Dates announced for 2019-20 NAHL Events
July 2, 2019
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced the event dates and locations for the 2019-20 season, which include the NAHL Showcase, NAHL Top Prospects Tournament, and NAHL Robertson Cup National Championship.
The 17th annual NAHL Showcase will take place from September 18-21, 2019, at the Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota. The 2020 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament will take place on February 17-18, 2020, at the New England Sports Village in Attleboro, Massachusetts, and the 2020 NAHL Robertson Cup National Championship will take place from May 8-12, 2020, at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota.
“Our events play a big role in the development, exposure, and advancement of our players. Our mission each season is to continue to set the bar higher and higher and the 2019-20 season will be no different,” said NAHL Commissioner and President Mark Frankenfeld. “Scouts have an established roadmap to track a player’s development, which includes assessments throughout the season and then making a determination based on his progression. They are getting a look at a player who has evolved, matured, and excelled throughout the season.”
One of the things the NAHL does better than any other junior league is seeing their players earn an NCAA opportunity while playing and being showcased in the NAHL. To date, a record-breaking 334 players made NCAA commitments during the 2018-19 season, with close to 70% of those being NCAA Division I commitments.
All 26 NAHL teams will play four regular-season games at the Showcase, which is one of hockey's most prominent and popular events of the entire season and has become the 'Greatest Show on Ice.' The NAHL Showcase attracts more than 330 professional, college and junior scouts. For scouting purposes, the NAHL Showcase is the premier event of its kind and is a yearly gathering for every NCAA program and NHL team as they get their first look at some of the best and brightest hockey talent North America has to offer.
In addition to all 26 NAHL teams playing in the event, the United States National Team Development Program (NTDP) of the United States Hockey League (USHL) will also be sending their 17-Team to play in two exhibition games against selected teams from the NAHL's South Division on Friday, September 20th and Saturday, September 21st.
It will be the first event of the season for the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL), which will also be played in conjunction with the Showcase. Entering its 11th season, the NAPHL is made up of USA Hockey-sanctioned teams that compete in the 18U, 16U, 15U, and 14U levels. NAPHL teams will compete at the NAHL Showcase from September 19-22.
The NAHL Top Prospects Tournament in February is one of the most highly-scouted events in junior hockey. Last season, over 220 professional, college and junior scouts attended the event, which featured almost every NHL team and NCAA Division I school. The event continues to provide the hundreds of NHL and NCAA scouts in attendance with a look at the best uncommitted players the NAHL has to offer, as well as, some potential NHL Draft picks.
The 2020 NAHL Robertson Cup National Championship will return to Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota for the third straight season. The four NAHL divisional playoff champions will advance to the Robertson Cup Championship. The Robertson Cup is awarded to the national playoff champion of the NAHL and is the oldest junior hockey trophy in the United States.
