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10/08/2021 6:37 pm  #2591


Re: Minnesota Amateur Hockey League

Yeah baby Wood Ducks baby yeah

 

10/11/2021 3:35 pm  #2592


Re: Minnesota Amateur Hockey League

1985/86 Regular Season - Twin Cities North


That's three in a row now for the Maplewood Retrievers, winning the East Metro in the final game of the season in what has become a nearly yearly battle for the Barrel in the final game of the year. The Goldies got the win, the barrel, and the league title while their arch rivals from White Bear Lake were left to settle for second place. Roseville dropped out of the top two for the first time in 7 years, but the Rockets were still a very real threat and could be a dark horse if they could figure out how to actually win in the playoffs. North St. Paul scoops up the final post season spot with a fourth place finish, this will be the first time the Ramparts will see playoff hockey in their 9 year history. With NSP taking the four spot, that left Stillwater on the outside looking in. Little Canada and Mahtomedi were both solid as well, but couldn't keep pace with the rest of the pack. Woodbury was the punching bag of the league again this year, only winning 3 games on the season.


Sauk Rapids is back on top, proving to the doubters that their fifth place finish a year ago was just a fluke. The Bulldogs didn't run away with it by any means, but it was a really good season for the purple and black that results in their third GHL crown. The hunt for the top spot in the league was tight with a handful of teams in the mix. The Norsemen, Bearcats, and Pilots snatched the 2, 3, and 4 spots to keep their seasons alive, but the St. Cloud Storm weren't quite so lucky. The Bolts exceeded expectations this year and were actually in the top three for most of the year, but a lackluster final month allowed others to pass them and leave them out in fifth. Fergus Falls and Brainerd both had competitive teams that just couldn't stay consistent enough to do more than a middle of the table finish. Princeton had a better year than expected, finishing one game below .500 on the season. Morris was the best of the GHL expansion squads, beating out a Mora team who fell off the face of the earth after their incredible run to the Super Series a year ago. The Dalas were beaten up to hell and back, losing a number of players at any given point due to injuries. Wadena and Breckenridge-Wahpeton bring up the rear, doing about as well as expected for expansion teams.


For the first time in their 18 year history, the Coon Rapids Bandits are North Metro Hockey League Champions. The Bandits were able to squeak past Anoka late in the year to prevent their rivals from winning their fifth crown. Plymouth was able to finally break the streak and reach the playoffs in an even year with a third place finish. Osseo ends their 7 year playoff drought finishing in fourth and keeping the OMG Cup. It was a year to forget for Brooklyn Park who not only dropped out of the playoffs after winning the North Metro a year ago, but doing so ended their 8 year playoff streak, and perhaps worst of all is their arch rivals from Brooklyn Center were able to take away the Big Cat Cup for the first time ever despite finishing one spot behind the Panthers. Elk River was mediocre this year, not quite living up to their expectations and suffering a losing season. The bottom two remained Ramsey and Maple Grove, both quite a ways below the rest of the pack.


Mounds View is back atop the Northeast after a two year run from Lino Lakes. The Herons didn't drop far though, remaining right behind the Gunners in second. There was a bit of a drop after the top two with East Bethel and Blaine sliding into the remaining playoff slots. Columbia Heights, Arden Hills, Ham Lake, and Fridley were all about the same in terms of skill and any team could win on any night, they finished the season outside the playoffs and in the middle of the pack. Shoreview and New Brighton were next, also not terrible, but they lost more often than they won. At the bottom of the standings is Spring Lake Park who had another rough year, still struggling to get their footing in the league.

Let me know what you think, comments are appreciated!



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10/11/2021 4:29 pm  #2593


Re: Minnesota Amateur Hockey League

Princeton‽ It is unusual for the Brickmakers to not be the absolute worst. Good on them!


 

10/12/2021 5:33 pm  #2594


Re: Minnesota Amateur Hockey League

1985/86 Regular Season - Twin Cities South


The Mound Marauders continue to own the Hennepin Hockey League, winning their fourth consecutive title (the Bucs are still the only team to win the HHL). The Marauders were just a solid unit, there aren't any real standouts on the roster, they just work well as a team. Eden Prairie continues their gradual climb in the standings with their highest finish in team history coming in second. Minnetonka and Chanhassen take the remaining playoff slots, keeping Shakopee and Wayzata out with losing records when it was all said and done. Chaska was alright, but they just couldn't win in close games, losing too many one goal games to count. Orono brings up the rear with another year to forget.


