A new hockey co-op gives life to one high school program while resurrecting another.

Southwest Christian, located in Chaska, received Minnesota State High School League approval this week to form a boys’ hockey partnership with Richfield. The combined team will play mostly junior varsity games in 2016-17 with the goal of joining the varsity ranks the following season.

Both programs welcomed the chance to join forces. The news is especially sweet for Richfield, a first-ring suburb and former hockey power that folded its program before last season because of a lack of numbers.

“It’s a great day for hockey in Richfield,” said Darby Hendrickson, a 1991 Richfield graduate who played in college at Minnesota and later with the Wild, in a news release. He also will serve on a hockey development committee for the program.

Darin Keizer, athletic director at Southwest Christian, said: “We’ve had families come to our school that had to quit hockey. So they are excited. We want every student-athlete at both schools to have an opportunity to play.”

Keizer estimated a roster of 18 to 20 players next season with about 60 percent coming from Southwest Christian. The team will be nicknamed the Stars since Southwest Christian is the host school, but the jerseys will reflect both programs, Keizer said.

The schools sit about 20 miles apart and will share facilities. The Chaska Community Center and Richfield Ice Arena will split the regular-season home games.

The new program is accepting applications for the head coach position. Southwest Christian High School opened in 1996 and has grown more than 40 percent in the past four years to its current enrollment of 325 students.

Meanwhile, hockey in Richfield declined. The varsity roster shrank to 11 skaters and two goalies before last season, forcing the cancellation. The Spartans’ program made six state tournament appearances from 1962 to ’91 and produced such players as Hendrickson, Steve Christoff and Tom Ward.

“We’re thrilled to once again be able to offer a competitive high school hockey experience to our student athletes here at Richfield,” Richfield athletic director Dave Boie said in a news release.

Here is the full Southwest Christian press release:

Southwest Christian High School announced today the formation of a new boys’ high school hockey program, through a co-op partnership with Richfield High School.  The team will begin play in the winter of 2016, primarily as a JV team, with plans to move to a full varsity schedule during the 2017-18 season.

For Richfield, this announcement revives a formerly rich hockey tradition that produced well-known players such as Steve Christoff, Darby Hendrickson and Damian Rhodes.  The program was suspended in 2015 due to dwindling participation.  “We’re thrilled to once again be able to offer a competitive high school hockey experience to our student athletes here at Richfield,” said Dave Boie, Richfield High School Athletic Director.  “It’s a great day for hockey in Richfield,” added former Minnesota Gopher, NHL/Wild standout and Richfield High School 1991 graduate Darby Hendrickson, who will also serve on the hockey development committee for the program.

“Southwest Christian High School is excited for this new addition to our growing sports program. Being in the State of Hockey, we truly feel that this will be a great opportunity for our students.  We are excited for the partnership with Richfield,” said Darin Keizer, Athletic Director at Southwest Christian. Supporting the creation of the program will be a hockey development committee led by J Lindsay, Darby Hendrickson and Joe Piche.

The new hockey program is in the search process for a coach and is currently accepting applications