Bruins Head to Blaine for NAHL Showcase
September 24, 2024 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Austin Bruins News Release
AUSTIN, MINN. - The Austin Bruins head to Blaine, Minnesota this week for three games at the NAHL showcase. Dubbed by the league as the "Greatest Show on Ice", the Showcase brings all teams from the NAHL to the Super Rink in Blaine for a four day event. Per the league website,
"The NAHL Showcase attracts over 9,000 people in overall attendance, including more than 330 professional, college and junior scouts. For scouting purposes, the NAHL Showcase is the premier event of its kind and is a yearly gathering for every NCAA program and NHL team as they get their first look at some of the best and brightest hockey talent North America has to offer."
The Black and Gold travel north for three interdivisional games against the Elmira Aviators (East), New Hampshire Mountain Kings (East), and New Mexico Ice Wolves (South).
The Bruins kick off their week on Wednesday with a 2 pm puck drop against Elmira. The 2024-2025 season marks the inaugural season for Elmira. The Aviators joined the NAHL as the tenth team in the league's East division. After winning their first game in team history against the Danbury Jr Hat Tricks 6-1 on the 13th, the Aviators have earned six points across their first four games this season, placing them tied for fourth place in the East.
A quick turnaround sees the Black and Gold face off with another unfamiliar foe in New Hampshire on Thursday at 10:15 am. The Mountain Kings joined the league last season, finishing in eighth place in the East division with a 20-35-5-0 record, good for just 45 points. With second year head coach Cam Robichaud at the helm, the Mountain Kings have started off their sophomore season with a rocky start. Despite a 7-1 blowout victory in the season opener on September 13th against the Johnstown Tomahawks, New Hampshire has dropped its next three games by a combined score of 17-7. The Mountain Kings open up the Showcase on Wednesday with a contest against the Shreveport Mudbugs.
The Ice Wolves are the only team the Bruins face in Showcase this year that have some history with the Black and Gold. In its inaugural season back in 2019, New Mexico faced off with Austin at the Showcase with a 3-0 Bruins victory over the newcomers. The Ice Wolves have gone on to be steady playoff contenders in the South Division, although there is one major difference for the Wolves this season. Phil Fox, who was the only coach in team history, bid farewell to the organization in early August to take an assistant coach position at his alma mater Northern Michigan. Kevin Hartzell, who served as the team's senior advisor, stepped in for the 2024-25 campaign behind the bench. The Ice Wolves took one game out of a three game series against the Corpus Christi IceRays this past weekend. The team from the South faces off with Elmira on Thursday and the Philadelphia Rebels on Friday before closing out the Showcase on Saturday at 2:30 pm against the Bruins.
The Bruins come off of their season opener on Saturday that saw the Black and Gold topple Central division rival North Iowa Bulls 5-1. Alex Laurenza racked up four points on two power play goals and two assists that earned the veteran NAHL Central Division First Star of the Week. EJ Paddington netted two goals of his own and Connor Beckwith scored the first goal of the season for Austin, both forwards scoring their first career NAHL goals.
All games this week will be streamed on NAHLTV with David Koier, who enters his first season as the Bruins Broadcaster, providing play-by-play commentary.
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