NAHL Robertson Cup Playoffs 2026: 2 Championship Spots Filled, 2 to Go!
Updated Saturday, May 9
Postseason play in the North American Hockey League technically got underway April 10 with best-of-three Robertson Cup Playoff play-in series to finalize the field for the Division Semifinals in two of the league’s larger divisions.
Starting Friday, April 17, the battle for the Robertson Cup got real, however, as all eight best-of-five Division Semifinals got underway at the home rinks of the higher seeds.Those series wrapped up April 29, leaving just eight teams to compete for four sports in the Robertson Cup Championship.
Teams from the NAHL’s four divisions – Central, Midwest, East and South – competed to advance to the best-of-five Division Finals, with division winners moving on to the Robertson Cup Championship May 15-19 at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minn.
The Central and Midwest divisions each have eight teams, with the top four regular-season finishers advancing to the Robertson Cup Division Semifinals. In the East and South divisions, the first- and second-place finishers receive byes, while the next four in the standings play in best-of-three series for the right to compete against those top seeds in the best-of-five Division Semifinals.
Here is a look at the play-in series:
East Division Play-in Series
Northeast Generals def. Maine Nordiques, 2-1
The series was split heading into Game 3 Sunday, April 12, with a decisive Game 3 scheduled for Canton Ice House, located outside of Boston. Maine held on to win Game 1 despite a three-goal, third-period rally by the Generals, who scored three times in fewer than 10 minutes. Damon Myers scored his second of the game with 8:13 left, however, to win it for the Nordiques. Northeast rebounded for an 8-2 Game 2 victory, with Kody Moyer recording 2 goals and 5 assists. The Generals got on the board early in Game 3 on a Cole McKenna marker, and after a scoreless middle frame, Spencer Hirsch tallied in the final 20 minutes to extend the margin to 2-0. Logan Poulin made it 3-0 before Austin Boorggaard ruined Will Mizenko’s shutout bid. Mizenko finished with 31 saves in the 3-1 victory.
Danbury Hat Tricks def. New Jersey Titans, 2-0
Danbury outscored the Titans by an 8-1 combined margin to sweep the series. Three different players scored and Jon Dukaric recorded 51 saves in a 3-0 Game 1 shutout. The netminder also was outstanding in Game 2, stopping 37 of 38 shots in a 5-1 Hat Tricks victory. Brendan Boring had 2 goals and 2 assists in Game 2, with Matt Shpungin adding 2 goals and a helper.
South Division Play-in Series
Shreveport Mudbugs def. Corpus Christi IceRays, 2-0
The Mudbugs rolled to a 7-2 victory in Game 1 and never were in serious jeopardy, capturing the second game by a 4-1 margin. Duke Ehrhard recorded a hat trick and a helper, while Grayson Gerhard posted 1-4-5 and Jonathon Berndt dished out 4 helpers in the opener. Charlie Burchfield scored twice and goalie Ethan Phllips made 35 saves in Shreveport’s 4-1 Game 2 victory.
El Paso Rhinos def. Oklahoma Warriors, 2-1
Game 3 was needed April 12 to decide a deadlocked series after Oklahoma skated to a 4-3 Game 1 win and the Rhinos bounced back to take Game 2 by a 5-1 margin. Jackson Hone’s 2 goals lifted the Warriors to victory in the opener, with five different El Paso player scoring, led by Troy Hunka who also dished out 2 assists, to even the series in the second contest. Hunka was the hero again in Game 3 with 2 goals and 1 assist, while goalie Michael Modelski stopped 35 of the 36 shots he faced, to send the Rhinos to the South Division Semifinals.
The Robertson Cup
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 division winners are determined, the clubs are re-seeded based on their finish in the NAHL regular-season standings. In Blaine at the Robertson Cup Championship, 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 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 power ratings for the 16 NAHL Robertson Cup Playoff teams, according to the MHR Week 32 Rankings.
