The 2025–26 NAHL season was the 51st season of the North American Hockey League. The regular season ran from September 12, 2025 to April 11, 2026 with a 59-game schedule for each team. The Maryland Black Bears won the regular season championship and went on to defeat the Minnesota Wilderness 3–2 in overtime in the Championship game to capture their first Robertson Cup title.
Membership Changes In early December 2024 reports of the league adding six teams that would form a Pacific Division would indicate that the league would likely be adding four teams in California and one each in Arizona and Nevada likely for the 2026-27 season. Previous rumors had indicated a stand alone Tier-I league, while others had teams affiliated with the United States Hockey League, Western Hockey League, and the British Columbia Hockey League had also been indicated over the past two years. The planned organizations have reportedly had ties to the region's National Hockey League teams and former players. On May 22, 2025 it was announced that the Wisconsin Windigo had been sold and were being relocated to The Ponds of Brookfield in Brookfield, Wisconsin. No name change was indicated in the announcement. Also on or around May 22, 2025 it was announced that the Greeley, Colorado based Colorado Grit had its' lease terminated at the Greeley Ice Haus and that the team would go inactive for the 2025-26 season with the intent of returning for the 2026-27 season. The city had terminated the lease citing unpaid bills and other issues with local businesses. The team using the threat of legal action citing not completed financial commitments with the team. According to a June 18, 2025 article on television station WGME 13 out of Portland, Maine website the future of the Maine Nordiques (NAHL) as well as the Maine Nordiques (NA3HL) is in question in Lewiston, Maine as The Colisée is up for sale and has been since June 2024. The article stated that the NAHL team did not have a lease for the upcoming 2025-26 season and that there were no other facilities in Lewiston to be able to use for ice hockey. No specific mention of the NA3HL team was made but the same situation is likely for them as well. Both teams would be on their league schedules when they are released June 25 and 26. The arena was sold in early July and on July 8, 2025 the United States Premier Hockey League's NCDC announced the addition of the Lewiston MAINEiacs to the league for the 2025-26 season. On July 15 the new ownership of the arena issued a release stating that they had ending talks with the ownership of the Nordiques teams and stated that it was due to previous unpaid bills and the inability of the ownership of the teams to make good on payment on past due debts involving the rink, its' staff and the city. On August 21 the team announced that it would be playing out of the Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn, Maine. The Janesville Jets move into the Woodman's Center which opens in 2025, after having played their whole existence in the Janesville Ice Arena. On March 18, 2026 the NAHL announce the relocation of the North Iowa Bulls to the newly opened Deep South Ice & Sports Center in Richmond, Texas, a suburb of Houston, Texas for the 2026-27 season. The team will be renamed the Houston Bulls. In late May 2026 it was indicated that the Maine Nordiques (NAHL) and Maine Nordiques (NA3HL) had both folded. On June 2, 2026 the Billings Cattle Punchers, who were announced as an expansion team in the National Collegiate Development Conference for 2026-27 were reported to be jumping to the North American Hockey League. Also included were the Pueblo Bulls, who were reportedly taking over the charter of the Chippewa Steel franchise. The Utah Outliers and Ogden Mustangs were also reported to be joining the NAHL. The Rochester Jr. Americans were also reported to be going dormant for the 2026-27 season. When the league issued its' release about the creation of a Mountain Division for the 2026-27 season, the release also included the Idaho Falls Spud Kings and Grand Junction River Hawks, but not the Utah Outliers. On July 3, 2026 the Pueblo Bulls announced that would be rebranded as the Pueblo Peppers.