Apple Valley returns to the peak of the South Metro for a record setting 6th time, passing their arch rivals from Burnsville who are left at 5 titles. The Cardinals swept their silverware as well, taking home both the Pyramid and the Antlers. Eagan and Burnsville also had good years, coming second and third, and could make some noise in the playoffs. Moving into the fourth and final playoff spot is Lakeville who finally breaks the drought to make their first post season birth in team history. The Admirals were able to squeak it out ahead of Rosemount, Mendota, and Inver Grove who all finished just a couple games behind. Savage did alright for an expansion squad, beating out Prior Lake even, but the same could not be said for their expansion partners. Farmington had a really rough go of things in their inaugural season, finishing the season with an abysmal 2 wins and 3 ties in a 30 game season.


It was the big boys up at the top of the Twin Cities this year. Minneapolis would take home the crown with St. Paul having to settle for second. The Millers and V's are both incredibly skilled hockey teams with lots of speed and grit. The resurgence of the St. Paul Saints over the past two years has been truly remarkable. The Halos flirted with the idea of opening the team up to the public a couple years ago, but ultimately decided against it. They instead decided to overhaul things from the inside, bringing in a new coach and bringing in some new faces to wear the green and red. The Saints were able to steal a pair of Vulcans who were unhappy with the team due to players leaving for the Trojans when a St. Anthony team was created. This has played a big part in not only the Saints return to the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, but also the drastic fall of the Vulcans who won the league just three years ago. The feather in the cap of the Saints this year is finally winning back the historic Milk Jug after 11 years in Victoria control. West St. Paul takes home the final playoff spot to return to the post season after a three year break. South St. Paul and Como fall out of the top four and thus see their seasons come to an end, finishing 5th and 6th respectively. St. Anthony, Highland Park, and Phalen were all mediocre and came middle of the pack. The bottom three were the Falcon Heights Raptors, Minneapolis Bakers, and Twin Cities Vulcans.


St. Louis Park takes home their second West Metro Hockey League title, their second in the past three years, as well as retaining the Gold Bowl for the third straight year. Edina moves up to second on the year, but the Cake Eaters looked as good as ever and are always capable of a deep run in the playoffs. Richfield is next, and although they lost the Megaphone to Edina, they still should be considered a legitimate contender. Making their very first playoff appearance this spring will be New Hope who finally put together a season good enough to finish in the top four. Hopkins were the first ones out but they were a solid hockey team. The Bloomington teams came 6th and 7th, with the Bears ahead of the Terriers for the first time since 1977. The Bears were finally able to get their paws on the Bone for the first time in the trophies 8 year history. Golden Valley and Crystal round out the group, both having pretty disappointing years with only a handful of wins each.

Let me know what you think, comments are appreciated!



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10/13/2021 5:40 pm  #2595


Re: Minnesota Amateur Hockey League

1985/86 Regular Season - South


Mankato finds themselves at the top of the table in the BEHL for the 9th time in team history. The Moose swept their silverware and finished ahead of the defending Kellogg Cup Champions. Speaking of the Bavarians, they weren't far behind Kato in second at the end of the regular season. Faribault took home the first ever Blue and Gold Cup along with a third place finish. The final team to clinch a playoff spot is North Mankato who punches their ticket to their first ever post season appearance. St. Peter and Mason City both had good hockey teams, but fell just outside the top four and will have to wait until fall. Owatonna, Le Sueur, and Albert Lea were average and finished a little below .500 on the year. Fairmont was just inconsistent, beating top teams one night then losing the next 5 to weaker opponents. The Bluegills finish with the wooden spoon again this year, still looking to get their footing in the league after 6 seasons with little to no success.


For the first time in 9 years, the Marshall Pheasants are Southwest Champs. It was a dogfight at the top of the SWHA this year with the top five teams all finishing within 5 games of the title. Behind Marshall it was their rivals from Brookings, followed by Worthington and Sioux Falls in the final playoff slots and Sioux City left out in fifth despite a great turnaround season for the Shockers. There was a little gap to the next group of teams which included Willmar, Montevideo, Luverne, Spirit Lake, and Hutchinson. These teams were all pretty even in skill and were all middle of the pack or had slightly losing records. There was another little gap to the bottom tier of teams which included Vermillion, Granite Falls, and Yankton. These teams found themselves in the loss column on most nights unless they played one another.


