[NEW] NAHL 2023-24 Thread

[JMCx4]

Here's a new one, a D-man for the Jersey Hitmen played Goalie for the Austin Bruins on Friday night...that's where we are with with the state of the NAHL website.

"We have control of our data, control of our content ..." -- Mark Frankenfeld

 

[ElGuapo]

Heard the Jackalopes may not be in Odessa after this year. They should move two hours east to San Angelo.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Heard the Jackalopes may not be in Odessa after this year. They should move two hours east to San Angelo.

You have a source for this unsubstantiated rumor?

Or even a place for them to play in San Angelo? Or are you going to have them play roller hockey there?

 

[ElGuapo]

You have a source for this unsubstantiated rumor?

Or even a place for them to play in San Angelo? Or are you going to have them play roller hockey there?

I have a good personal source. So I guess take it for what it's worth. They could play where the last San Angelo hockey team played (San Angelo Coliseum). Been awhile (97-05) but the fan support was always better at the time than Odessa. San Angelo just never had good ownership. There would have been a NAHL team in San Angelo in 06 or 07, can't remember which year, but the city (coliseum owners) decided against it. They still had a bad taste from previous hockey ownership. But that was 15+ years ago.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

I have a good personal source. So I guess take it for what it's worth. They could play where the last San Angelo hockey team played (San Angelo Coliseum). Been awhile (97-05) but the fan support was always better at the time than Odessa. San Angelo just never had good ownership. There would have been a NAHL team in San Angelo in 06 or 07, can't remember which year, but the city (coliseum owners) decided against it. They still had a bad taste from previous hockey ownership. But that was 15+ years ago.

A good personal source isn't worth much.

And does this 20 year old facility even have ice making capabilities any more? That is a 7 figure investment just to make it capable of hosting hockey. Absolutely nothing about interest in hosting hockey during the almost 20 year absence.

 

[ElGuapo]

A good personal source isn't worth much.

And does this 20 year old facility even have ice making capabilities any more? That is a 7 figure investment just to make it capable of hosting hockey. Absolutely nothing about interest in hosting hockey during the almost 20 year absence.

Of course not to you since you don't know me. The way to find out about interest is to ask. I don't think anyone has in 15 years. It would be a good market.

 

[JMCx4]

Of course not to you since you don't know me. The way to find out about interest is to ask. I don't think anyone has in 15 years. It would be a good market.

They're gonna need more than your "^Plethora of piñatas" to make a game of it again in San Angelo. Though I hear the annual rodeo is a big draw @ Foster Communications Coliseum.

 

[ElGuapo]

They're gonna need more than your "^Plethora of piñatas" to make a game of it again in San Angelo. Though I hear the annual rodeo is a big draw @ Foster Communications Coliseum.

Yeah agree, not sure what a plethora of pinatas would have to do with anything. Yes it's one of the biggest rodeos in the country. Back in the day it happened earlier and meant weeks with no home hockey games. Now it's later and starts just as the NAHL season ends.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Of course not to you since you don't know me. The way to find out about interest is to ask. I don't think anyone has in 15 years. It would be a good market.

A good market which hasn't hosted any sort of hockey in 15-20 years and had middling attendances during their three years of hosting the Saints? In addition to not having a facility? Or having a facility which would need over seven figures and six months of worth of work performed before they are even capable of hosting hockey?

I think the likelihood you have a source saying the Jacks are moving to San Angelo is just as likely as you displaying good critical thinking skills in this situation.

 

[ElGuapo]

A good market which hasn't hosted any sort of hockey in 15-20 years and had middling attendances during their three years of hosting the Saints? In addition to not having a facility? Or having a facility which would need over seven figures and six months of worth of work performed before they are even capable of hosting hockey?

I think the likelihood you have a source saying the Jacks are moving to San Angelo is just as likely as you displaying good critical thinking skills in this situation.

I'm not familiar with you as a poster beyond this encounter, but you seem to just be wanting to be an ass and are essentially calling me a liar. Maybe you're a troll. I wonder what's more likely... A long-time board member who only participates in NHL forums coming in here to post applicable information they learned, or to randomly come in out of the blue to make something up for no discernable reason.

