Anchorage Announces Coaching Change

June 27, 2025

The Anchorage Wolverines of the North American Hockey League are pleased to announce the hiring and return of Mike Aikens to the organization.

Aikens returns to the Wolverines to serve as the head coach. The Rochester, Minnesota native served as the bench boss of Anchorage in their inaugural season. Through his leadership in the first year of the organization, he paved the way for the team's foundation and identity.

In the team’s first year, Aiken led the team on an incredible run. The Wolverines featured a 33-19-4 regular season record and a dominant 8-2 Robertson Cup Playoff record. Anchorage’s postseason dominance led them to make it to the Robertson Cup championship game.

Aikens has 26 years of coaching experience under his belt and will be leading the Wolverines’ in their fifth season as an organization. Before returning to Land of the Midnight Sun, Aikens served as the Division I Assistant Coach at St. Lawrence University for three years. He has extensive experience coaching at the junior level and has coached before Anchorage in the NA3HL and NAHL.

Right before joining Anchorage for the 2021-2022 season, Aikens helped lead his hometown team, the Rochester Grizzlies, in the NA3HL to become a national championship contender in just three years. With the Grizzlies, the team posted a 102-28-4 record during his three seasons.

Aikens is a 2013 graduate of Bellevue University. He skated for the University of Denver in 27 games, tallying five goals and four assists his freshman year before suffering an injury. Aikens pivoted into student coaching with the Pioneers which sparked the start of his coaching career.

Aiken shares his excitement to return to the Wolverines.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to return to the Anchorage Wolverines and the NAHL. Anchorage has quickly established itself as one of the top organizations in all of junior hockey. I would like to thank Wolverines ownership for their support and I can’t wait to play in Sullivan Arena in front of the best fans in junior hockey.”