Also, are there any more fancy openings for people that exist in the MAHL universe? 

1986/87 Regular Season - North


Hibbing claims their first Iron Range Hockey League title in over a decade, their 13th in team history. The past 11 seasons have been rough for the Hounds, making the post season only twice, but a new group of younger players emerged this year and carried Hibbing back to the top of the league. Grand Rapids set out this year to prove that last year was a fluke, and they did just that, returning to the playoffs for the 4th time in the past 5 seasons with a second place finish. Virginia took home the Miners Pickaxe and also return to the playoffs after falling to 7th a year ago. The battle for the final playoff spot came down to the final game of the season in rivalry week as the Ely Black Bears took on the Tower-Soudan Miners at a sold out Tower Civic Arena with the Miners Hardhat and a playoff birth on the line. The visitors would walk away victorious, ending the Miners season and getting back the Hardhat. After Tower-Soudan it was Babbitt, Mountain Iron, Eveleth, and Coleraine who all boasted really solid hockey teams, but failed to put together a complete season, finishing in the middle of the pack. Keewatin, Chisholm, and Hoyt Lakes bring up the rear, losing more games than not despite still having decent hockey teams.


Make that two Lake Superior titles in the past three years for the Two Harbors Wolfpack. The Wolves continue to rely on their depth and team play, but it is working out as they finish in first place in arguably the toughest league in the MAHL. Thunder Bay and Superior were as dangerous as ever and look like serious contenders come playoffs. The Big Red Giants finished just 2 games behind Two Harbors with the Lakers only a game behind that. There was a bit of a drop to the next group of teams who were fighting for the final playoff spot. In the end it was won out by the Hermantown Huskies who finished the season with a 7 game win streak. The Broncos, Hornets, Nor'Westers, and Voyageurs were all within reach of that spot at one point or another in the season, but unfortunately for them, this wasn't the year. Lutsen turned some heads by finishing ahead of both Grand Marais and Silver Bay in only their second year, but all three would finish with losing records. Proctor won the wooden spoon for the third straight year, still struggling to compete with their larger neighbors.


After a 14 year break, Roseau is once again Northland Hockey League champion. The Stars took home their 11th NLHL crown while holding onto the Victory Bell for the third year in a row. Bemidji finished one game away from repeating as league champs, having to settle for second place and the Beltrami County Cup. St. James punched their ticket to the playoffs for the first time in team history with a third place finish. Fort Frances edged out Winnipeg and International Falls by a couple of games to end their two year drought. After the Monarchs and Ice, it was Blackduck and Warroad. The Mallards overachieved early on this year, but slowly fell back to earth and missed out on the playoffs. The Lakers finished in 8th for the second straight year, a startling sign for a town as hockey crazy as Warroad. Steinbach, Kenora, Baudette, and Red Lake bring up the rear, all finishing with losing records and relatively similar skill levels.


There was a lot of movement in the top half of the Red River this year with East Grand Forks coming out of the chaos on top to set a new league record for titles with 8. The Pointers were followed by the defending Kellogg Cup champs from Detroit Lakes who kept their momentum going from last years playoffs into the regular season, tying their record for highest finish in second. West Fargo took home the Metro Bowl on their way to a third place finish. Grand Forks returns to the post season after a two year hiatus, taking home the Nodak Cup in the process. The Good Boys from Moorhead fell just short in fifth, but they have the consolation prize of finishing ahead of their arch rivals from Fargo. The Titans would come one spot behind the Huskies in 6th, bringing the third longest playoff streak in the MAHL to an end at 17 years. Thief River Falls, Grafton, Crookston, and Dilworth were all middle of the pack teams, winning some big games but also losing some easy ones. Pelican Rapids and Red Lake Falls finish 11th and 12th, ending up in the losers column  most nights.

Let me know what you think, comments are appreciated!

Kenny Bouchard, Richfield Sun Current, here with my preview of the South Region.

My teams to watch:
Blue Earth: Fairmount Hawks, Waseca Bluegills, Albert Lea Dragoons, Mason City Musicians (Hawks should go far this year)
Southwest: Montevideo Pioneers, Yankton Paddlefish, Wilmar Posse, Marshall Pheasants (this is gonna go down to the wire)
St. Croix Chippewa Falls Chippewas, Hudson Bengals, Cottage Grove Yellow Jackets, Ellsworth Curds (expect the new kids on the block to make an immediate impact)
Valley: Rochester Robins, Stewartville Scarlets, Cannon Falls Artillery, Winona WIldcats (another tight race I'm predicting. Probably the tightest in all the MAHL)

A Tschida winner from this region will TRULY EARN IT. While I could easily see a Fairmount player taking it, the field is wide open in these parts. 

And with that, the Bouchard season preview is finally complete. Here's to a great season!

Teams to watch doesn't just mean a title prediction. Just as it's great to watch a title chase, it can be just as interesting to see a cellar dweller potentially turn things around. It's how Cleveland has operated for decades. 

Section30 wrote:

Hey all, I've been wanting to add a little more depth to the league and just finished updating the MAHL Wiki to include the name of every teams Supporters Club, Chants, and Team Slogan or Motto (Boomer Sooner, Roll Tide, Hook Em, SKI-U-MAH, etc) as well as updating the rivalries for all 178 teams.

If you are interested in checking them out, just click here! 

Sweet. I had/have my own ideas for traditions, but I know I'll be overly thinking about what you've written down soon enough.