NAHL Weekend Preview

April 23, 2021

With less than a month to play in the 2020-21 regular season, the NAHL heads down the stretch with a busy weekend of 23 games.

Just a few weeks remain in the 2020-21 regular season and nine of the 16 available playoff spots have been clinched to date.

The 2021 Robertson Cup Playoffs begin the third week in May and the top four teams in each division will qualify for the post-season. The four divisional playoff winners will meet for the 2021 Robertson Cup Championship, which is scheduled to be held at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, MN, from June 18-22.

Several more players announced NCAA Division commitments this past week. That brings bringing the current season total to 291 players (including a new record of 269 Division I commitments) who are playing in the league and are committed to playing NCAA hockey in 2020-21.

In the Central Division this weekend, things got started early on Thursday night with Aberdeen, Austin, and St. Cloud all in action. The Wings head to Bismarck then back home for a home-and-home series as the Bobcats look to clinch a playoff spot with their next win. St. Cloud will host the Wilderness on Friday, then travel to Austin on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Bruins will host the Magicians on Friday before hosting the Norsemen on Saturday, while the Wilderness will then play the Magicians on Saturday.

In the East, all eyes are on Johnstown as the 1^st place Tomahawks host the 2^nd place Nordiques in the battle of top teams. The Northeast Generals are in must-win mode as they host the 4^th place Maryland Black Bears as the Generals are eight points back with eight games remaining. The final series has New Jersey hosting Danbury with both teams trying to shed small losing streaks.

The story in the Midwest is the return of the Alaska teams to their home rinks for the first time this season. The Janesville Jets spoiled the Fairbanks Ice Dogs return to the Big Dipper on Thursday night with a 5-3 win and will face Fairbanks two more times. Meanwhile, the Chippewa Steel are in Kenai River for three games against the Brown Bears. The Magicians have a pair of games against Central Division foes after beating Austin in a shootout on Thursday.

In the South, the four playoff teams are set, but it’s a race for playoff positioning and the division title this weekend as the 1^st place Shreveport Mudbugs host the 3^rd place Amarillo Bulls. The 2^nd place Lone Star Brahmas will be in Wichita Falls to take on the 4^th place Warriors. New Mexico will look to continue their hot play with a series in Odessa.

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FRI, APRIL 23

Maryland at Northeast - 7:00 PM EDT

Maine at Johnstown - 7:30 PM EDT

Danbury at New Jersey - 7:30 PM EDT

MN Magicians at Austin - 7:05 PM CDT

Lone Star at Wichita Falls - 7:05 PM CDT

Amarillo at Shreveport - 7:11 PM CDT

Aberdeen at Bismarck - 7:15 PM CDT

New Mexico at Odessa - 7:15 PM CDT