Historic Season Ends with OT Loss at Robertson Cup Final
NAHL Minnesota Wilderness

Historic Season Ends with OT Loss at Robertson Cup Final

Published on May 21, 2026 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minnesota Wilderness News Release


The Minnesota Wilderness' hopes to capture their second Robertson Cup title this season were dashed Tuesday night as they fell to the Maryland Black Bears 3-2 in overtime at the North American Hockey League (NAHL) Championship game.

At 5:25 of the extra period, Brady Anes redirected a shot from Josh Frenette into the Wilderness net, ending the title game and delivering the championship to Maryland.

It was the first appearance in the finals for Minnesota since 2015 when the Wilderness defeated the Austin Bruins 2-games-to none when the finals were played in a best 2-of-3 format.

A raucous crowd of 1,974 watched the game at Fogerty Arena.

Minnesota had goals from Robinson Djian and Avery Anderson, while goaltender Valdemar Andersen suffered his first loss in the 2026 post-season.

The game started with a scoreless first period. Maryland took the first lead with a goal from Tanner Duncan 2:19 into the second frame.

The Wilderness responded just 42 seconds later and took the lead back with tallies just 1:22 apart. Djian tied the game with his first of the playoffs and an assist going to Kevin Lysohir. Djian slipped the puck between Black Bear goaltender Ryan Denes and the right post by firing it off Denes' left shoulder with 16:59 left in the period.

River Freeman then set up the play for Anderson's go-ahead goal. Freeman first shook off a pursuing forechecker with a check along the end boards, then delivered a centering pass to Anderson directly in front of the Maryland net. Anderson responded with a one-timer that hit the back of the net at the 4:32 mark.

Minnesota dominated the 2nd period shot count at 16-5.

The Wilderness carried a 2-1 lead into the third period. The Black Bears tied the game thanks to a goal from Harrison Smith 7:54 after the final frame started. Smith won the NAHL's Most Valuable Player and Top Forward awards for the regular season and was named MVP of the Robertson Cup tournament.

All goals scored were even strength. Both teams were shutout on the power play, with the Black Bears getting four chances, and three going to Minnesota.

The Wilderness outshot Maryland, 40-24. Denes stopped 38 Minnesota shots, while Andersen made 21 saves.

The game ends the junior careers of 10 Wilderness players. The following are aging out and will no longer be eligible to play at the junior level as of next season: Andersen, Anderson, Talan Blanck, Anthony Cappello, Ryan DeAngelis, Noah Dziver, Zachary Homer, Olle Karlsson, Joe Luger, and Logan Nagle.

It also ends a season where the squad had regular season success never before seen by a Wilderness team. For the first time, Minnesota won a regular season division title, claiming the Midwest Division crown a month before the season concluded. It also set club records for most wins (42), points (89), road victories (24) and goals scored (249). In addition, numerous individual records were broken.

Minnesota next begins the process of re-building its roster to prepare for the 2026-27 season. The team will be hosting futures and pre-draft camps as it prepares for the NAHL draft, which is expected to be held in June. Details on the camps can be found under the Future Players tab at wildernesshockey.com.

Check out the Minnesota Wilderness Statistics

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North American Hockey League Stories from May 21, 2026


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