NAHL Playoff Power Ratings: MHR Week 32
- Austin Bruins – 93.96
- Maryland Black Bears – 93.80
- Bismarck Bobcats – 93.51
- Aberdeen Wings – 93.38
- Lone Star Brahmas – 93.03
- Minnesota Wilderness – 92.87
- Rochester Jr. Americans – 92.80
- El Paso Rhinos – 92.54
- Watertown Shamrocks – 92.37
- Northeast Generals – 92.35
- Fairbanks Ice Dogs – 92.08
- New Mexico Ice Wolves – 92.04
- Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks – 91.91
- Shreveport Mudbugs – 91.89
- Wisconsin Windingo – 91.85
- Anchorage Wolverines – 91.50
2026 NAHL Robertson Cup Playoffs
With the Robertson Cup Division Semifinal concluding, a quick glance at the Week 32 MHR Tier 2 Junior Rankings shows that the toughest road to Blaine likely runs through the Central Division, which boasted the Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 10 teams out of the final 16 participants. The Central Division Semifinal between third-ranked Bismark and fourth-ranked Aberdeen wa one of hte highlights of the Division Semifinal round. Austin was ranked first, while Watertown was ninth.
The East Division has been no slouch either, featuring the No. 2 Maryland Black Bears, the No. 7 Rochester Jr. Americans, the No. 10 Northeast Generals and the No. 13 Danbury Hat Tricks.
Fifth-ranked Lone Star, a perennial championship contender, and eighth-ranked El Paso were destined to meet in the South Division Finals, with Nos. 12 New Mexico and 14 Shreveport rounding out the field in that division.
The Midwest Division was comprised of the sixth-ranked Minnesota Wilderness, the 11th-ranked Fairbanks Ice Dogs, the 15th-ranked Wisconsin Windingo and the 16th-ranked Anchorage Wolverines.
CLICK HERE for the complete Robertson Cup Playoff bracket.
All games can be viewed live and on-demand at NAHLTV.com.
Central Division Finals
#1 Austin Bruins vs. #4 Aberdeen Wings
Game 1: May 1 || Austin 3, Aberdeen 2
Game 2: May 2 || Aberdeen 2, Austin 0
Game 3: May 8 || Aberdeen 4, Austin 0
Game 4: Saturday, May 9 || Odde Ice Center || 7:15 p.m. CDT
Game 5: Monday, May 11 || Riverside Arena || 7:05 p.m. CDT*
Austin took care of business in the opening round with a three-game sweep of Watertown, while Aberdeen needed all five contests to dispose of Bismarck. Trailing that series, 2-1, the Wings outscored the Bobcats, 13-5, in the last two games. Aberdeen forwards Matthew Martin and Easton Edwards each tallied eight points in the Division Semfinal series, while Wings goalie William Braun appeared in three games and posted a 1.91 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage. Braun's counterpart in the Division Finals, Jack Solomon, compiled a 2.54 GAA and a .901 save percentage in the semis. E.J. Paddington and defenseman Nathan Williams notched 2 goals and 2 assists in Austin's three semifinal victories. Austin won the season series vs. Aberdeen, 5-3, and had a 26-21 scoring advantage in those games.
Central Division Semifinals: #1 Austin Bruins vs. #10 Watertown Shamrocks
Game 1: Friday, April 17 || Austin 3, Watertown 2
Game 2: Saturday, April 18 || Austin 4, Watertown 3 (OT)
Game 3: Friday, April 24 || Austin 4, Watertown 3 (OT)
Austin wins series, 3-0
Austin (43-12-2-2) and Watertown (31-23-3-2) met eight times during the regular season, with the underdog Shamrocks winning five of those contests, including the last two. Watertown scored 21 times in those games, while the Bruins potted 24 goals. Three Bruins scored 30 goals or better: E.J. Paddington (38), Gavin Hruza (34) and Siamion Marschanok (30). Marschanok led the team in points with 87. Jack Solomon was in the net for 24 victories, posting a .934 save percentage and a 1.85 goals-against average. Zach Boren paced the Shamrocks in goals with 29 and points with 57. Mason Gudridge won 21 games in goal while compiling a .925 save percentage and a 2.61 goals-against average.
