2023-24 NAHL season

This is the 2023-24 North American Hockey League season. This is the league's 39th season under this name and its 49th dating back to its founding as the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League in 1975 when the Michigan Junior Hockey League and the Wolverine Junior A Hockey League merged.

Membership Changes

• On December 8, 2022 the league announced the addition of the Rochester Jr. Americans to the league for the 2023-24 season. The team will be based out of the Rochester Ice Center in Fairport, New York. The league previously had a team by the same name that played in the league for the 1999-2000 season. Other teams with the same name was also a member of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (1993-2013) and United States Premier Hockey League, a previous to that version played in the Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League in the late 1990's, and an even earlier version played in the Northeastern Junior Hockey League in the 1980's.

• An 1,500 seat arena under construction in Watertown, South Dakota was rumored to be the future home of an NAHL franchise. The Prairie Lakes Ice Arena is the working name of the arena. The arena is expected to open in September of 2023. Due to delays the arena opening was pushed back to February 23, 2024. The team was apparently be named the Watertown Lakers. The official announcement of the team is being held off pending approval of a lease by the Watertown City Council which is scheduled for February 20th. On March 15, 2024 the league Board of Governors approved the addition of the team to the league for the 2024-25 season. The team will be known as the Watertown Shamrocks and will be a member of the central division.

• On January 6, 2023 the league announced the addition of the Greeley, Colorado based Colorado Grit to the league for the 2023-24 season. The team will be based out of the Greeley Ice Haus and will be members of the South Division.

• On March 16, 2023 the league announced the addition of the Hooksett, New Hampshire based New Hampshire Mountain Kings to begin play with the 2023-24 season. The team will be based out of the Tri-Town Ice Arena and be members of the East Division. On April 18th the organization would also be announced as having a team in the NA3HL starting with the 2023-24 season.

• The Cloquet, Minnesota based Minnesota Wilderness will begin the season playing out of the St. Luke's Sports and Event Center in Proctor, Minnesota due to repairs being done to a cooling tower at the Northwoods Credit Union Arena taking about a month longer that expected.

• On April 24, 2024 the league announced the addition of the Forest Lake, Minnesota-based Minnesota Mallards. The team will be based out of the Forest Lake Sports Center.

• On May 1, 2024 the league announced the addition of the Elmira Aviators to beginning play in the East Division with the 2024-25 season. The team will be based out of the First Arena in Elmira, New York. Apparently replacing the Federal Prospects Hockey League team in the arena for 2024-25.

• On July 8, 2024 the Anchorage Wolverines announced that they are moving their home games to Sullivan Arena starting with the 2024-25 season.

Standings

Central Division

Team	GP	W	L	OL	SL	GF	GA	Pts
Minot Minotauros	60	44	14	1	1	208	125	90
Bismarck Bobcats	60	40	16	1	3	209	145	84
Aberdeen Wings	60	31	24	2	3	187	183	67
Austin Bruins	60	31	25	3	1	161	163	66
St. Cloud Norsemen	60	26	21	6	7	174	171	65
North Iowa Bulls	60	11	47	0	2	110	262	24

East Division

Team	GP	W	L	OL	SL	GF	GA	Pts
Maryland Black Bears	60	41	14	2	3	208	145	87
Maine Nordiques	60	37	17	1	5	236	178	80
Rochester Jr. Americans	60	34	18	2	6	213	177	76
Johnstown Tomahawks	60	36	21	1	2	208	178	75
New Jersey Titans	60	35	22	3	0	224	180	73
Northeast Generals	60	27	31	1	1	188	206	56
Philadelphia Rebels	60	26	30	0	4	175	204	56
New Hampshire Mountain Kings	60	20	35	5	0	148	214	45
Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks	60	16	36	6	2	135	233	40

Midwest Division

Team	GP	W	L	OL	SL	GF	GA	Pts
Anchorage Wolverines	60	39	14	2	5	233	169	85
Wisconsin Windigo	60	39	15	3	3	224	146	84
Janesville Jets	60	33	22	4	1	234	194	71
Minnesota Wilderness	60	30	25	2	3	157	170	65
Chippewa Steel	60	29	25	4	2	170	188	64
Springfield Jr. Blues	60	21	29	9	1	151	218	52
Fairbanks Ice Dogs	60	22	30	2	6	158	211	52
Kenai River Brown Bears	60	20	34	4	2	171	232	46

