NAHL Weekend Preview

May 14, 2021

Well, this is it. The final weekend of the 2020-21 regular season is here as the NAHL prepares for the Robertson Cup Playoffs, which begin on May 20^th.

There are still some bits of drama and unknows this weekend as the final playoff spot in the Central Division still need to be decided in addition to the final standings in the both the Central, Midwest, and South Divisions. Entering this weekend, only the East Division knows their Division Semi-Final match-ups.

15 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 Division Semi-Finals will be a best of 5 series.

The four eventual 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.

It was a huge week for commitment news as over a dozen NCAA Division commitments were announced this past week. That brings bringing the current season total to 314 players (including a new record of 277 Division I commitments) who are playing in the league and are committed to playing NCAA hockey in 2020-21.

In the Central Division, there are a couple storylines still remaining. First is finding out the final team to make the playoffs. The Minnesota Wilderness helped their cause with a win on Thursday night and now just need a win to clinch the fourth and final spot as they host the Bismarck Bobcats. The Austin Bruins, who are two points back and have three less wins, are in a must-win situation in their home-and-home series with St. Cloud. The Aberdeen Wings are chasing history in their final two games. With one more win, they would set an NAHL single-season record with 50. They also need three more points to set a single-season record for points in a season.

In the East Division, the playoffs are set as Johnstown will face Maryland and Maine will play New Jersey. This weekend will be the final for both the Northeast Generals and Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks. The Generals conclude a 60-game season as they face the Black Bears and the Jr. Hat Tricks face the Tomahawks. Both Maine and New Jersey are idle and await one another in the East Division Semi-Finals next weekend.

In the Midwest, the four teams in the playoffs are decided, but the weekend is a mad scramble for spots 2-4. Fairbanks holds a slim one point lead for 2^nd place over the Magicians and four points over the Kenai River Brown Bears. The Ice Dogs travel to Kenai River for two games, while the Magicians are in Janesville. Chippewa concludes their 2020-21 season with their final game on Sunday in Janesville.

In the South, the top two seeds are decided, but the race for 3^rd place will come down to the final two games. The Wichita Falls Warriors hold a two-point lead over Amarillo with two games remaining. The Warriors are in New Mexico for two more games after falling 5-3 on Thursday night. The Bulls will be hosting Odessa as the Jackalopes conclude their season. The top two teams square off in Shreveport as the Brahmas travel to the Mudbugs for a pair of games.

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FRI, MAY 14

Northeast at Maryland - 6:30 PM EDT

Danbury at Johnstown - 7:30 PM EDT

MN Magicians at Janesville - 7:00 PM CDT

Austin at St. Cloud - 7:00 PM CDT

Odessa at Amarillo - 7:05 PM CDT

Lone Star at Shreveport - 7:11 PM CDT

Minot at Aberdeen - 7:15 PM CDT

Bismarck at MN Wilderness - 7:15 PM CDT