2021-22 NAHL Season

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This is the 2021-22 North American Hockey League season. This is the league's 37th season under this name and its 47th dating back to its founding as the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League in 1975 when the Michigan Junior Hockey League and the Wolverine Junior A Hockey League merged.
==Membership Changes==
On June 16, 2020 the El Paso Rhinos were added to the North American 3 Hockey League for the 2020-21 season from the Western States Hockey League. They will also join the NAHL for the 2021-22 season.https://www.aberdeennews.com/sports/professional/wings/nahl-approves-el-paso-texas-team-for-2021-22/article_2b1ce9be-b00a-11ea-8401-6bcd813acc2e.html 
On August 24th, 2020 the Corpus Christi IceRays announced they would be taking a one year leave of absence.http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=29793 The team would return for the 2021-22 season
On August 26th, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs were reportedly relocating to Marshall, Minnesota for the 2020-21 season due to quarantine and testing restrictions in the state of Alaska making playing in Alaska not feasible.https://thejuniorhockeynews.com/nahl-fairbanks-moves-to-marshall-minnesota/ The team will be based out of the Red Baron Arena and Expo for the season.https://marshsports.com/fairbanksicedogs/ The team would return to the Big Dipper Ice Arena on April 22nd for the balance of the season.http://nahl.com/game-center/#/game-summary/31188 A few days later it was reported that the Kenai River Brown Bears were also relocating to an undisclosed location in Minnesota. The New Mexico Ice Wolves also announced that they would be relocating to El Paso, Texas due to restrictions in place in the state of New Mexico.https://thejuniorhockeynews.com/nahl-has-two-more-temporary-relocations/. They would end up using the NYTEX Sports Centre in North Richland Hills, Texas as their home for part of the season. The Kenai River Brown Bears would later be announced as relocating operations to Anoka, Minnesota and would play their games at the Breezy Point Hockey Center in Breezy Point, Minnesota which lost their North American 3 Hockey League team after last season.https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/weekly-sports-league-and-franchise-report/n-5642224 The Ice Wolves would return to the Outpost Ice Arenas in Albuquerque with a game on April 8thhttp://nahl.com/game-center/#/game-summary/30956 and remain there for the balance of the season. The Brown Bears would return to the Soldotna Sports Center with a game on April 23rd and play the balance of their home games there.http://nahl.com/game-center/#/game-summary/31176
On September 16, 2020 the Springfield Jr. Blues announced they would be suspending operations for the 2020-21 season citing the state of Illinois not allowing gatherings of 50 or more.http://nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=29842 The team would return for the 2021-22 season.
Over the weekend of September 19-20, 2020 word was announced that the Jamestown Rebels were going dormant for the 2020-21 season. Based on the state of New York not allowing spectators at events this year and that USA Hockey would not sanction play in the state meaning it would not cover insurance for the teams in the state.https://thejuniorhockeynews.com/nahl-jamestown-goes-dark/ The Rebels announcement was being held off as the team owner was trying to find a temporary home in either South Dakota or Wisconsin.https://www.juniorhockey.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=94040 The team would return for the 2021-22 season.
On March 5, 2021, the league announced the Board of Governors approval of the relocation of the Amarillo Bulls to Mason City, Iowa to be based out of the Mason City MPA. The ownership of the team already operates a team in the North American 3 Hockey League out of the arena. The former Amarillo Bulls will also take the name North Iowa Bulls.http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=31228 On June 1st the NA3HL franchise was announced as being renamed the Mason City Toros.http://www.na3hl.com/news/story.cfm?id=32028
On March 22, 2021, the league announced the addition of the Anchorage Wolverines to the league for the 2021-22 playing season. The team will be a member of the Midwest Division. It appears the team is to be based out of the Sullivan Arena.http://nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=31385 The team would end up playing out of the Ben Boeke Ice Rink instead.
On May 21, 2021, the league announced that the Kansas City Scouts (NAHL) had been sold and would be relocated to Amarillo, Texas taking the name Amarillo Wranglers as an homage to the former Amarillo Wranglers of the late 1960's and early 1970's and replacing the Amarillo Bulls who relocated to Mason City, Iowa for the 2021-22 season. The team will be based out of the Amarillo Civic Center.http://nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=31948 The team will take to the ice for the 2021-22 season. as opposed to the Scouts who were planning on returning to play with the 2022-23 season.