I'm showing no lack of critical thinking skills. There are simply some unknowns at this time. Many of these venues weren't hockey-ready until they actually got a franchise. You also don't know what you're talking about regarding the San Angelo market when it hosted a team previously and why attendance dropped once the name was changed to the Saints.

You'll be on ignore after this post. Shoo on back to Tatooine, snail. *throws salt at you*

 

[JMCx4]

Close enough to December to look at the NAHL Division Standings, to see who's hot & who's not ...

Central Standings: Minot is a minor surprise leader early, and I'm equally impressed with #2 St. Cloud. But the current #3 thru #5 teams are perennial contenders for top spots, so the Tauros & Norsemen have their work cut out for them.

East Standings: The two new teams in Rochester & Hooksett have 0.500+ records so far, indicating something is going right for each of them. But the current Top 4 teams in the Division are very likely to be who we'll see there come next spring.

Midwest Standings: My adopted Division, based on regionalism. Never a surprise to see Springfield bringing up the rear , while the Minnesota & Wisconsin were the odds-on Top 2 coming into the season. In between, the teams are subject to shuffle without much fanfare until the season gets serious early next year.

South Standings: El Paso has gotta be the biggest vote-getter for Most Improved so far, with reigning Robertson Cup champs Oklahoma being the biggest disappointment. Meanwhile, the new Grit on the ice needs to smooth out their record.

 

[PipeDream]

"We have control of our data, control of our content ..." -- Mark Frankenfeld

The website has been down for several hours this morning with the note "site maintenance in progress". Here's hoping for a much better product when it's re-released.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

I'm not familiar with you as a poster beyond this encounter, but you seem to just be wanting to be an ass and are essentially calling me a liar. Maybe you're a troll. I wonder what's more likely... A long-time board member who only participates in NHL forums coming in here to post applicable information they learned, or to randomly come in out of the blue to make something up for no discernable reason.

I'm showing no lack of critical thinking skills. There are simply some unknowns at this time. Many of these venues weren't hockey-ready until they actually got a franchise. You also don't know what you're talking about regarding the San Angelo market when it hosted a team previously and why attendance dropped once the name was changed to the Saints.

You'll be on ignore after this post. Shoo on back to Tatooine, snail. *throws salt at you*

Please explain to me how you deem <<asking for justification regarding your remarks about "San Angelo being a good hockey market" despite not having a facility, having lower end attendance for the few years they did have hockey many years ago, and having not been linked by any legitimate news sources with any level of hockey let alone the very specific Odessa Jackelopes>> as trolling? You might want to look up trolling. You also might want to cough up some reason for justifying the assertion that San Angelo is a good hockey market despite plenty of evidence for the contrary.

Sorry for the late response, I usually take 1-2 business days to respond but it is increased to 4-5 when coming up responses to those of you with minimal brain activity.

 

[JMCx4]

A good old-fashioned meet-n-greet among players and coaches after Saturday night's LS Brahmas @ Amarillo Wranglers OT game ...

https://x.com/hockeyfights/status/1733904620240712067?s=20

Background story courtesy of an enthusiastic reporter from Press Pass Sports ...

... At the 18:55 mark of the third, (Wranglers’ defenseman Henry) McRoberts scored his first goal in the NAHL (unassisted) to give the Wranglers a 3-2 advantage. But the Brahmas answered when defenseman Ray Murkami scored his first goal of the season to move it into yet another overtime game. You are reading this correctly. The Wranglers have played 14 overtime games out of 28 regular season affairs. Within the first minute of overtime, I witnessed one of the most egregious and dangerous hits ever administered by an opposing team I have ever seen in 10 years of following junior hockey in Amarillo. As a result of this egregious hit to the shoulder and head area, the captain of the Amarillo Wranglers laid unconscious for what seemed like an eternity as the medical staff attended to this very serious and dangerous situation.