Hastings continues their decade of sheer dominance over the St. Croix Hockey League, winning their 6th title in the League's 8 years (their third in a row as well). The Rivermen were tailed by their arch rivals from Cottage Grove who bounced back into the playoffs after a rough year a season ago. The Yellow Jackets could be considered a dark horse in the South Region if things go their way. A couple Wisconsin teams round out the top four with Hudson coming third and Eau Claire fourth. This is the first time in SCHL history that another Wisconsin team has finished ahead of the Rubber Kings. Lake Elmo falls to fifth and sees their season come to an end along with River Falls, Menomonie, and a slightly improved Chippewa Falls team. I say slightly because the Chips still finished last in the league, but they did manage to win a couple more than they had the past couple years so things are looking up.


Northfield takes home their third ever Valley Hockey League title, their first in nearly a decade. The Outlaws really had to earn it, beating out the always tough Rochester Mustangs who wound up in second, along with a very skilled Red Wing Chiefs team that came third. There was a two team fight for the final playoff spot with the Rochester Robins ultimately coming out on top to both get back to the playoffs after a 4 year drought, and also finally bring the Civil War Trophy to the south side of Rochester after the Mustangs controlled it for the first 11 years. Austin sees their playoff drought extend to three years in a row now with the Mavs finishing in fifth for the second year in a row. Cannon Falls falls out of the playoffs, but still had a pretty solid season and finished above .500 for the year. Lake City and Wabasha were next, followed by Winona and La Crosse. There isn't a whole lot to say about these teams besides they had pretty meh years. At the bottom of the league are the St. Charles Rangers who were just a bit worse than the other lackluster teams this year.

Let me know what you think, comments are appreciated!



     Thread Starter
 

10/13/2021 5:44 pm  #2596


Re: Minnesota Amateur Hockey League

1985/86 MAHL League Rankings


Now we wait for the MAHL Analysts to get their picks in and the playoffs can begin!



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10/16/2021 6:40 pm  #2597


Re: Minnesota Amateur Hockey League

1985/86 MAHL Power Rankings


Also Receiving Votes: Rochester M-26, West Fargo-23, Hastings-23, International Falls-20, White Bear Lake-19, Anoka-18, Eagan-13, Eveleth-12, Red Wing-11, Neebing-7, Richfield-6, Eden Prairie-5, St. Cloud B-5, Lino Lakes-3, Cottage Grove-2, Roseville-1



     Thread Starter
 

10/16/2021 6:41 pm  #2598


Re: Minnesota Amateur Hockey League

1986 Kellogg Cup Playoff Brackets



     Thread Starter
 

10/17/2021 4:44 pm  #2599


Re: Minnesota Amateur Hockey League

1986 Kellogg Cup Playoffs: First Round - North


#1 Thunder Bay Giants vs Moorhead Huskies
The Big Red Giants came out for their first playoff game of the year and showed just why they are the top ranked team in all the MAHL. Moorhead did the best that they could, and they kept it a competitive game, but at the end of the day they just couldn't find the back of the net. Thunder Bay moves on with a convincing 4-0 shutout victory over the Good Boys from Moorhead.

#23 Two Harbors Wolfpack vs West Fargo Wasps
It was a defensive battle between two very good hockey teams. The physical side of the game was very prevalent in this one with both teams making sure to finish their checks and make it as tough on the opponent as possible. At the end of 60 minutes we were still scoreless at a sold out Lake County Arena in Two Harbors. The Wolfpack would walk away victorious on home ice after a shot trickled behind the Wasp goaltender and was poked across the goal line by a Wolf to send the Pack to the second round.

#6 Superior Lakers vs Neebing Nor'Westers
A couple Lake Superior Hockey League foes battled in Superior to see who's season would stay alive. The inaugural Nor'Westers got off to a slow start, allowing two Laker goals in the first period. Things switched a bit in the second though as Neebing bounced back a bit with the long change and were able to get one on the board on the powerplay. Superior buried a shot off the far post and in just a few minutes into the third to extend their lead to two. The sold out crowd at Wessman Arena was deafening with their "We Are, Superior!" and "Lets Go Lakers" chants. The team fed off the energy and were able to hold off the Nor'Westers and advance. Superior moves on to the second round with a 3-1 win.