Teams Central Division Team Arena Location Aberdeen Wings Odde Ice Center Aberdeen, South Dakota Austin Bruins Riverside Arena Austin, Minnesota Bismarck Bobcats V.F.W. Sports Center Bismarck, North Dakota Minnesota Mallards Forest Lake Sports Center Forest Lake, Minnesota Minot Minotauros Maysa Arena Minot, North Dakota North Iowa Bulls Mason City Arena Mason City, Iowa St. Cloud Norsemen Dave Torrey Arena St. Cloud, Minnesota Watertown Shamrocks Prairie Lakes Ice Arena Watertown, South DakotaMidwest Division Team Arena Location Anchorage Wolverines Sullivan Arena Anchorage, Alaska Chippewa Steel Chippewa Area Ice Arena Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Fairbanks Ice Dogs Big Dipper Ice Arena Fairbanks, Alaska Janesville Jets Woodman's Center Janesville, Wisconsin Kenai River Brown Bears Soldotna Sports Center Soldotna, Alaska Minnesota Wilderness Northwoods Credit Union Arena Cloquet, MinnesotaSpringfield Jr. Blues Nelson CenterSpringfield, Illinois Wisconsin Windigo The Ponds of Brookfield Brookfield, WisconsinEast Division Team Arena Location Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks Danbury Ice Arena Danbury, Connecticut Elmira Aviators First Arena Elmira, New York Johnstown Tomahawks Cambria County War Memorial Arena Johnstown, Pennsylvania Maine Nordiques Norway Savings Bank Arena Auburn, Maine Maryland Black Bears Piney Orchard Ice Arena/Ice World Odenton, Maryland/Abingdon, Maryland New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings Delta Dental Arena Hooksett, New Hampshire New Jersey Junior Titans Middletown Ice World Arena Middletown, New Jersey Northeast Generals Canton Ice House Canton, Massachusetts Philadelphia Rebels Hollydell Ice Arena Sewell, New Jersey Rochester Jr. Americans Thomas Creek Ice Arena Fairport, New YorkSouth Division Team Arena Location Amarillo Wranglers Amarillo Ice Ranch Amarillo, Texas Corpus Christi IceRays American Bank Center Corpus Christi, Texas El Paso Rhinos Sierra Providence Event Center El Paso, Texas Lone Star Brahmas NYTEX Sports Centre North Richland Hills, Texas New Mexico Ice Wolves Outpost Ice Arenas Albuquerque, New Mexico Odessa Jackalopes Ector County Coliseum Odessa, Texas Oklahoma Warriors Blazers Ice Centre Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Shreveport Mudbugs Hirsch Coliseum Shreveport, Louisiana
Standings Central Division Team GP W L OL SL GF GA Pts Austin Bruins 59 43 12 2 2 241 131 90 Bismarck Bobcats 59 39 15 3 2 246 165 83 Aberdeen Wings 59 37 16 4 2 225 162 80 Watertown Shamrocks 59 31 23 3 2 195 194 67 North Iowa Bulls 59 27 25 3 4 202 214 61 St. Cloud Norsemen 59 23 30 6 0 155 208 52 Minot Minotauros 59 23 31 3 2 173 221 51 Minnesota Mallards 59 11 42 4 2 147 280 28
East Division Team GP W L OL SL GF GA Pts Maryland Black Bears 59 49 6 3 1 248 136 102 Rochester Jr. Americans 59 37 21 1 0 210 159 75 New Jersey Titans 59 32 22 2 3 176 174 69 Northeast Generals 59 31 22 5 1 197 177 68 Maine Nordiques 59 32 23 2 2 172 167 68 Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks 59 27 24 5 3 182 187 62 Johnstown Tomahawks 59 24 26 5 4 178 210 57 New Hampshire Mountain Kings 59 23 27 4 5 165 226 55 Elmira Aviators 59 22 28 5 4 169 221 53 Philadelphia Rebels 59 21 29 3 6 155 186 51
Midwest Division Team GP W L OL SL GF GA Pts Minnesota Wilderness 59 42 12 3 2 249 148 89 Fairbanks Ice Dogs 59 35 21 2 1 210 157 73 Wisconsin Windigo 59 34 21 1 3 191 169 72 Anchorage Wolverines 59 32 21 3 3 221 212 70 Springfield Jr. Blues 59 30 24 4 3 175 173 67 Janesville Jets 59 28 30 0 1 184 186 57 Kenai River Brown Bears 59 21 37 1 0 176 239 43 Chippewa Steel 59 11 44 3 1 119 260 26
South Division Team GP W L OL SL GF GA Pts Lone Star Brahmas 59 42 12 1 4 199 128 89 New Mexico Ice Wolves 59 35 19 4 1 189 170 75 El Paso Rhinos 59 33 19 2 5 206 166 73 Corpus Christi IceRays 59 30 23 5 1 187 194 66 Shreveport Mudbugs 59 28 22 3 6 171 172 65 Oklahoma Warriors 59 26 26 2 5 195 208 59 Odessa Jackalopes 59 23 29 4 3 178 220 53 Amarillo Wranglers 59 20 35 2 2 147 215 44
Statistics
Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in regular season points at the completion of games played on April 11, 2026.
