NAHL releases schedule for 30th season
August 4, 2005 - North American Hockey League (NAHL) News Release
Frisco, Texas -- The North American Hockey League has released the schedule for its 30th season -- the most extensive and ambitious slate of games in league history.
Running from Friday, September 9, 2005 through Sunday, March 26, 2006, the league's 2005-06 schedule will consist of 580 games, the largest ever. Each NAHL team will play 58 games, an NAHL record for regular season contests. And, unlike the previous seasons since the NAHL became a nationwide league three years ago, there will also be extensive interdivisional play.
"This is an exciting schedule for our fans and our teams and -- because of the demands of interdivisional play and the fact that we now have a second Alaska team -- it was also a formidable task to assemble," said NAHL commissioner Michael Santos. "But we felt this new schedule would be a great way to emphasize our continued growth as a league and provide a great celebration of junior hockey in our league's 30th season."
This season will see the debut of three new NAHL teams -- The Traverse City North Stars in Traverse City, Michigan; the North Iowa Outlaws, in Mason City, Iowa; and the Southern Minnesota Express, in the Owatonna/Faribault region of Minnesota -- plus two relocated teams -- the Alpena IceDiggers, relocated to Alpena, Michigan, from Toledo, Ohio, and the Wasilla Spirit, relocated to Wasilla, Alaska, from Springfield, Missouri.
All three of the new teams will begin NAHL play on the road. The first of the new teams to play will be the North Stars, who will make their NAHL debut on the road in Cleveland against the Barons on Friday, September 16. Later that same evening, the Outlaws make their debut against the Spirit in Wasilla, the first home game for the relocated Spirit in what is also the first interdivisional game of the 2005-06 season. The Express make their NAHL debut on Friday, September 30, visiting the Springfield Jr. Blues.
The North Stars open at home on September 24 against Alpena, a match up that promises to produce one of the NAHL's hottest rivalries. The same two teams will play in Alpena when the IceDiggers open their home campaign on October 14. The IceDiggers will also play in one of two Opening Night Games, when they travel to Cleveland to face their old Ohio rival, the Barons.
North Iowa plays their first home game on Saturday, October 1 against the Express. The Express make their home debut a week later, October 8 against the Fargo-Moorhead Jets.
One of the highlights of the early season will be the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota. All 20 NAHL clubs will play each day for four days between October 19- October 22 in what is annually an outstanding four days of hockey for fans and scouts alike. The match-ups for the Showcase, which will be played at Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine, will be announced at a later date.
Among the other early season highlights, the NAHL Robertson Cup and USA Hockey Gold Cup National Champion Texas Tornado open the defense of their titles on the road against the Bozeman IceDogs on Friday, September 16. Last season's runner-ups, the Fargo-Moorhead Jets start their season the same night in Bismarck against the Bobcats.
The first All-Alaska NAHL game will be played on Thursday, September 30 when Wasilla travels to Fairbanks to play the Ice Dogs.
The highly-regarded U.S. National Development Team Program, which this season will have an opportunity to compete for the league championship, will again play a full schedule of Junior A games exclusively in the NAHL. As in the past, the USNDTP will split their schedule between their two teams, the Under-18 and the Under-17 squads. The Under-18 team will help start the NAHL season by playing Opening Night at their home rink in Ann Arbor against the newly-renamed Mahoning Valley Phantoms, formerly the Youngstown Phantoms.
Another highlight of the 2005-06 campaign will be the second North Division Showcase, hosted again by the Phantoms from January 19-22, 2006. This season's edition will feature the Jr. Blues, the IceDiggers, the North Stars, the Barons, the U.S. Under-18s and the Phantoms, who will each play daily on the Phantoms' home ice in Boardman, Ohio.
Also, the Texarkana Bandits will reprise their successful and hugely popular morning game played for the school children of the Texarkana area, and this season will add a second game. The Bandits will host the Jr. Blues on Tuesday, November 1, and the Fairbanks Ice Dogs on Thursday, February 16, both games starting at 10:35 AM.
Entering its 30th season, the NAHL is the oldest and largest Junior A hockey league in the United States. Its primary goal is to enhance the development of its players through top-quality coaching, extensive practice time and a rigorous game schedule. The league is committed to providing these developmental opportunities in conjunction with a commitment to academic support. The league's schedule and playoff schedule is largely designed around weekend travel to minimize educational conflicts.
NAHL competition helps players make the transition from midget and high school hockey to college hockey by creating an environment that is highly competitive, encourages skill development and provides time for physical growth and maturity. Last season, over 100 NAHL players graduated to college hockey programs. During its 29-year history, the NAHL has developed more college and professional players than any other junior hockey league in the country.
North American Hockey League Stories from August 4, 2005
- NAHL releases schedule for 30th season - NAHL
- Cleveland Jr. A Barons announce 2005-06 Schedule - Cleveland Barons
- Season Is Just Around The Corner - Bozeman Icedogs
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