NAHL Weekend Preview

April 15, 2022

It all comes down to this, the final weekend of the 2021-22 NAHL regular season.

Entering the final few games of the regular season, there are still five playoff spots and one division title still to be determined.

There is also a tight race for the NAHL’s scoring title with four players within one point of one another for the crown. The Robertson Cup Playoffs begin on April 21st. As a reminder, the top four teams in each division qualify for the playoffs.

It was another huge week for NCAA commitments as eight more players committed to play NCAA hockey, bringing the current season total to 241 players.

In the Central Division, the big series takes place between Bismarck and Minot, who battle in a home-and-home series for the final playoff spot. Simply put Bismarck needs to win both games, while Minot needs to win just one game. Austin will be in Aberdeen in a playoff preview, with the winner of the series nabbing home ice as the #2 seed. The final series has division champion St. Cloud engaged in a home-and-home series against North Iowa, who has been eliminated from playoff contention.

In the East, things are also going down to the wire. Jamestown clinched a spot in the playoffs with a 5-3 win in Maryland on Thursday. The two teams battle on Friday early in the day and the Black Bears are head of the Northeast Generals by three points for the final playoff spot. The Generals will have to at least win two, if not all three of their final games to get in as the host division champion New Jersey for two games and then Maine on Sunday. Johnstown needs just one win at home against Danbury in order to clinch a spot.

In the Midwest, the battle for the division title is still at hand. With two wins this weekend, Springfield would claim the crown. The Jr. Blues host the Janesville Jets, who are in a must-win situation and need help to get into the playoffs. Any kind of Jr. Blues loss will give the title to the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. The Jets will likely have to win both games to stay alive. Meanwhile, the Anchorage Wolverines took a big step towards the playoffs on Thursday with a 7-3 win over the Magicians. One more win in their final two games and the Wolverines are in. The same holds true for the Wilderness, who need just one win in their home-and-home series with Chippewa to clinch a playoff spot.

In the South, the series for the Semi-Finals are set, however, home ice has yet to be decided between New Mexico and Wichita Falls. The Warriors will be in Amarillo this weekend, while the Ice Wolves will host the Odessa Jackalopes. El Paso finishes their season this weekend with a pair of games in Shreveport. Corpus Christi will also finish their season as they face division champion Lone Star.

Watch all the action on HockeyTV

Click here for updated scores

Download the all new NAHL App today! (iOS - Google Play)

FRI, APRIL 15

Jamestown at Maryland - 12:00 PM EDT

New Jersey at Northeast - 7:00 PM EDT

Danbury at Johnstown - 7:30 PM EDT

MN Wilderness at Chippewa - 7:00 PM CDT

Wichita Falls at Amarillo - 7:05 PM CDT

Janesville at Springfield - 7:05 PM CDT

El Paso at Shreveport - 7:11 PM CDT

Austin at Aberdeen - 7:15 PM CDT