Last edited by Burmy87 (9/20/2023 8:19 pm)

Hey everyone, long time no see! I decided to take a bit of a break from posting in the MAHL for the past couple years really as I had a lot of stuff going on in real life. The MAHL has always been incredibly important to me and I never meant to leave it for as long as I did, but know that I have been working on it despite the lack of posts. Hell, this league did more to help me graduate with a Graphic Design degree from Bemidji State University than anything or anyone ever could. But I have been absent from these threads for a long time now while I took my break from posting. This fictional league and community of fellow sports nerds that like making up their own fictional worlds has been one of the biggest blessings in my life and I have met some of the nicest, most creative people thanks to it. Now that I have finished school and found a great job doing what I love, I have decided now is the perfect time to get back into the groove. My goal is to make at least one post a week and I'll try my best to keep to that so I don't end up going another year without a post lol. Well anyways, the MAHL is back and thank you all for all of the support!

1988/89 Regular Season - North Region


The Moose are still loose in the Iron Range with Grand Rapids claiming back to back IRHL titles in 88 & 89. The Moose are just as much a Cup Contender as ever with many even consider them better than their Cup winning team from two years ago. The Iron Range was an utter bloodbath this season with incredible parity across the league. Tower-Soudan and Virginia come second and third, both making their playoff returns after failing to reach last season as well as sweeping their rivalry series'. Hibbing extends their playoff streak to three years as they manage to hold off a pesky Ely team by one win. The aforementioned Black Bears drew the short straw this year, failing to make the playoffs despite having a very good hockey team. There wasn't much separating Keewatin, Chisholm, Mountain Iron, Eveleth, Babbitt, & Coleraine who made up the middle of the pack. Aurora, Deer River, and Hoyt Lakes were the bottom three, finishing well below .500 on the year.


The Itasca Association runs through Bemidji. Not only are the IHA headquarters in the home of Paul and Babe, but the Bemidji Blue Ox showed they were once again the class of the league and it wasn't really close. Bemidji finished undefeated (though they did finish with 5 ties) on the season. Despite this, analysts are skeptical about whether they really are this good or if they are being propped up by being in a rather weak league? Blackduck built off the success of qualifying for their first playoffs a season ago and came through with their best season in franchise history, finishing in second. It was a fight in the middle of the pack for those final playoff spots with Park Rapids and Detroit Lakes clinching at regular seasons end. Those on the outside looking in include Pelican Rapids, Red Lake, & Wadena. Barnesville did about as well as expected for an expansion team, finishing one spot from the bottom where we have Perham who will likely try to hide in their shells and forget this season as soon as possible, winning an embarrassing 3 games all year.


It's time to party like it's 1954! For the first time in 35 years, the Duluth Hornets have won the Iron Range Hockey League. The Hornets were propelled in large part to their explosive pp unit that led the MAHL in powerplay goals this season with a staggering 53 goals a man up. Superior and the other guys from Duluth finished second and third, both also having very good hockey teams capable of making deep runs this post season. The biggest story of the season in the LSHL has to be Grand Marais who came out of nowhere to finish in the top four and clinch their first playoff birth in 7 years. It was a disappointing season for a couple of Lake Superior blue bloods in Two Harbors and Thunder Bay who both miss out on the playoffs after long streaks, 5 Years for the Wolfpack & 8 years for the Giants. Neebing, Hermantown, & Cloquet all had mediocre seasons but had moments of greatness that offer their fans hope for the future. There really isn't much to say about Silver Bay, Proctor, or Lutsen who were all pretty stinky and never really were in contention for a playoff slot.


Roseau claims their second Northland crown in the past three seasons, their 12th all time. The Stars were once again helped in large part to the intimidating atmosphere created by the Green Army at games played in Roseau. The Stars had a perfect season at home this year, winning every single match inside historic Roseau Memorial Arena. International Falls finishes in second and makes their 4th trip to the playoffs in the last 5 years. Rounding out the top four are the bitter rivals from Winnipeg with the Monarchs coming third and St. James Stags clinching the four spot over another of the Monarchs biggest rivals in Steinbach who finished 5th. Baudette, Fort Frances, & Warroad all had very good hockey teams that just weren't good enough in what is arguably the best league in the MAHL this season. There really were no bad hockey teams in the NLHL this year, but Morden, Winkler, Kenora, & Dryden all finished well outside the playoff hunt and at the bottom of the table.


Grand Forks won a lot of silverware this season. Not only did the Jets sweep their rivalry trophies by taking home both the Giant Fork and the Nodak Cup, but they also finished atop the league to win their 8th Red River Hockey League title. There were a few familiar faces joining Grand Forks in the top four such as the defending league champs from West Fargo and the boys across the river in East Grand Forks in third. There was one new face in the four spot though... well not new, but a face we haven't seen in a while. The Crookston Kings finally broke back into the post season after a 9 year hiatus where they never really even got close, things just finally seemed to click for the Kings this year. Fargo, Thief River Falls, & Moorhead fell just short after coming into the season with playoff aspirations, though they did all have respectable seasons. At the bottom of the league we have Red Lake Falls, Dilworth, & Grafton.

Let me know what you think, comments are appreciated!

Please let the train in Thief River stop running into issues, I want another deep run like it’s 1963.

Little Canada missed the playoffs? That sucks. At least a few teams from actual Canada made it.

Dan O'Mac wrote:

So with the changes in your life in general over the last year, will the playoffs still be streamed on Twitch? Because I'm here for that sweet MAHLscot action to go with the hockey.

Oh you betcha, I'm really excited to get back into live streaming the Super Series!