Wilderness Seeks to Take Down Top Seed Anchorage in Opening Round Series
April 18, 2024 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minnesota Wilderness News Release
Who: Minnesota Wilderness vs. Anchorage Wolverines
When: April 19 and April 20, 7:00 p.m. AKDT; if necessary, April 21 4:00 p.m. AKDT
Where: Ben Boeke Ice Arena, Anchorage, AK
What: Midwest Division Semi-finals, games 1, 2 and (if necessary) 3.
Media: All of the action can be seen on nahltv.com.
Records: Anchorage: 39-14-7, 85 points; Minnesota: 30-25-5, 65 points
Final Midwest Division Standings:
Place Team Points
1 Anchorage 85
2 Wisconsin 84
3 Janesville 71
4 Wilderness 65
5 Chippewa 64
6 Fairbanks 52
7 Springfield 52
8 Kenai River 46
Last Weekend:
Anchorage secured first place in the Midwest Division by forcing overtime and gaining one point in game 2 of its series in Fairbanks, despite losing the game in a shootout, 5-4. Fairbanks also won Friday, 3-2.
The Wilderness clinched its playoff spot Friday with a 3-2 overtime win over Springfield. Springfield bounced back Saturday with a 5-2 victory.
Other Midwest Division Series: Janesville vs. Wisconsin, with the first two games this weekend in Eagle River, WI.
Tale of the Tape: Source: nahl.com
Team GF GA PP PK PIMs
Anchorage 233 159 29.1% 82.6% 1144
Wilderness 157 170 18.6% 84.7% 803
Season series: The Wilderness and Wolverines met six times during 2023-24. Minnesota won the series 4-2:
Date Winner Score Location
Sept 9 Anchorage 5-1 Proctor, MN
Oct. 14 Wilderness 4-1 Anchorage
Jan. 5 Wilderness 3-2 Cloquet
Jan. 6 Wilderness 4-3 Cloquet
March 15 Anchorage 4-3 Anchorage
March 16 Wilderness 5-4 (SO) Anchorage
Playoff Format: This series features an unconventional playoff schedule due to the distance between Cloquet and Anchorage.
The best-of-five series will open in Anchorage, and, as the top seed, Anchorage is assured of at least two home games, while the Wilderness is only guaranteed of a home game if it loses once in Anchorage.
If the Wilderness wins at least one of the first two contests, there will be a third game over the first weekend in Anchorage. If Anchorage wins that third game, the Wilderness would then host game 4 on April 26 as its first home playoff game and also game 5 on April 27, if necessary.
If the Wilderness wins that third game in Anchorage, the series would be over, and Minnesota would get to host at least one game in the next playoff round.
If Anchorage wins the first two games, the series would shift to Cloquet for game 3 on April 26, and if necessary. games 4 (April 27) and 5 (April 28).
Playoff History: The Wilderness and Wolverines faced off in 2022 in the Midwest Division Finals. The first three contests were in Anchorage. The Wolverines took game 1, 4-1, while the Wilderness countered with a 7-2 victory in game 2. Anchorage regained the series lead in game 3 winning 4-3 in double overtime, and the Wolverines closed out the series with a 5-1 win in game 4 in Cloquet.
Playoff Experience: The table below lists the playoff experience Wilderness players have had in North American Jr hockey:
Name # of games Team(s) (league) Notes
Daniel Astapovich 1 Des Moines (USHL) 2023 Clark Cup playoffs
Adam Johnson 18
Wilderness (NAHL)
Rochester (NA3HL)
2023 Roberston Cup playoffs (9 games)
2022 Fraser Cup playoffs (9 games)
Joe Manning 1 Kenai River (NAHL) 2023 Robertson Cup playoffs
Ren Morque 2 Sioux City (USHL) 2023 Clark Cup playoffs
Logan Nagle 6 Wenatchee (BCHL) 2023 Fred Page Cup playoffs
Gustavs Ozolins 9 Wilderness (NAHL) 2023 Robertson Cup playoffs
Adam Prokop 2 Milwaukee (NA3HL) 2023 Fraser Cup playoffs
Oliver Stümpel 9 Wilderness (NAHL) 2023 Robertson Cup playoffs
Hayden Walters 12
Kenai River (NAHL)
Granite City (NA3HL)
2023 Robertson Cup playoffs
2022 Fraser Cup playoffs (9 games)
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