Central Division Semifinals: #3 Bismarck Bobcats vs. #4 Aberdeen Wings
Game 1: Friday, April 17 || Aberdeen 3, Bismarck 0
Game 2: Saturday, April 18 || Bismarck 3, Aberdeen 2
Game 3: Friday, April 24 || Bismarck 4, Aberdeen 2
Game 4: Saturday, April 25 || Aberdeen 7, Bismarck 3
Game 5: Monday, April 27 || Aberdeen 6, Bismarck 2
Aberdeen wins series, 3-2
Bismarck (39-15-3-2) and Aberdeen (37-16-4-2) faced off eight times during the 2025-26 campaign. The Wings won the last five meetings after dropping two of the first three and rolled up a 19-9 scoring advantage in those victories. Mark Evans paced the Bobcat offense with 21 goals but finished behind Charlie Kresl (66 points) in the team scoring race with 53 points. Bryce Francisco seemed to take over Bismarck’s goaltending duties late in the season, finishing with 5 wins, a .904 save percentage and a 2.46 GAA. Matthew Martin, Owen Pitters and Sam Scheetz proved to be a potent combo up front for the Wings, scoring 26, 24 ad 23 goals, respectively. Martin led the team in points with 66. Willum Braun and Adam Dybal also were a strong duo in goal with 18 and 19 victories, respectively. Braun recorded a .909 save percentage and 2.54 GAA, while Dybal checked in at .905 and 2.61.
East Division Finals
#2 Maryland Black Bears vs. #7 Rochester Jr. Americans
Game 1: May 1 || Maryland 4, Rochester 0
Game 2: May 2 || Rochester 3, Maryland 1
Game 3: May 7 || Maryland 5, Rochester 2
Game 4: Friday, May 8 || Maryland 4, Rochester 3 (OT)
Maryland wins series, 3-1
The Black Bears took the season series from the Americans, 4-2, and outscored them by a 19-14 margin. Despite needing just three games to defeat Danbury in the East Semifinals, Maryland has two forwards ranked among the NAHL's top five in playoff scoring. Tanner Duncan recorded 3 goals and 7 points, while Harrison Smith posted 1 goal and 9 assists in the opening round. Ryan Franks contributed 4-3-7 for the Black Bears. Rochester grinded out a five-game series win vs. the Northeast Generals, needing overtime to win the deciding contest. Adam Gionta had 4-4-8 in the semifinals, with Keanan Dewberry contributing 1-3-4. Ryan Denes started all three semifinal games for the Black Bears, posting a 2.33 GAA and a .889 save percentage. Rochester's Fliran Wade appeared in all five opening-round contests, compiling a 2.43 GAA and a .928 save percentage.
East Division Semifinals: #2 Maryland Black Bears vs. #13 Danbury Hat Tricks
Game 1: Friday, April 17 || Maryland 6, Danbury 2
Game 2: Saturday, April 18 || Maryland 8, Danbury 1
Game 3: Thursday, April 23 || Maryland 5, Danbury 4
Maryland wins series, 3-0
Maryland won four of its six meetings with Danbury this season, outscoring the Hat Tricks by a 29-22 margin in the process. The Black Bears (49-6-3-1) won three of the final four vs. Danbury (27-24-5-3). Ryan Franks was the top goal-scorer for Maryland this season with 31 markers, while Harrison Smith notched 72 assists and paced the team with 96 points. Netminder Dom Gatto chalked up 19 victories while posting a .886 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average for the Black Bears. Matt Shpungin was Danbury’s leading goal-scorer with 22. Kai Elkie was next with 19 goals and added 40 assists to lead the team with 59 points. Jon Dukarcic was outstanding in goal during the Hat Tricks’ play-in series win and finished the season with 22 victories, a .931 save percentage and a 2.73 GAA.
