NAHL Robertson Cup Playoffs: the Championship Foursome is Set!

Updated May 11 at 10:40 a.m. EDT

With USA Hockey Nationals in the rearview mirror, and the Canadian U18 club national championships just completed, it’s officially junior hockey playoff season here at MYHockey Rankings.

The Tier 2 junior postseason in the United States officially got underway the weekend of April 11-13, while Canadian Tier 2 (Jr. A) playoffs have been going on since last month as teams progress down the road to the Centennial Cup.

In the United States, the Tier 1 United States Hockey League (USHL) receives the bulk of the junior hockey coverage since it is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier 1 circuit and is comprised of high-level NCAA Division I and legitimate professional hockey prospects. Similarly in Canada, the Canadian Hockey Legue (CHL), also known as Major Junior, is widely covered as a league that produces some of the top National Hockey League Draft prospects annually.

Because of the attention those leagues already get, our focus is on the Tier 2 North American Hockey League (NAHL) in the United Staes and the Jr. A Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) north of the border.

The NAHL is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier 2 junior league in the U.S. It is a tuition-free league that last year sent more than 400 players on to play NCAA Hockey at the Division I and Division III levels, with about 75 percent of those commits landing on Division I rosters.

The CJHL is comprised of nine Jr. A leagues and 118 teams scattered across Canada. It includes the Alberta Junor Hockey League (AJHL), Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL), Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL), Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) and Quebec Jr. Hockey League (LHJAAAQ).

Those leagues have their own strong track records for sending players on to compete at the Major Junior and professional levels as well as at all levels of North American collegiate hockey.

Each CJHL affiliate league holds its own playoffs, with teams competing for various traditional championship trophies and the opportunity play for the Centennial Cup, which is awarded to the Canadian Jr. A national champions. All nine league champions advance to the Centennial Cup tournament to compete along with a host team. This year’s event is being hosted by the Calgary Canucks of the AJHL May 8-18.

The Robertson Cup Playoffs

NAHL teams compete for the Robertson Cup, which is awarded annually to the league champion. There are 35 NAHL teams divided into four divisions: the Central, East, Midwest and South. The Central and Midwest divisions each have eight teams, with the top four regular-season finishers advancing to the Robertson Cup Divisional Semifinals.

The East and South divisions have 10 and nine teams, respectively. In those divisions, the first- and second-place finishers receive byes into the division semifinals, while the next four finishers play in best-of-three play-in series for the right to compete in the best-of-five division semifinals.

The division semifinals and finals both are best-of-five series, and the teams that win their divisional playoffs advance to compete for the Robertson Cup National Championship May 16-20 at Fogarty Arena in Blaine, Minn.

The oldest junior hockey trophy in the United States, the Robertson Cup is named in honor of Chuck Robertson, a pioneer of junior hockey in the NAHL and youth hockey in the state of Michigan.

Once the four NAHL Divisional Playoff champions are determined, the clubs are re-seeded based upon their finish in the NAHL regular-season standings. In Blaine, the first seed plays the fourth seed, while the second and third seeds face off in best-of-three series. The winners advance to the do-or-die national-championship game May 20.

On this page we will preview and track the progress of the 2025 NAHL Robertson Cup Playoffs. It will be updated on a weekly basis through the end of the tournament.

Below are the NAHL’s top 25 teams, according to our MHR Week 32 Rankings. Teams in bold qualified for their divisional semifinals.