#8 Tower-Soudan Miners vs Ely Black Bears
UPSET ALERT! The Battle for the Hardhat hasn't seen post season action since 1942, the year before the IRHL took a hiatus due to WWII, until today. The stars have aligned to allow two of the most historic and fierce rivals in the history of the MAHL to finally battle once again when it matters most. Tower Civic Arena was filled to the gills with not only Miners fans, but also Black Bear fans who made the short drive to watch their team, creating an incredibly exciting, but tense environment in the arena. The actual game was all that anyone could have hoped for, two teams who know each other very well, putting everything they have into every check and every shot. When the final horn sounded the score was tied at two apiece, sending us to overtime to decide a victor. Miner and Black Bear fans tried to yell their chants over top of each other as the teams returned to the ice. Echoing "Lets Go Miners" and "Go Bears Go" chants continued after the puck was dropped and overtime was underway. Over 15 minutes went by with both teams getting chances, but no goals. Ely would walk away on top after a shot from the point took a deflection off a Black Bear stick in front, redirecting between the Tower-Soudan netminder's legs and finding the back of the net. The Bears flooded over the boards in celebration as their fans erupted in the stands. After the game, the team skated in front of their supporters in the stands to sing with them the team anthem "Dare to Beat the Bear". Ely moves on, knocking out their arch rivals in overtime by a score of 3-2.


#3 Bemidji Blue Ox vs Mountain Iron Cougars
The Blue Ox had a sold out John S. Glas Fieldhouse at their backs, making it all that muck tougher on the red hot Mountain Iron Cougars. The Cougs were able to keep in the game despite being outshot drastically by the Babes, 38-20 at the end of the game. Despite their lack in shots, Mountain Iron were able to capitalize on the chances they did get and it helped them keep within one of Bemidji until the Ox scored the empty netter with 36 seconds left in the game. Bemidji looked great, just on the wrong side of a couple breaks. The Blue Ox move on, beating the Cougars by a score of 4-2.

#18 Winnipeg Monarchs vs International Falls Ice
It was a Northland Hockey League battle in Winnipeg as the Monarchs took on the International Falls Ice. The Bruisers got off to a great start, lighting the lamp just 4:02 into the game. International Falls was unphased though, sticking to their game plan and not allowing the intimidating atmosphere to get to them. The Ice leveled the score on the man advantage late in the first, carrying momentum into the second. When the second period began it was all International Falls, peppering the Monarch goaltender until a rebound was smacked home to give the Ice a 2-1 lead. A third goal gave the Ice a two goal cushion heading into the third period. Winnipeg threw it all at the International Falls goalie in the third, but nothing would get past him. The Ice hold on and take the win on the road, knocking out Winnipeg 3-1.

#5 Fargo Titans vs Detroit Lakes Wood Ducks
UPSET ALERT! The Champions of the Red River Hockey League have been knocked out in the very first round by fellow RRHL member Detroit Lakes. The Wood Ducks hung with the far more talented Titans punch for punch, never letting Fargo get a lead of more than one at any point in the game. A two goal third propelled them into the lead on the road without enough time for Fargo to net the equalizer. The Titans poured in on in the final minutes, but the Ducks survived to hear the horn. Detroit Lakes pulls off the stunner, taking out the #5 ranked team in the MAHL by a score of 4-3.

#11 Roseau Stars vs Eveleth Redbirds
Roseau and Eveleth are facing off in the playoffs for the 6th time, the Stars lead the all time series 3-2 heading in and will be playing in arguably the toughest place to play in all of the MAHL in Roseau Memorial Arena. The story of the game has to be the goaltending. Veteran Roseau netminder Timothy Baumgartner and Eveleth's Vince Mariucci stood on their heads, making highlight real save after the next on both sides of the ice. It was a shame that someone had to lose this goaltending battle for the ages, but none the less, someone has to win. Roseau would be the team to finally find the twine, beating Mariucci on a one timer at the back door with 3:57 left in regulation. The Green Army nearly blew the roof off with how loud they got after the goal. Booming "Lets Go Stars" chants rang out until the final horn sounded and they all went nuts again. The Roseau Stars move on, knocking out the Eveleth Redbirds 1-0.

Let me know what you think, comments are appreciated!



     Thread Starter
 

10/17/2021 5:14 pm  #2600


Re: Minnesota Amateur Hockey League

Ey let's go Ducks!

 

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