South Division

Team	GP	W	L	OL	SL	GF	GA	Pts
Lone Star Brahmas	60	44	10	3	3	206	109	94
Shreveport Mudbugs	60	41	17	0	2	208	141	84
El Paso Rhinos	60	38	16	4	2	180	146	82
New Mexico Ice Wolves	60	32	19	6	3	195	179	73
Amarillo Wranglers	60	32	20	6	2	178	184	72
Oklahoma Warriors	60	31	22	5	2	187	169	69
Odessa Jackalopes	60	23	29	5	3	162	187	54
Corpus Christi IceRays	60	19	35	3	3	154	239	44
Colorado Grit	60	12	41	5	2	142	248	31

Robertson Cup Playoffs

Format

The third place team plays the sixth place team and the fourth place team plays the fifth place team in best-of-three division quarterfinal series in the East and South Division, with the winners being re-seeded third and fourth. In the other divisions the top four teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The first place team plays the fourth place team and the second place team plays the third place team in a best-of-five series over two weekends. The division semifinal winners meet in a best-of-five series over two weekends. The division winners advance to the Robertson Cup tournament. The event will be held at the Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota May 17 to 24, 2024. The teams are seeded 1 to 4 and are paired off 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in best-of-three series. The semifinal winners meet in a single championship game on May 21st.

East Division Quarterfinals

• Rochester Jr. Americans defeated Northeast Generals 2 games to none (3-0, 3-2)
• New Jersey Titans defeated Johnstown Tomahawks 2 games to none (3-2 (ot), 4-1)

South Division Quarterfinals

• El Paso Rhinos defeated Oklahoma Warriors 2 games to 1 (2-5, 4-3 (ot), 2-0)
• New Mexico Ice Wolves defeated Amarillo Wranglers 2 games to none (2-1, 6-3)

Central Division Semifinals

• Minot Minotauros defeated Austin Bruins 3 games to none (9-1, 3-1, 7-1)
• Bismarck Bobcats defeated Aberdeen Wings 3 games to 2 (5-1, 2-3 (ot), 2-3, 8-2, 4-1)

East Division Semifinals

• Maryland Black Bears defeated New Jersey Titans 3 games to none (5-3, 3-2 (ot), 3-1)
• Maine Nordiques defeated Rochester Jr. Americans 3 games to (4-2, 5-2, 1-2 (ot), 1-5, 2-1 (ot))

Midwest Division Semifinals

• Anchorage Wolverines defeated Minnesota Wilderness 3 games to 1 (4-0, 2-1 (ot), 1-4, 6-2)
• Wisconsin Windigo defeated Janesville Jets 3 games to none (4-2, 2-0, 3-1)

South Division Semifinals

• Lone Star Brahmas defeated New Mexico Ice Wolves 3 games to 1 (3-1, 2-0, 3-4 (2ot), 4-0)
• Shreveport Mudbugs defeated El Paso Rhinos 3 games to 2 (4-2, 2-3 (4ot), 3-2, 1-3, 2-0)

Central Division Final

• Minot Minotauros defeated Bismarck Bobcats 3 games to 1 (5-2, 6-2, 3-4 (ot), 3-1)

East Division Final

• Maryland Black Bears defeated Maine Nordiques 3 games to 2 (0-2, 1-0, 0-3, 4-2 , 6-2)

Midwest Division Final

• Anchorage Wolverines defeated Wisconsin Windigo 3 games to none (3-2, 6-3, 3-0)

South Division Final

• Lone Star Brahmas defeated Shreveport Mudbugs 3 games to 1 (2-3, 3-2, 4-1 , 4-0)

Robertson Cup

The semifinal round and the championship game will be held May 17 to May 24 at the Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota. The semifinal pairings are based upon regular season point percentage with the teams matched up 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd.

Seeding

1. Lone Star Brahmas
2. Minot Minotauros
3. Maryland Black Bears
4. Anchorage Wolverines

Semifinals

• Lone Star Brahmas defeated Anchorage Wolverines 2 games to none (8-2, 2-0)
• Maryland Black Bears defeated Minot Minotauros 2 games to none (7-3, 6-2)

Championship Game

• Lone Star Brahmas defeated Maryland Black Bears 4-2