MHR NAHL Robertson Cup Playoff Power Rankings

records and rankings as of May 1

Bismarck Bobcats (49-14-0) – 93.90
Austin Bruins (44-19-0) – 93.57
Minot Minotauros (41-21-0) – 93.57
Lone Star Brahmas (47-14-0) – 93.25
Wisconsin Windingo (44-19-0) – 93.19
Fairbanks Ice Dogs (37-25-0) – 92.89
Anchorage Wolverines (39-23-0) – 92.85
Aberdeen Wings (36-26-0) – 92.85
St. Cloud Norsemen (30-29-0) – 92.54
Rochester Jr. Americans (41-22-0) – 92.44
Minnesota Wilderness (29-29-0) – 92.25
Chippewa Steel (31-32-0) – 92.09
Corpus Christi IceRays (40-24-0) – 92.08
Shreveport Mudbugs (36-25-0) – 91.96
Maine Nordiques (40-26-0) – 91.94
Springfield Jr. Blues (27-32-0) – 91.72
Maryland Black Bears (36-27-0) – 91.67
Odessa Jackalopes (26-33-0) – 91.65
North Iowa Bulls (19-40-0) – 91.63
Watertown Shamrocks (19-39-0) – 91.60
New Mexico Ice Wolves (33-32-0) – 91.50
Kenai River Brown Bears (21-38-0) – 91.30
Johnstown Tomahawks (35-30-0) – 91.27
El Paso Rhinos (30-32-0) – 91.23
New Jersey Titans (31-29-0) – 91.10

2025 Roberston Cup Overview

Based on our rankings alone, it appeared as though the Central Division would present the toughest pathway to Blaine, with the top three power-ranked teams and four of the top seven competing in the Central Semifinals.

Top-ranked Bismarck played outside of its division against Danbury and Philadelphia from the East Division and Janesville of the Midwest. The Bobcats won all three of those September contests, but all were close games and none of those teams made the playoffs. No. 7 Aberdeen beat playoff-participant and No. 12 Chippewa, 2-1, in September and also knocked off a pair of non-playoff teams, the Northeast Generals from the East, 5-3, and the El Paso Rhinos from the South, 4-2.

The second-ranked Austin Bruins beat a pair of East teams that also didn’t advance to the division semifinals in September when they knocked off the New Hampshire Mountain Kings, 4-1, and the Elmira Aviators, 6-1. They also beat the New Mexico Ice Wolves, ranked 21^st and the South Division No. 4 seed, 2-1 in overtime. The third-ranked Minot Minotauros were the only Central Division semifinalist to falter playing outside the division, falling to El Paso, 2-1, and Springfield, 3-0, in September.

In the Midwest Division Semifinals, our fifth, sixth, eighth and 12^th-ranked teams through Week 30 began battling it out for a trip to Blaine. Meanwhile, the South Division featured the defending-champions and No. 5 Lone Star Brahmas along with the Nos. 13, 14 and 21 teams, and the East included teams ranked 10^th, 15^th, 16^th and 24^th.

All Robertson Cup Playoff games can be seen at NAHLTV.com.

Central Division Finals

Four of the top seven NAHL power-ranked teams, according to the MHR Week 32 rankings, competed in the Central Division Semifinals for the opportunity to advance to the Division Finals.

The top-seeded and top-ranked Bismarck Bobcats took on the No. 7 Aberdeen Wings in one semifinal, while second- and third-ranked clubs, the Austin Bruins and Minot Minotauros, faced off in the other best-of-five series.

Bismarck dropped the first two games of its series at home vs. Aberdeen but rallied for three conseutive wins to advance to the Division Finals. Game 4 was a double-overtime thriller, with the Bobcats prevailing, 4-3. It also took Austin five games to knock out Minot after dropping the first two contests, and coincidentally the Bruins needed a pair of overtimes in Game 4 to send the series back home for a decisive Game 5.

Tommy Cronin paced the Bobcats in the opening series with a goal and seven assists, while Keanu Krenn added 5-1-6 and Julian Beaumont contribured 1-4-5. Tomas Anderson earned all three series victories in goal while posting a 2.15 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.

For the Bruins, John Hirschfield and Evan Malkhassian each recorded two goals and three assists, with Luc Malkhassian adding 3-1-4. Goalie Jack Solomon notched three victories to go along with a .952 save percentage and 1.622 GAA.

While Bismarck didn't have any players ranked among the league’s top regular-season scorers, the Bobcats feature a balanced attack with nine players contributing at least 31 points. Forward Louie Kamineski, acquired from Oklahoma during the season, led the way with 47 points on 25 goals and 22 assists, while defensemen Matthew Rafalski and Ian Engel contributed 38 and 37 points, respectively.

