The Brown Bears re-start the regular season in the Midwest Division of the NAHL on Monday, December 28th with players returning from the holiday break and the forced pause in Minnesota.
The Kenai River Brown Bears, currently based in Breezy Point, Minnesota, return to play in Wisconsin with a January 2nd contest against the Chippewa Steel.
On November 20th, the state of Minnesota imposed a Forced Pause which put the Midwest and Central Divisions of the North American Hockey League in an impossible situation for playing hockey. Minnesota Governor Walz announced the plan to address COVID spread and related issues, with an Emergency Order that closed all adult and youth sports, as well as many other actions.
For the 6 NAHL teams currently in Minnesota, this Forced Pause eliminated games and practices and closed ice arenas.
The Brown Bears are scheduled to play the Janesville Jets in Wisconsin on January 8-10 in a three-games series. The temporary pause of spectator admission to Jets home games, announced on November 19, is still in effect.
NAHL Extends Regular Season & Playoffs Into May
Following a vote by the NAHL Board of Governors, the North American Hockey League announced on December 22nd that the 2020-21 NAHL season will be extended through May 30th.
The revised regular season schedule runs through Sunday, May 16th with the Robertson Cup Playoffs running May 20-30.
According to a release from the NAHL…
The extension was approved for three primary reasons. First, with the NCAA Division I recruiting dead period being extended to April 15th, the extension of the season will give NAHL players more time to be scouted and seen by NCAA coaches and scouts. Second, the extension allows players more time to practice, play, and develop due to schedule interruptions caused by Covid-19. Lastly, an extension gives the fans in NAHL communities a chance to support their teams in what will hopefully be a more accommodating climate and atmosphere.
As a result, the ongoing 2020-21 regular season will now end on Sunday, May 16th. The opening round of the 2021 Robertson Cup Playoffs will take place from May 20-30 with the best of 5 Division Semi-Finals.
“This decision was made in the best interest of our players. We wanted all of our teams to have the maximum amount of opportunity to provide NAHL Hockey to as many players as possible in order to develop, play, and be exposed to NCAA and NHL scouts,” said NAHL Commissioner and President Mark Frankenfeld. “This extension allows more time for NCAA coaches to evaluate the players and also allows more time for player development that have been disrupted this season by shutdowns and rescheduling due to schedule interruptions caused by Covid-19.”
The three main NAHL events, which include the NAHL Showcase, NAHL Top Prospects Tournament, and Robertson Cup National Championship are being reviewed to make sure that the league is providing the best exposure possible for players. Dates, location, and format is expected to be announced in the near future.