On March 16, 2022 the league announced that the Minnesota Magicians had been sold and would relocate to the Eagle River Stadium in Eagle River, Wisconsin for the 2022-23 season.http://nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=34014 On May 3, 2022 the team was announced as being renamed the Wisconsin Windigo.http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=34382
On April 4, 2022 the Wichita Falls Warriors announced that they had mutually agreed with the city of Wichita Falls, Texas to part ways.https://twitter.com/WFWarriorsNAHL/status/1511153179043446787 On April 5th the league announced they had approved the relocation of the francishe to the Blazers Ice Centre in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where they would be renamed the Oklahoma Warriors for the 2022-23 playing season.https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/wichita-falls-warriors-announce-relocation-to-oklahoma-city/n-5807909
On May 17, 2022, the Jamestown Rebels announced that the team had been sold and would be relocated to the Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, New Jersey for the 2022-23 season. The name will revert to the Philadelphia Rebels moniker.https://www.rebelshockey.us/rebels-franchise-sold-team-to-relocate-to-new-jersey
==Teams==
Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division
Team 	Arena 	Location 	
Aberdeen Wings 	Odde Ice Center 	Aberdeen, South Dakota 	
Austin Bruins 	Riverside Arena 	Austin, Minnesota 	
Bismarck Bobcats 	V.F.W. Sports Center 	Bismarck, North Dakota 	
Minot Minotauros 	Maysa Arena 	Minot, North Dakota 	
North Iowa Bulls 	Mason City MPA 	Mason City, Iowa 	
St. Cloud Norsemen 	Dave Torrey Arena 	St. Cloud, Minnesota 	
Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division
Team 	Arena 	Location 	
Anchorage Wolverines 	Ben Boeke Ice Rink 	Anchorage, Alaska 	
Chippewa Steel 	Chippewa Area Ice Arena 	Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin 	
Fairbanks Ice Dogs 	Big Dipper Ice Arena 	Fairbanks, Alaska 	
Janesville Jets 	Janesville Ice Arena 	Janesville, Wisconsin 	
Kenai River Brown Bears 	Soldotna Sports Center 	Soldotna, Alaska 	
Minnesota Magicians 	Richfield Ice Arena 	Richfield, Minnesota 	
Minnesota Wilderness 	Northwoods Credit Union Arena 	Cloquet, Minnesota 	
Springfield Jr. Blues 	Nelson Center 	Springfield, Illinois 	
East Division 	East Division 	East Division 	East Division
Team 	Arena 	Location 	
Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks 	Danbury Ice Arena 	Danbury, Connecticut 	
Jamestown Rebels 	Northwest Arena 	Jamestown, New York 	
Johnstown Tomahawks 	Cambria County War Memorial Arena 	Johnstown, Pennsylvania 	
Maine Nordiques 	The Colisée 	Lewiston, Maine 	
Maryland Black Bears 	Piney Orchard Ice Arena/Ice World 	Odenton, Maryland/Abingdon, Maryland 	
New Jersey Junior Titans	Middletown Ice World Arena 	Middletown, New Jersey 	
Northeast Generals 	New England Sports Village 	Attleboro, Massachusetts 	
South Division 	South Division 	South Division 	South Division
Team 	Arena 	Location 	
Amarillo Wranglers 	Amarillo Civic Center 	Amarillo, Texas 	
Corpus Christi IceRays 	American Bank Center 	Corpus Christi, Texas 	
El Paso Rhinos 	Sierra Providence Event Center 	El Paso, Texas 	
Lone Star Brahmas 	NYTEX Sports Centre 	North Richland Hills, Texas 	
New Mexico Ice Wolves 	Outpost Ice Arenas/NYTEX Sports Centre	Albuquerque, New Mexico/North Richland Hills, Texas	
Odessa Jackalopes 	Ector County Coliseum 	Odessa, Texas 	
Shreveport Mudbugs 	Hirsch Coliseum 	Shreveport, Louisiana 	
Wichita Falls Warriors 	Kay Yeager Coliseum 	Wichita Falls, Texas 	
==Standings==
===Central Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
St. Cloud Norsemen	60	41	16	2 	1 	230	153	85
Austin Bruins 	60	31	23	3 	3 	178	186	68
Aberdeen Wings 	60	31	24	3 	2 	186	184	67