The Bruins had league’s top two scorers in forwards Alex Laurenza and Luc Malkhassian, who finished with 82 and 78 points, respectively. The next-closest player in the team scoring race was EJ Paddington, who recorded 50 points, and five players notched between 30 and 41.

Bismarck and Austin met eight times during the regular season, with the Bobcats winning six of those matchups. They beat the Bruins three times in March, allowing just two goals in those contests, and outscored Austin by 24-12 margin in their eight head-to-head contests.

Central Division Finals Schedule & Results

#1 Bismarck Bobcats vs. #2 Austin Bruins - Bismarck advances, 3-1

Game One: Friday, May 2 @ Bismarck - Bruins 3, Bobcats 1

Game Two: Saturday, May 3 @ Bismarck - Bobcats 2, Bruins 0

Game Three: Friday, May 9 @ Austin - Bobcats 2, Bruins 1

Game Four: Saturday, May 10 @ Austin - Bobcats 7, Bruins 2

Central Division Semifinals Schedule & Results

#1 Bismarck Bobcats vs. #4 Aberdeen Wings - Bismarck Advances, 3-2

Game One: April 18 @ Bismarck - Wings 4, Bobcats 3 (OT)

Game Two: April 19 @ Bismarck - Wings 1, Bobcats 0 (OT)

Game Three: April 25 @ Aberdeen - Bobcats 3, Wings 1

Game Four: Saturday, April 26 @ Aberdeen - Bobcats 4, Wings 3 (2OT)

Game Five: Monday, April 28 - Bobcats 5, Wings 3

#2 Austin Bruins vs. #3 Minot Minotauros - Austin Advances, 3-2

Game One: April 18 @ Austin - Minotauros 3, Bruins 1

Game Two: April 19 @ Austin - Minotauros 2, Bruins 1 (OT)

Game Three: April 25 @ Minot - Bruins 3, Minotauros 1

Game Four: Saturday, April 26 @ Minot - Bruins 4, Minotauros 3 (2OT)

Game Five: Monday, April 28 @ Austin - Bruins 5, Minotauros 1

East Division Finals

The East Division Semifinals figured to be very evenly matched as MHR’s Nos. 10, 15, 16 and 24 teams entering the postseason were competing.

Tenth-ranked Rochester played 24^th-ranked Johnstown in one semi, while heated rivals the No. 15 Maine Nordiques and No. 16 Maryland Black Bears squared off in the other matchup.

Maine, which rallied to win the last two games of its play-in series vs. the New Hampshire Mountain Kings, took out the Black Bears, who advanced to the Robertson Cup Finals a year ago, in four games. Meanwhile, in a thrilling series that featured three overtiime contests, Rochester advanced and eliminated Johnstown with a 6-5 home OT win in Game 5.

Maine's Shane Kozlina (1-5-6) has led the way for the Nordiques in the postseason, with Kellen Murphy and Alexandre Pellerin each contribuing two goals and three assists. Carter Richardson has all five Maine postseason wins in goal and has posted a .951 save percentage and 1.59 goals-against average. For Rochester, Calle Karlsson notched 4-3-7 in the opening round, with Jaden Dyke and Ryan Shaw each contributing 3-2-5. Netminder Jensen Carlstrom earned all three victories with a .896 save percentage and 2.66 GAA.

Rochester forward Calle Karlsson ranked fifth in the NAHL scoring race with 73 points on 31 goals and 42 assists. Teammate Adam Gionta added 28-37-65, while six other Amerks posted between 38 and 58 points. Maine had four players post between 41 and 60 points, but the Nordiques next-closest scorer fell off to 27. Ethan Wongus had 20-40-60, while Laurent Trepanier and Zion Green contributed 57 points apiece.

Rochester won the final two regular-season meetings against Maine by a combined 11-3 to even the season series at three wins apiece. The Nordiques won three straight contests vs. the Amerks from December 21 through January 17. The Americans outscored Maine, 17-15, in their six regular-season meetings.

