky said. “We try to listen to what he has got to say.”

The third brother, Brian, is an assistant coach at Holy Family this season, helping the Fire reach the Section 2AA championship game. Rosemount plays Cretin-Derham Hall in a Section 3AA semifinal on Tuesday.

Minnesota families immersed in hockey and coaching is a time-tested tradition. Among the most famous family coaching combinations was Greg and Tom Vannelli, brothers who guided St. Thomas Academy to five state Class 1A championships in 16 seasons before retiring in 2019. 

“The Vannellis created a pretty nice dynasty at St. Thomas,” Ricky said. “They had a ton of success … they had a good bond. But I always looked up to Bruce Johnson and AJ (Aaron), all three of us serve on the (Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association) board. What the Johnsons have done has sort of paved the way for what we have here.”

Last season, Buffalo head coach Aaron Johnson was joined by his father, Bruce, and brother, Thomas, behind the bench as the Bison reached the Section 8AA championship game. Bruce was a longtime coach at Robbinsdale Armstrong and an assistant at Elk River before joining forces with his sons.

Andover head coach Mark Manney, who guided the Huskies to the 2022 Class 2A championship, has added his son, Nick, to his coaching staff. At Hill-Murray, Jake Lechner is heavily involved in the Pioneers’ program run by his legendary father, Bill, winner of two state big-school titles. Andover has reached this week's Section 7AA title game and Hill-Murray is set for the Section 4AA semifinals.

Rosemount, ranked in the state's top 10 in Class 2A for most of the season, has a 23-3-0 record, tying the school record for most victories in a season. 

Despite all the success, family squabbles are inevitable. The Sainteys share a laugh when asked how they handle their disagreements.

“There have been several times when there have been some choice words said to each other,” Ricky said. “But we just let it rest and let it heal and get back on the same page.”

Added Senior: “He is the head coach. I am the assistant coach. I can throw in my two cents, but I have to make sure I honor that every single time, even when we are butting heads.”

Rosemount senior defenseman Josh Toll, a Mr. Hockey finalist, said he sees a shared vision in the Sainteys, disagreements or not.

“They have their differences, but for the most part they agree ... it's fun to watch,” Toll said. “They work really well together on the bench … they know what each other likes. I mean, it was Senior teaching Ricky how to play when he grew up.”

Senior is in charge of the defense, second power play, defensive zone coverage and runs the occasional practice. Ricky sets the vision for the program, and that means a lot of time spent on what is happening outside the rink, always pushing his players to be better students, to be better community members.

Senior couldn’t be prouder of his son’s work: “The culture Ricky has brought into this program is second to none. You see our players, even our former players, holding their heads up high because they know the standards are really high.”