What an offseason!  A couple things come to mind right away...

1. Nice to see plenty of up-and-comers either make their first playoff trip or their first league title...especially to St. Anthony for gettin' it done in year one!
2. The Saints have been languishing in the basement for a while now...I think their long-term survival may depend on them dropping the "must be in the Athletic Club" rule.
3. You know I'm cheerin' for Superior, EC and the Falls,,,fantastic inaugural season by Hudson too! (Their time is comin' VERY soon)
4. I'm already seeing a couple of "curses" in this league; the Bloomington Bears' "Curse of Benji" (the team has not won any playoff games nor done much notable since getting rid of Benji, and legend has it this irrelevance will continue until Benji returns), and I'm still trying to think of a curse the Rochester Mustangs could be under (where they have the MAHL's longest playoff streak but no Kellogg Cups to show for it)

Also, I never saw who won the Battle for Nininger between Hastings & Cottage Grove...could you let me know, please?  Thank you.

Last edited by Burmy87 (5/01/2021 9:08 am)

1984 MAHL Power Rankings


Also Receiving Votes: Roseau-19, Fergus Falls-19, Eau Claire-17, Roseville-14, Brookings-11, Fort Frances-9, South St. Paul-9, Apple Valley-9, Shakopee-9, Grand Forks-8, Mora-4, Lino Lakes-4, Brooklyn Park-3, Duluth V-1

Man, it appears I single-handedly put Two Harbors in the rankings. Not that I'm proud of exerting that much influence over the rankings, but I think its interesting how differently I perceived them to be compared to the other rankers.

1984 Kellogg Cup Playoffs: First Round - North


#1 Thunder Bay Giants vs Hibbing Greyhounds
The defending champs made light work of the Hibbing Greyhounds in this one, outshooting them 51-12 and totaling six goals by the time the final horn sounded. The Giants cruise on with a 6-0 blowout victory.

#22 East Grand Forks Pointers vs #25 Two Harbors Wolfpack
It was a great hockey game in EGF between two ranked foes as the Pointers welcomed the Wolfpack from Two Harbors. It was a back and forth affair with both teams finding the back of the net in each period. The Pack were able to get 3 in the second to put them in front and they were able to hold on and advance. This is the first playoff win for Two Harbors in 20 years.

#5 West Fargo Wasps vs Duluth Voyageurs
Veterans Memorial Arena was filled to capacity as the Wasps took the ice for their first ever playoff game as the #5 ranked team in the MAHL. Duluth got off to a nice start, leading 1-0 after 1. West Fargo tied it up in the second, but Le Bleus regained the lead with 4:24 left in the second. The Wasps were buzzing in the third down a goal, pressing at the Voyageur goal until a rebound finally popped loose to tie the game 2-2. It was all Wasps after the tying goal as the crowd came to life with "Lets Go Wasps" chants. Three minutes after they tied it up at two, West Fargo drew a powerplay. They won the offensive zone draw and took a shot from the point that got deflected in the slot, beating the Duluth goalie and putting the Wasps up 3-2. That would prove to be the final score as the Voyageurs had no response, sending West Fargo to the second round.

#9 Bemidji Blue Ox vs Grand Forks Jets
The Fieldhouse was rocking as the Ox took the ice in their return to the playoffs after a 3 year hiatus. The Ox seemed eager and ready for the game as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. Bemidji extended their lead to 4 in the second before the Jets would finally get on the scoreboard. Bemidji would bury two more to Grand Forks one on their way to a convincing 6-2 victory for the Blue Ox.


#3 Warroad Lakers vs Fargo Titans
The Northland Hockey League champs put together a great all around hockey game to roll over a very good Fargo team. The Lakers netted one in the first and two in both the second and third for a three period total of 5, a nearly impossible number for visitors to top in the Castle on the Corner. The Titans could only muster one to avoid the shutout, ending their season by falling to Warroad by a score of 5-1.

#20 Virginia Royals vs Roseau Stars
Virginia and Roseau were both among the top teams in the MAHL according to most, so the fact that this game was as entertaining as it was came as no surprise. The game was actually much closer than the score would suggest. Roseau was kept off the scoreboard by Virginia's netminder all game long despite a plethora of opportunities from the Stars. The Royals took the first lead of the game with a breakaway goal late in the second. They rode that momentum into the third period, scoring early to make it a 2 goal lead. Roseau pulled their goalie with two minutes left, but Virginia took control after picking up a rebound after their goalie made the save. The Royals took it out of their zone and dumped it into the empty net as the 2,000+ on hand at the Miners Memorial Building erupted in cheers. The final horn sounded to confirm it, Virginia advances with a 3-0 shutout over Roseau.

#4 Grand Rapids Moose vs Tower-Soudan Miners
UPSET ALERT! For the fourth time in a row, and the second year in a row as a top seed in their region, the Grand Rapids Moose have been knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. The play on the ice was an instant classic as the Moose and Miners battled for 60 minutes and then some. The score was tied 3-3 at the end of regulation, sending us to overtime at the IRA Civic Center. One overtime period came and went with a couple looks for both teams, but nothing finding the back of the net, sending us to a second overtime period. Over 16 minutes had passed and still there was not a winner. It wasn't until a shot from the top of the circle beat the Moose goalie through the five hole to send the Miners to the second round. This is the first playoff win for the Miners since they returned in 1973, and is their first playoff victory since 1948 when they beat... Grand Rapids.

#11 Superior Lakers vs Fort Frances Trappers
In what was expected to be an even matchup with Superior slight favorites, expectations were shattered. Despite having a bit of a rougher regular season than the past couple seasons, the Trappers looked just like their top ranked team from a year ago, coming out and dominating play at Superior. The Lakers were flat footed and definitely didn't play up to their expectations, getting only 15 shots on goal for the game and failing to get on the scoreboard. Fort Frances rattled off four unanswered to advance with a 4-0 shellacking on the road over Superior.

Let me know what you think, comments are appreciated!

Well, aside from Eau Claire, looks like the Miners are my team for this year.