Player Team Harrison Smith Maryland Black Bears 49 24 72 96 47 Siamion Morschyonok Austin Bruins 57 30 57 87 24 Troy Hunka El Paso Rhinos 58 28 57 85 28 Luc Bydal Anchorage Wolverines 58 42 39 81 70 Matsvei Morschyonok Austin Bruins 59 26 54 80 12 Ryan Shaw Rochester Jr. Americans 53 38 39 77 95 Tanner Duncan Maryland Black Bears 54 28 47 75 38 Noah Dziver Minnesota Wilderness 48 30 45 75 28 Joseph Hyten Janesville Jets 59 31 41 72 69 E.J. Paddington Austin Bruins 58 38 34 72 68
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 SO SV% GAA Jack Solomon Austin Bruins 30 1720 24 5 0 0 6 .934 1.85 Leo Gabriel Lone Star Brahmas 28 1597 20 5 1 2 3 .912 1.92 Michael Modelski El Paso Rhinos 31 1848 21 6 1 2 2 .939 2.05 Ryan Denes Maryland Black Bears 33 1909 27 2 2 1 7 .909 2.07 Ryan Gerlich Minnesota Wilderness 26 1539 19 4 1 2 6 .924 2.11
Robertson Cup Playoffs Format The third place team plays the sixth place team and the fourth place team plays the fifth place team in best-of-three division quarterfinal series in the East and South Division, with the winners being re-seeded third and fourth. In the other divisions the top four teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The first place team plays the fourth place team and the second place team plays the third place team in a best-of-five series over two weekends. The division semifinal winners meet in a best-of-five series over two weekends. The division winners advance to the Robertson Cup tournament. The event will be held at the Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota in May 15–19, 2026. The teams are seeded 1 to 4 and are paired off 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in best-of-three series. The semifinal winners meet in a single championship game on May 19.
Division Play-in
East Division
(E3) New Jersey Titans vs. (E6) Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks
(E4) Northeast Generals vs. (E5) Maine Nordiques
South Division
(S4) Corpus Christi IceRays vs. (S5) Shreveport Mudbugs
(S3) El Paso Rhinos vs. (S6) Oklahoma Warriors
Division Semifinals
Central Division
(C1) Austin Bruins vs. (C4) Watertown Shamrocks
(C2) Bismarck Bobcats vs. (C3) Aberdeen Wings
East Division
(E1) Maryland Black Bears vs. (E6) Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks
(E2) Rochester Jr. Americans vs. (E4) Northeast Generals
Midwest Division
(MW1) Minnesota Wilderness vs. (MW4) Anchorage Wolverines
(MW2) Fairbanks Ice Dogs vs. (MW3) Wisconsin Windigo
South Division
(S1) Lone Star Brahmas vs. (S5) Shreveport Mudbugs
(S2) New Mexico Ice Wolves vs. (S3) El Paso Rhinos
Division Finals
Central Division
(C1) Austin Bruins vs. (C3) Aberdeen Wings
East Division
(E1) Maryland Black Bears vs. (E2) Rochester Jr. Americans
Midwest Division
(MW1) Minnesota Wilderness vs. (MW3) Wisconsin Windigo
South Division
(S1) Lone Star Brahmas vs. (S3) El Paso Rhinos
Semifinals
(E1) Maryland Black Bears vs. (S3) Lone Star Brahmas
(C1) Austin Bruins vs. (MW1) Minnesota Wilderness
Robertson Cup Finals
(E1) Maryland Black Bears vs. (MW1) Minnesota Wilderness
References