East Division Finals Schedule & Results

#1 Rochester Jr. Americans vs. #3 Maine Nordiques - Rochester avances, 2-1

Game One: Friday, May 2 @ Rochester - Nordiques 2, Americans 0

Game Two: Saturday, May 3 @ Rochester - Americans 1, Nordiques 0

Game Three: Friday, May 9 @ Maine - Americans 7, Nordiques 2

Game Four: Saturday, May 10 @ Maine - Americans 3, Nordiques 2 (OT)

East Division Semifinals Schedule & Results

#1 Rochester Jr. Americans vs. #4 Johnstown Tomahawks - Rochester Advances, 3-2

Game One: April 18 @ Rochester - Americans 5, Tomahawks 2

Game Two: April 19 @ Rochester - Americans 2, Tomahawks 1

Game Three: April 25 @ Johnstown - Tomahawks 4, Americans 3 (2OT)

Game Four: Saturday, April 26 @ Johnstown - Tomahawks 3, Americans 2 (OT)

Game Five: Monday, April 28 @ Rochester, Americans 6, Tomahawks 5 (OT)

#2 Maryland Black Bears vs. #3 Maine Nordiques - Maine advances, 3-1

Game One: April 18 @ Maryland - Nordiques 4, Black Bears 3

Game Two: April 19 @ Maryland - Black Bears 2, Nordiques 0

Game Three: April 25 @ Maine - Nordiques 3, Black Bears 0

Game Four: Saturday, April 26 @ Maine, Nordiques 5, Black Bears 2

Midwest Division Finals

All four Midwest Division semifinalists fell among our top 12 in the Week 30 NAHL rankings. The top-seeded and fifth-ranked Wisconsin Windingo took on the No. 12 Chippewa Steel in one semifinal, while it was a Battle of Alaska between No. 6 Fairbanks and No. 8 Anchorage in the other best-of-five matchup.

Chippewa pushed the top seeds to four games before they ultimately prevailed to advance to the Division Finals. Meanwhile, lower-seeded Anchorage swept its in-state rival from Fairbanks in the opening round.

Wisconsin was led offensively in its semifinal series win by Theodore Richardson, who recorded a goal and six assists in the four contests. Zachary Cline produced 2-4-6, with Logan Nickolaus and Wyatt Herres each notching five points. Lucas Szyszka earned all three semifinal wins in goal, posting a .906 save percentage and a 2.17 goals-against average.

Anchorage defenseman Brock Devlin tied for the team lead with four points - all assists - in the semifinal sweep. Cole Christian added three goals and an assist, while Camden Shasby, Taisetsu Ushio and Duke Gentzler each contributed three points. Netminder Michael Manzi went 3-0 with a .954 save percentage and 1.33 GAA.

Despite owning the top seed in the Midwest and a higher MHR ranking than the Wolverines, Wisconsin dropped five straight games to Anchorage after opening the season series with a 4-1 victory Oct. 4. The Wolverines outscored the Windingo, 25-15, in those five victories.

Windingo forward Braydon Beahm ranked eighth in league scoring with 69 points on 33 goals and 36 assists. Hunter Hays recorded 25-29-54 and Zachary Cline added 17-29-46 as the only two other players to score more than 40 points, but six others contributed 30 or more. Defenseman Brock Devin’s 12-55-67 paced the Anchorage attack, ranking first among league blue-liners and 10^th overall. Cole Christian added 24-38-62 for the Wolverines, while seven other Anchorage skaters notched 31-plus points.

