The 2021–22 NAHL season was the 38th season of the North American Hockey League. The regular season ran from September 2021 to April 2022 with a 60-game schedule for each team. The Lone Star Brahmas won the regular season championship. The New Jersey Titans defeated the Anchorage Wolverines 3–0 in the Championship game to capture the Robertson Cup.
Member changes The El Paso Rhinos, which had joined the NA3HL in 2020, founded a tier II club that began play this season.
The Corpus Christi IceRays, Springfield Jr. Blues and Jamestown Rebels, who had each suspended play for the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resumed play this year.
On March 5, 2021, the NAHL approved the relocation of the Amarillo Bulls to Mason City, Iowa where they became the North Iowa Bulls. In the wake of their departure, the Kansas City Scouts announced that they would be moving to Amarillo, Texas and take up residence in the Amarillo Civic Center, becoming the Amarillo Wranglers in the process. While the NAHL was planning on returning to Kansas City for the 2022–23 season, those plans were eventually put on hold.
Also in March of 2021, the Anchorage Wolverines were admitted as an expansion franchise for this season.
Regular season
The standings at the end of the regular season were as follows:
Note: x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched regular season title Standings Central Division
Team xy – St. Cloud Norsemen 6041162185230153 x – Austin Bruins 6031233368178186 x – Aberdeen Wings 6031243267186184 x – Bismarck Bobcats 6029271362210206 Minot Minotauros 6028292159173184 North Iowa Bulls 6022284654194234
East Division
Team xy – New Jersey Titans 6041163085226163 x – Johnstown Tomahawks 6034204274225184 x – Jamestown Rebels 6035222173181164 x – Northeast Generals 6035240171199200 Maryland Black Bears 6029196670189176 Maine Nordiques 6022276555200243 Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks 6012425130153258
Midwest Division
Team xy – Fairbanks Ice Dogs 6037201277238179 x – Springfield Jr. Blues 6036202276211177 x – Anchorage Wolverines 6033194474208166 x – Minnesota Wilderness 6035231172216203 Janesville Jets 6034250169227208 Minnesota Magicians 6025266359197231 Chippewa Steel 6025312254168206 Kenai River Brown Bears 6014413233147256
South Division
Team xyz – Lone Star Brahmas 6038125586197144 x – New Mexico Ice Wolves 6038172381193145 x – Wichita Falls Warriors 6035175378220150 x – Shreveport Mudbugs 6034311473170154 Odessa Jackalopes 6029261463193193 Amarillo Wranglers 6027291358149182 Corpus Christi IceRays 6025322153166213 El Paso Rhinos 6015412234131233
Statistics
Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in regular season points at the completion of all regular season games.
Player Team Ryan O'Neill St. Cloud Norsemen 57 30 50 80 6 Jake Black Johnstown Tomahawks 60 41 38 79 36 Cy LeClerc Janesville Jets 60 31 46 77 8 Cade Neilson Aberdeen Wings 58 26 49 75 88 Alexander Malinowski Fairbanks Ice Dogs 58 33 42 75 25 Cole Dubicki Springfield Jr. Blues 64 22 52 74 56 Nicholas Niemo Lone Star Brahmas 60 38 36 74 55 Kristaps Skrastins Amarillo Wranglers 58 36 34 70 109 Artur Turansky Lone Star Brahmas 60 28 38 66 46 Paul Minnehan Northeast Generals 57 23 41 64 31 Dillan Bentley New Mexico Ice Wolves 58 30 34 64 38
Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SOL = Shootout losses; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage
Player Team GP Mins W L OTL SOL GA SV SV% GAA Arthur Smith Lone Star Brahmas 34 2012:37 23 3 2 4 63 699 .910 1.88 Matthew Smith Springfield Jr. Blues 20 1108:39 15 2 0 1 36 483 .926 1.95 Devon Bobak Shreveport Mudbugs 42 2531:42 27 11 1 3 86 1,098 .922 2.04 Béni Halász New Mexico Ice Wolves 43 2578:36 26 13 0 3 91 1,147 .921 2.12 Nolan Suggs Jamestown Rebels 39 2284:41 25 10 2 0 85 1,183 .928 2.23
Robertson Cup playoffs Teams are reseeded prior to the semifinal round based upon regular season records.
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
References
NAHL reference
External links Official website of the North American Hockey League