2019 Robertson Cup Championship returns to Blaine, Minnesota

January 8, 2019

The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced that the 2019 Robertson Cup National Championship will once again be played at the Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota, from May 10-13, 2019. This marks the second consecutive season that the Robertson Cup Championship will be held at Fogerty Arena. The Robertson Cup is awarded to the national playoff champion of the NAHL. The oldest junior hockey trophy in the United States, the Robertson Cup, is named in honor of Chuck Robertson, a pioneer of junior hockey in the NAHL and youth hockey in the state of Michigan.

 

“The 2018 Robertson Cup outperformed everyone’s expectations in terms of the on-ice competition, the number of scouts in the building, and the number of fans in the stands. When we combined all those factors, the decision to return to the Fogarty Arena in 2019 to host our National Championship was a pretty easy one,” said NAHL Commissioner and President Mark Frankenfeld. “We had over 70 NCAA commitments in the NAHL following the event, including 21 from the four teams that participated in the 2018 Robertson Cup. It continues to be an important part of the NAHL event structure and continues our mission of being the League of Opportunity, no matter the time of year or setting. We look forward to build on last year and provide another memorable and incredible Robertson Cup Championship for our players.”

 

One of the things the NAHL does better than any other junior league is seeing their players earn an NCAA opportunity while playing in the NAHL. To date, 148 NAHL players have already made an NCAA commitment during the 2018-19 season and last year a record number of 331 NAHL players made an NCAA commitment. The NAHL’s Robertson Cup Championship plays a big role in that success, with dozens of players earning an NCAA Division I opportunity following their participation in the event. For more information, please visit www.robertsoncup.com

 

“We are very proud to be chosen again to be the host site of the 2019 NAHL Robertson Cup Championship. Last year's event was a huge success and we want to make it even bigger and better,” said Fogerty Arena General Manager Rob Hall. “We have an idea of what to expect now and it is our goal to make the venue even more accommodating towards the NAHL and its teams and fans. We were thrilled with the attendance and atmosphere last year and hope to expand upon that in 2019.”

 

Opened in 1982, Fogerty Arena has continued to provide the communities of Blaine and Spring Lake Park with one of the State’s finest Civic Center/Ice Arenas. Reminiscent of arenas across the NAHL landscape with a main arena seating capacity of 1,800 spectators, Fogerty Arena has hosted thousands of hockey events including State Championships and even NCAA events. In addition to the two, full-size ice hockey rinks, a third facility was built in 2012 with dedicated curling ice and the Sticks & Stones Restaurant, becoming the first year-round curling facility in North America. Fogerty Arena is also home to the Blaine Bengals High School Hockey team.

 

The four NAHL divisional playoff champions will advance to the Robertson Cup Championship. Once the four NAHL Divisional Playoff Champions are determined, clubs will be seeded 1-4 based upon their finish in the NAHL regular-season standings. The game schedule will be as follows: The #1 Seed will face the #4 seed in a best of three series. The #2 seed will face the #3 seed in a best of three series. The two series winners will advance onto a one-game championship to determine the Robertson Cup National Champion.

 

The event will be held in cooperation with the 2019 NAHL Combine and the 2019 18U Top Prospects Tournament. Entering its sixth year in 2019, the Combine will accept applications from all players with birth years from 2002-05. The 18U Top Prospects Tournament will be made up of some of the best players from Tier I, high school, and junior leagues across the United States. All players will be introduced to a weekend that involves the 'NAHL Experience,' which will consist of competitive hockey, education of the future levels of hockey, academic preparation for NCAA hockey and exposure to professional, college and junior scouts.