NAHL Announces 2027 Robertson Cup Championship Format & Top Prospects Tournament Player Selection

The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced the format for the 2027 Robertson Cup Championship and the 2027 Top Prospects Tournament. 

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 2027 championship event will feature five divisional playoff champions and one wild card team advancing to Blaine, Minnesota, to compete for the overall title. Each team will play in a two-game round-robin format followed by a semifinal and a championship game.

The wild card team would be awarded to the division finalist with the highest regular season points amongst teams that lost in the divisional final round of play. The Mountain Division may not be the wild card team in their inaugural season.

The five divisional playoff champions that advance to the Robertson Cup Championship will be seeded 1-5 based on their regular-season point totals, while the Wild Card team will automatically be the 6th seed.

Pool A will spotlight seeds 1, 4, and 6, while Pool B will contain seeds 2, 3, and 5. The higher-seeded teams will be the home team during the round-robin games.

The Robertson Cup Championship will start on Friday, May 21, 2027, and conclude on Wednesday 26, 2027. Below is the projected schedule for the annual event.

Pool Play: Friday, May 21 - Sunday, May 23, 2027

Semifinals: Monday, May 24, 2027

Championship Game: Wednesday, May 26, 2027

“Our championship should provide a fair opportunity to compete and an experience worthy of the season our players and teams have earned. A six-team format with a two-game guarantee and semifinal games offers the best balance of competitive fairness, event quality, and operational practicality, stated by Mark Frankenfeld, the Commissioner and President of the NAHL. “It ensures finalists earn their place through semifinal victories, reduces reliance on tie-breakers, and preserves our traditional travel, practice, and media schedule, along with a day off before the championship game. While adding a wild card team and one additional day involves added cost, we believe those trade-offs are justified by a stronger player and fan experience while maintaining a championship presentation that reflects the standards of our league.”

The 2027 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament will return to the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, from February 22-23, 2027.

The NAHL continues to invest in opportunities for players. The 2027 Top Prospects Tournament will feature seven NAHL-built teams hitting the ice at the USA Hockey Arena alongside the USNTDP. Four rosters will feature the finest uncommitted, college-ready talent the five divisions have to offer. Alongside them will be three at-large ‘Selects’ teams, consisting of younger talent born in or after 2007.

Coaches for the Top Prospect teams will be determined based on the NAHL standings. The standings will freeze on January 24, 2027, and the top seven teams will have their coach serve as a head coach of a Top Prospects team. NAHL teams seeded from 8-14 will have their head coach serve as the assistant coach.

All teams will be composed of 20 players (12 forwards, 6 defensemen, 2 goalies), for a total of 140 athletes. 

With NCAA Division I, NCAA Division III, and NHL scouts in attendance, this is a prime opportunity for athletes to showcase their talents on the ice.

“Seven NA teams and the NTDP team, One roof, more opportunities to take the next step,” said NAHL Commissioner and President Mark Frankenfeld. “Our Top Prospects format puts four teams of college-ready, uncommitted players in front of 100s of NCAA coaches looking to fill roster spots, while the three Selects teams give younger, developing prospects a platform to attract college and NHL attention. Bringing both groups together gives scouts a chance to recruit for today and identify talent for tomorrow. This is what being the League of Opportunity is about—putting players in front of the people who can help open the next door.”