Upon awakening from this unnecessary hit, Ben Ivey was helped off the ice as the Amarillo fans cheered with over-the-top enthusiasm. Ukrainian native and Wrangler forward Roman Zap somehow managed to get the puck to defenseman Drew Jeffers as he took a magnificent wrist shot to win this unbelievable affair, 4-3.

During the celebration of this victory in front of the Brahma bench, an all-out brawl ensued between both teams as Amarillo said loud and proud, they did not care for the cheap shot administered to their captain, Ben Ivey. Under the direction of the head coach of the Lone Star Brahmas, players were told to get on the ice and fight after the game. With both benches cleared and Amarillo Civic Center security trying to break up this monstrous fight, a plethora of suspensions are expected by the league that should include players, coaches and referees alike. This game will go down in Amarillo hockey folklore as one of the greatest games ever to be played at the Budweiser Bullpen. Amarillo goalie Connor McDonough stopped 38-of-41 shots to earn his 12th victory of the season. As of the writing of this column, Amarillo captain and West Point commit Ben Ivey is recuperating and is in concussion protocol. ...

 

[JMCx4]

No more 2023 Hockey in the NA, so here's a look at how they're stacked so far ...

Thoughts on Stats:
(1) The Minotauros are pulling away in the Central, on a 7-game win streak & 8-2-0-0 in their last 10 games. The third place Norsemen aren't doing themselves any favors, with 7 shootout losses to date & spending WAY too much time in the bin.
(2) The East has added 3 teams this season, pushing Danbury even deeper in a Hockey Hole. Pretty good chance they'll challenge their 2022-23 season goal differential of minus 144, but the good news is they've already secured two more wins (8 total) than all of last season.
(3) The Midwest leading Jets have climbed above the Wilderness by points % on the strength of a recent 8-1-0-1 stretch (4 consecutive wins lately). At the opposite end ... oh look, Springfield has settled in at their foundational spot.
(4) The Brahmas have won 9 of their last 10, but so have the Mudbugs to stay within range in the South. In the bottom feeder category, I'll bet the Ice Rays sent a Christmas card to the new Colorado team to express their gratitude for joining the Division.

 

[NEPA Ice]

I went to my very first NAHL game in Johnstown last night. I've been to USHL games when I was on business travel. I was pleasantly surprised at the speed and skills demonstrated. Sure wish Elmira had gone with a team in this league instead of opting for the garbage FPHL. I'll be heading back to Johnstown again sometime.

 

[JMCx4]

I went to my very first NAHL game in Johnstown last night. I've been to USHL games when I was on business travel. I was pleasantly surprised at the speed and skills demonstrated. Sure wish Elmira had gone with a team in this league instead of opting for the garbage FPHL. I'll be heading back to Johnstown again sometime.

My wife & I drove to Penn State last weekend for DI college hockey, and we passed by Johnstown on our route. I said to her: "Helluva place for a hockey team." But I'm glad you enjoyed the experience.

 

[Basil]

My wife & I drove to Penn State last weekend for DI college hockey, and we passed by Johnstown on our route. I said to her: "Helluva place for a hockey team." But I'm glad you enjoyed the experience.

Hey, that's my home town you're talking about! Anyhow, next time you are in the area make a point to take in a NAHL game. You will see why Johnstown has been a hockey town since 1950.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

I went to my very first NAHL game in Johnstown last night. I've been to USHL games when I was on business travel. I was pleasantly surprised at the speed and skills demonstrated. Sure wish Elmira had gone with a team in this league instead of opting for the garbage FPHL. I'll be heading back to Johnstown again sometime.

The NAHL was probably scared away by the off-ice clown show in Elmira. Because a larger rink with decent support in the middle of their East Division footprint is a no brainer.