Midwest Division Finals Schedule & Results

#1 Wisconsin Windigo vs. #3 Anchorage Wolverines - Wisconsin advances, 3-2

Game One: Friday, May 2 @ Wisconsin - Windingo 5, Wolverines 2

Game Two: Saturday, May 3 @ Wisconsin - Wolverines 2, Windingo 1 (OT)

Game Three: Sunday, May 4 @ Wisconsin - Windingo 4, Wolverines 0

Game Four: Friday, May 9 @ Anchorage - Wolverines 4, Windingo 2

Game Five: Saturday, May 9 at Anchorage - Windingo 2, Wolverines 1

Midwest Division Semifinals Schedule & Results

#1 Wisconsin Windigo vs. #4 Chippewa Steel - Wisconsin advances, 3-1

Game One: April 18 @ Wisconsin - Windingo 7, Steel 3

Game Two: April 19 @ Wisconsin - Steel 2, Windingo 0

Game Three: April 25 @ Chippewa - Windingo 3, Steel 2 (OT)

Game Four: Saturday, April 26 @ Chippewa - Windingo 7, Steel 3

#2 Fairbanks Ice Dogs vs. #3 Anchorage Wolverines -Anchorage advances, 3-0

Game One: April 18 @ Fairbanks - Wolverines 2, Ice Dogs 1

Game Two: April 19 @ Fairbanks - Wolverines 4, Ice Dogs 1

Game Three: Friday, April 25 - Wolverines 3, Ice Dogs 2

South Division Finals

The defending-champion Lone Star Brahmas entered the South Division Semifinals as the lone division team ranked among the MHR Week 30 top 12 at No. 4. Lone Star took on 24^th-ranked New Mexico, which won its play-in series, 2-1, against No. 23 El Paso. In the other best-of-five South Semifinal, No. 13 Shreveport faced off against 14^th-ranked Corpus Christi. Corpus Christi swept the Colorado Grit in two games to earn the semifinal berth.

Lone Star and Corpus Christi each swept their semifinal series to advance to the South Division Finals. The Brahmas captured the season series vs. the IceRays, winning four of the final five matchups to end up with a 5-3 advantage. For the season, Lone Star outscored Corpus Christi, 24-144, and the margin was 18-9 in those final five contests. They have not met since Feb. 2.

In the semfinals, Lone Star forward Saxton Tess buried four goals to go along with a single helper in the three victories, while d-man August Classon added 2-2-4 and four players notched three points apiece. Goalie Ryan Cameron recorded three wins in net, one by shutout, with a .973 save percentage and a 0.68 goals-against average.

Thus far for Corpus Christi, including the play-in games, both Stepan Kuznetsov and Carter Krenke have six points in five outings, while Cody Kempf has a goal and four assists. Pierson Sobush and Cooper Conway have four points apiece, and goalie Benji Motew has all five victories to go along with a .968 save percentage and a 1.00 GAA.

Saxton Tess led the way for a very balanced Lone Star team during the regular season with 50 points on 19 goals and 31 assists. Owen Kerr added 25-22-47, while a total of 13 Brahmas recorded at least 22 points. For the IceRays, three players eclipsed the 50-point barrier and two more scored at least 41 points. Pierson Sobush paced the team with 24-29-53, followed by Stepan Kuznetsov with 26-26-52 and Cooper Conway with 20-31-51.

Sout Division Finals Schedule & Results

#1 Lone Star Brahmas vs. #3 Corpus Christi IceRays - Lone Star advances, 3-0

Game One: Friday, May 2 @ Lone Star - Brahmas 1, IceRays 0 (OT)

Game Two: Saturday, May 3 @ Lone Star - Brahmas 3, IceRays 2

Game Three: Thursday, May 8 @ Corpus Christi - Brahmas 5, IceRays 0

South Division Semifinals Schedule & Results

#1 Lone Star Brahmas vs. #4 New Mexico Ice Wolves - Lone Star advances, 3-0

Game One: April 18 @ Lone Star - Brahmas 4, Ice Wolves 0

Game Two: April 19 @ Lone Star - Brahmas 4, Ice Wolves 1

Game Three: Thursday, April 24 @ New Mexico - Brahamas 5, Ice Wolves 1

#2 Shreveport Mudbugs vs. #3 Corpus Christi IceRays - Corpus Christi advances, 3-0

Game One: April 18 @ Shreveport - IceRays 2, Mudbugs 1 (3OT)