East Division Semifinals: #7 Rochester Jr. Americans vs. #10 Northeast Generals
Game 1: Friday, April 17 || Rochester 4, Northeast 3
Game 2: Saturday, April 18 || Rochester 3, Northeast 0
Game 3: Thursday, April 23 || Northeast 2, Rochester 1
Game 4: Friday, April 24 || Northeast 4, Rochester 3
Game 5: Sunday, April 26 || Rochester 5, Northeast 4 (OT)
Rochester wins series, 3-2
The Amerks (37-21-1-0) and Generals (31-22-5-1) split eight meetings this season, with Rochester winning three of the last four. Northeast outscored Rochester, 21-18, combined in those contests. Ryan Shaw led the way offensively for the Amerks with 38 goals and 77 points, 19 in front of the team’s next-highest scorer. Jensen Carlston won 19 games between the pipes while compiling a .896 save percentage and a 2.82 goals-against average. Florian Wade went 18-7-2 in goal, with a 2.40 GAA and .914 save percentage. The Generals had a pair of 20-goal scorers in Logan Poulin (27) and Kody Moyer (21). Moyer turned a huge performance in the play-in series and led the team with 56 points. Will Mizenko won 20 games in goal with a .916 save percentage and a 2.64 GAA.
Midwest Division Finals
#6 Minnesota Wilderness vs. #15 Wisconsin Windigo
Game 1: May 1 || Wisconsin 4, Minnesota 3 (OT)
Game 2: May 2 || Wisconsin 3, Minnesota 2
Game 3: Friday, May 8 || Minnesota 6, Wisconsin 4
Game 4: May 9 || Minnesota 5, Wisconsin 1
Game 5: Monday, May 11 || St. Luke’s Sports and Event Center || 6:15 p.m. CDT
Wisconsin won five of the eight contests between the two Midwest Division finalists during the regular season, but the Wilderness captured the last three meetings by a combined 14-6 margin. Minnesota eliminated Anchorage in four games to advance to the Midwest Finals, with forward Talan Black posting 5 goals and 5 assists to rank third in Robertson Cup Playoff scoring. Forward Avery Anderson added 2-3-5 for the Wilderness. Wisconsin eliminated Fairbanks in five contests. A.J. Bongiorno, Jackson Ernst and Josh Sardo each scored twice in the opening round for the Windigo, with Bongiorno and Sardo adding an assist apiece to tie for the team lead in postseason points with Aidan Hickock and Peyton Mithmuangneua. Wisconsin netminder Max Larsson posted the second-best Division Semifinal goals-against average (1.21) while also ranking second in save percentage at .962. Minnesota's Ryan Gerlich was right behind him with a 1.22 GAA and a .955 save percentage.
Midwest Division Semfinals: #6 Minnesota Wilderness vs. #16 Anchorage Wolverines
Game 1: Friday, April 17 || Anchorage 3, Minnesota 2
Game 2: Saturday, April 18 || Minnesota 5, Anchorage 0
Game 3: Sunday, April 19 || Minnesota 4, Anchorage 0
Game 4: Friday, April 24 || Minnesota 3, Anchorage 2 (OT)
Minnesota wins series, 3-1
Minnesota (42-12-3-2) won five of its seven games against Anchorage (32-21-3-3) during the season, running up a 33-20 combined margin on the scoreboard. The Wilderness won four of the last five meetings. Zachary Homer (39) and Noah Dziver (30) each eclipsed the 30-goal plateau and finished with 66 and 75 points, respectively. Valdemar Andersen won a team-best 23 games in goal, but Ryan Gerlich was tops in save percentage at .924 and goals-against average at 2.11. Luc Bydal lit the lamp a team-best 42 times for the Wolverines while also topping the lineup with 81 points. Kai Weigel posted 26 wins, a .908 save percentage and a 2.92 GAA.