 

[JMCx4]

Robertson Cup "Play-in Series" twist being added this season for the East & the South, to accommodate growth of membership in those divisions. YAY, more hockey!
------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: The North American Hockey League > News

NAHL Announces 2024 Robertson Cup Playoff Format
FEBRUARY 12, 2024

The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced the format for the 2024 Robertson Cup Playoffs and National Championship, which will be played at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota, from May 17-21, 2024. This will be the sixth season that the Robertson Cup Championship will be held at Fogerty Arena. 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 2024 Robertson Cup Playoff format will be as follows:

Play-in Series (East and South Division Only, Best of 3)

The Clubs seeded third through sixth will compete in a play-in series to advance to the division semifinals. The Club seeded third in the East and South Divisions will compete in a best-of-three series against the sixth seeded Club in their respective division. The Club seeded fourth in the East and South Division will compete in a best-of-three series against the Club seeded fifth in their respective division. The Clubs seeded one and two in the East and South Division shall receive a bye into the division semifinals. The Division Play-in Series will take place from April 12th to April 14th with all games being hosted by the higher seeded club. The first Club to win two games in the play-in series will be declared the winner of the series and advance to the division semifinals. The first Club to lose two games in the play in series shall be eliminated from further playoff competition.

Division Semifinals (Best of 5)

The Club seeded first in each division will compete in a best-of-five series with the fourth seeded Club in the same division. The Club seeded second in each division will compete in a best-of-five-series against the Club seeded third in the same division. The Division Semifinals may begin no earlier than Thursday, April 18, 2024, and must conclude no later than Monday, April 29, 2024. The Club seeded higher in each division semifinal series has the right to host up to three games and the Club seeded lower in each division semifinal series must be able to host at least two games.

For the East and South Division, the Club seeded first will compete in a best-of-five series with the lowest remaining seed from the play-in series. The Club seeded second will compete in a best-of-five series with the highest remaining seed from the play-in series.

Division Finals (Best of 5)

The two Clubs in each division that won a division semifinal series shall compete in a best-of-five series against each other. The division finals may begin no earlier than Thursday, May 2, 2024, and conclude no later than Sunday, May 12, 2024. Clubs shall cooperate to schedule division final series competition. The higher seeded Club will have the right to host up to three games. The lower seeded Club must be able to host a minimum of two games.

Robertson Cup National Championship

The four NAHL divisional playoff champions will advance to the Robertson Cup Championship in Blaine, MN. Once the four NAHL Divisional Playoff Champions are determined, clubs will be seeded 1-4 based upon their finish in the NAHL regular season standings. The game schedule will be as follows: The #1 Seed will face the #4 seed in a best-of-three semifinal series. The #2 seed will face the #3 seed in a best-of-three semifinal series. The best-of-three semifinal series will begin on Friday, May 17th. The two series winners will advance onto a winner-take-all championship game on Tuesday, May 21st to determine the Robertson Cup National Champion. ...


Read the remaining Playoff-related Protocols at: NAHL Announces 2024 Robertson Cup Playoff Format | NAHL.com

 

[Nanabijou]

I don't know that this is confirmed, but there's a report that NAHL expanding to Watertown, SD.

NAHL Expanding To Watertown South Dakota

The North American Hockey League is set to expand once again with the addition of Watertown South Dakota. A lease agreement between the City of Watertown a

thejuniorhockeynews.com

 

[JMCx4]

I don't know that this is confirmed, but there's a report that NAHL expanding to Watertown, SD.

NAHL Expanding To Watertown South Dakota

The North American Hockey League is set to expand once again with the addition of Watertown South Dakota. A lease agreement between the City of Watertown a

thejuniorhockeynews.com

The location sorta fits in with the existing Central Division footprint, and I can see how some Watertown local investors (and the city council) might think bringing an NAHL team to the new arena would add to its value. But I'd wait for the Feb. 20th City Council meeting to measure the REAL enthusiasm.

ETA: For the curious crowd, the Watertown City Council meetings are webcast ...

 

[FrozenPonds]

Maine Nordiques are for sale....any deal would have to include the purchase of the building from what I am hearing and the asking cost is substantial!

There must be another daddy-owner out there somewhere willing to sink some cash!

 

[JMCx4]

Maine Nordiques are for sale....any deal would have to include the purchase of the building from what I am hearing and the asking cost is substantial!

There must be another daddy-owner out there somewhere willing to sink some cash!

I'm out!

 

[JMCx4]

Somebody here should start a GoFundMe page for HUTCH to purchase the team & arena. A dream come true for more than just him.