Bismarck Bobcats 	60	29	27	1 	3 	210	206	62
Minot Minotauros 	60	28	29	2 	1 	173	184	59
North Iowa Bulls 	60	22	28	4 	6 	194	234	54
===East Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
New Jersey Titans 	60	41	16	3 	0 	226	163	85
Johnstown Tomahawks 	60	34	20	4 	2 	225	184	74
Jamestown Rebels 	60	35	22	2 	1 	181	164	73
Northeast Generals 	60	35	24	0 	1 	199	200	71
Maryland Black Bears 	60	29	19	6 	6 	189	176	70
Maine Nordiques 	60	22	27	6 	5 	200	243	55
Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks	60	12	42	5 	1 	153	258	30
===Midwest Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Fairbanks Ice Dogs 	60	37	20	1 	2 	238	179	77
Springfield Jr. Blues 	60	36	20	2 	2 	211	177	76
Anchorage Wolverines 	60	33	19	4 	4 	208	166	74
Minnesota Wilderness 	60	35	23	1 	1 	216	203	72
Janesville Jets 	60	34	25	0 	1 	227	208	69
Minnesota Magicians 	60	25	26	6 	3 	197	231	59
Chippewa Steel 	60	25	31	2 	2 	168	206	54
Kenai River Brown Bears	60	14	41	3 	2 	147	256	33
===South Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Lone Star Brahmas 	60	38	12	5 	5 	197	144	86
New Mexico Ice Wolves 	60	38	17	2 	3 	193	145	81
Wichita Falls Warriors 	60	35	17	5 	3 	220	150	78
Shreveport Mudbugs 	60	34	21	1 	4 	170	154	73
Odessa Jackalopes 	60	29	26	1 	4 	193	193	63
Amarillo Wranglers (NAHL)	60	27	29	1 	3 	149	182	58
Corpus Christi IceRays 	60	25	32	2 	1 	166	213	53
El Paso Rhinos 	60	15	41	2 	2 	131	233	34
==Robertson Cup Playoffs==
===Format===
The top four teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The first place team plays the fourth place team and the second place team plays the third place team in a best-of-five series over two weekends. The division semifinal winners meet in a best-of-five series over two weekends. The division winners advance to the Robertson Cup tournament. The event will be held at the Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota May 20 to 24, 2022. The teams are seeded 1 to 4 and are paired off 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in best-of-three series. The semifinal winners meet in a single championship game on May 24th.
===Central Division Semifinals=== 
*St. Cloud Norsemen defeated Bismarck Bobcats 3 games to 2
*Aberdeen Wings defeated Austin Bruins 3 games to none
===East Division Semifinals===
*New Jersey Titans defeated Northeast Generals 3 games to 2
*Jamestown Rebels defeated Johnstown Tomahawks 3 games to 2
===Midwest Division Semifinals=== 
*Minnesota Wilderness defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 3 games to 2
*Anchorage Wolverines defeated Springfield Jr. Blues 3 games to none
===South Division Semifinals===
*Lone Star Brahmas defeated Shreveport Mudbugs 3 games to 1
*New Mexico Ice Wolves defeated Wichita Falls Warriors 3 games to 2
===Central Division Final===
*St. Cloud Norsemen defeated Aberdeen Wings 3 games to 1
===East Division Final===
*New Jersey Titans defeated Jamestown Rebels 3 games to 1
===Midwest Division Final===
*Anchorage Wolverines defeated Minnesota Wilderness 3 games to 1
===South Division Final===
*New Mexico Ice Wolves defeated Lone Star Brahmas 3 games to 2
==Robertson Cup==
The semifinal round and the championship game will be held May 20 to May 24 at the Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota.
The semifinal pairings are based upon regular season point percentage with the teams matched up 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd.
===Seeding===
#St. Cloud Norsemen
#New Jersey Titans
#New Mexico Ice Wolves
#Anchorage Wolverines
===Semifinals===
(Best-of-three - May 20-22)
*Anchorage Wolverines defeated St. Cloud Norsemen 2 games to none 
*New Jersey Titans defeated New Mexico Ice Wolves 2 games to 1
===Championship Game===
(Single game - May 24th)
*New Jersey Titans defeated Anchorage Wolverines 3-0
==References==
Category:2022 in hockey
Category:NAHL seasons