Midwest Division Semifinals: #11 Fairbanks Ice Dogs vs. #15 Wisconsin Windigo
Game 1: Friday, April 17 || Wisconsin 3, Fairbanks 0
Game 2: Saturday, April 18 || Wisconsin 1, Fairbanks 0
Game 3: Sunday, April 19 || Fairbanks 3, Wisconsin 0
Game 4: Friday, April 24 || Fairbanks 2, Wisconsin 1
Game 5: Saturday, April 25 || Wisconsin 5, Fairbanks 2
Wisconsin wins series, 3-2
Wisconsin (34-24-1-3) and Fairbanks (35-21-2-1) played five times this season, and the Ice Dogs skated away with three victories. The Windingo won two of the final three meetings, but for the season the Ice Dogs held a 13-10 scoring edge when the teams met. Alexios Georgaklis and Jackson Ernst tied for the Windingo lead in goals with 17, while Georgaklis added 30 assists for a team-best 40 assists. Easton Cody recorded 15 wins in goal, but Max Larsson paced Wisconsin with a .917 save percentage and a 2.34 goals-against average. Oliver Barna’s 32 goals and 69 points were the top marks for Anchorage. Goalie Miles Roberts won 20 games while compiling a .922 save percentage and 2.20 GAA.
South Division Finals
#5 Lone Star Brahmas vs. #8 El Paso Rhinos
Game 1: May 1 || Lone Star 5, El Paso 0
Game 2: May 2 || Lone Star 2, El Paso 1
Game 3: May 7 || Lone Star 4, El Paso 1
Lone Star win series, 3-0
Lone Star and El Paso both rolled through to the South Division Finals with semifinal sweeps. The Brahmas won five of eight regular-season mettings between the two South finalists, outscoring the Rhinos by a 22-18 margin. El Paso also had to play three games in a play-in series, and through six contests forward Troy Hunka leads all NAHL players in postseason scoring with 3 goals and 11 assists. Ethan Woolcott has 4-6-10, while Kamden Kaiser, Jacob Solano and Alexander Stephen have added 3-3-6. Vladimir Saibel paced the Brahmas offense in the semifinals with 3-4-7, while Tyson Scanlon contibuted 2-2-4. Denver Damphousse and Christian Venticinque each recorded 3 points. Lone Star goalie Brady Krey finds himself on top of the NAHL postseason statisical rankings with a 0.67 GAA and a .973 save percentage. El Paso's Michael Modelski has compiled a 2.39 GAA and .923 save percentage in six postseason outings.
South Division Semifinals: #5 Lone Star Brahmas vs. #14 Shreveport Mudbugs
Game 1: Friday, April 17 || Lone Star 4, Shreveport 1
Game 2: Saturday, April 18 || Lone Star 5, Shreveport 1
Game 3: Friday, April 24 || Lone Star 2, Shreveport 0
Lone Star wins series, 3-0
Lone Star (42-12-1-4) and Shreveport (28-22-3-6) faced off eight times this season, splitting those contests. The Brahmas won four of the final six matchups, and the combined score for the season was 17-16 in favor of the Mudbugs. Tyson Scanlon led Lone Star with 19 goals, while Leo Isaksson paced the team in points with 56. Goalie Leo Gabriel recorded 20 wins, a .912 save percentage and a 1.92 goals-against average. Duke Ehrhard was tops for the Mudbugs with 21 goals and 40 points, while Jonathan Berndt led the way with 47 points. Ethan Phillips posted a .929 save percentage and a 2.15 GAA.
South Division Semfinals: #12 New Mexico Ice Wolves vs. #8 El Paso Rhinos
Game 1: Friday, April 17 || El Paso 6, New Mexico 5 (OT)
Game 2: Saturday, April 18 || El Paso 5, New Mexico 2
Game 3: Friday, April 24 || El Paso 3, New Mexico 2 (OT)
El Paso wins series, 3-0
The ice Wolves (35-19-4-1) and Rhinos (33-19-2-5) met eight times during the regular season, with El Paso winning five of those meetings, including the last two by a combined 8-1 margin March 20-21. El Paso compiled a 23-19 overall goal differential vs. New Mexico over those eight contests. El Paso’s Troy Hnuka ranked third in the league in regular-season scoring with 28-57-85 in 58 games. Rookie Andy Earl paced the Ice Wolves with 30-37-67. Rhino netminder Michael Modelski compiled a 2.045 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage, compared to New Mexico’s Jackson Silverberg (2.69, .916).
