Minnesota Wilderness

Last updated
Minnesota Wilderness
Minnesota Wilderness.svg
City Cloquet, Minnesota, United States
League North American Hockey League
DivisionMidwest
Founded2003
Home arenaNorthwoods Credit Union Arena(Did play at St. Luke's Sports and Events Center to start 2023)
ColorsGray, Black, and Green
   
General managerDavid Boitz
Head coachDavid Boitz [1]
Affiliate Minnesota Wilderness (NA3HL)
Franchise history
Junior A/Tier III franchise
2000–2004Northwest Wisconsin Knights
2004–2010Wisconsin Mustangs
2010–2012 Wisconsin Wilderness
2012–2013Minnesota Wilderness
Tier II NAHL franchise
2003–2006 Texarkana Bandits
2006–2012 St. Louis Bandits
2013–presentMinnesota Wilderness

The Minnesota Wilderness are a Tier II junior ice hockey team based in Cloquet, Minnesota, and play in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). The organization formerly fielded teams in the Canada-based Junior A Superior International Junior Hockey League for three seasons and in the American-based Tier III Minnesota Junior Hockey League.

Contents


Prior to the 2013–14 season, the Wilderness' owners bought the franchise rights to the St. Louis Bandits of the Tier II North American Hockey League, and began play for that season.

In 2024, the Minnesota Loons of the NA3HL were sold and moved from Breezy Point, Minnesota to Eveleth, Minnesota and renamed to the Minnesota Wilderness, putting them under the same umbrella as the NAHL's Minnesota Wilderness. Their logo will be the same. They will play in the West Division in the 3HL, which will allow them to still be one of the 5 Minnesota-Located teams in that Division.

History

Mustangs' Logo Wisconsin Mustangs Logo.png
Mustangs' Logo

2000–09


The organization was founded in 2000 as the Northwest Wisconsin Knights in Spooner, Wisconsin, as a Junior B team in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL). In 2004, the Knights changed their name to the Wisconsin Mustangs. In 2006, the MnJHL was promoted to Tier III Junior A status by USA Hockey. From 2001 until 2003, the Knights had an interleague relationship with the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) of Hockey Canada. The 2009–10 season saw them back in an interlock with the SIJHL.

2010–19


2011 Wilderness Wisc Wilderness.jpg
2011 Wilderness

On May 17, 2010, the Mustangs announced they were officially leaving the MnJHL, their players were released to a dispersal draft. [2] Soon after they applied for entry into the SIJHL. After a couple months of petitioning USA Hockey to join a Hockey Canada-sanctioned league, they were allowed entry. The team dropped the Mustangs logo, colors, and name as the organization entered the new league as the Wisconsin Wilderness .


On September 17, 2010, the Wilderness played their first game as a full member of the SIJHL, on the road, against the Sioux Lookout Flyers, winning the game 3–2. On September 24, 2010, the Wilderness became the first American-based full membership SIJHL team to host a regular season game in the United States. The Wilderness defeated the Fort Frances Lakers 4–3. In 2011, the Wilderness won the league championship in their inaugural SIJHL season.

In the summer of 2012, the team relocated to Cloquet, Minnesota, and changed their name to the Minnesota Wilderness.

On May 4, 2013, the Wilderness became the first American team to win the Dudley Hewitt Cup by defeating the St. Michael's Buzzers 4–3 in overtime in the Central Canada final. They also became the first American team to participate in the Royal Bank Cup tournament, the Canadian National Junior A championship.


After winning the Dudley Hewitt Cup, the Wilderness announced that the 2013 Royal Bank Cup would be their final foray in Canadian junior hockey as they joined the North American Hockey League (NAHL) at the beginning of the 2013–14 season. At the Royal Bank Cup, Minnesota finished fourth in the round-robin with a 1–3 record. In the semifinal, they surrendered a 4–2 third period lead to the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Brooks Bandits to lose 5–4 in overtime. Their loss to Brooks ended their hopes of a national championship and was their final game as members of the Superior International Junior Hockey League.

In 2013, the Wilderness bought the franchise rights of the dormant St. Louis Bandits franchise to obtain entry into the NAHL.

2020–present


In July 2022, the Wilderness fired assistant coach Brendan Phelps over allegations that he solicited a 16-year-old boy for sex online. [3] [4] He was also temporarily suspended by the United States Center for SafeSport. [3] [4] [5] [6] In season 2022-2023 Minnesota Wilderness went onto winning the Midwest Division for the second time in franchise history, Kevin Marx Norén set new all time single season franchise goalscoring record for the Minnesota wilderness. The following season The Minnesota Wilderness Loss in the first round of playoffs in the midwest divisional semi-finals. [7] [8] [9]

Season-by-season records

SeasonGPWLTOTLSOLPtsGFGAFinishPlayoffs
Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL)
2000–0136269—1—531921203rd, MnJHL
2001–02423010—2—622271602nd, MnJHL
2002–03422910—3—612211323rd, MnJHL
2003–0440142513—321521945th, MnJHL
2004–0548113412—251512676th, MnJHL
2005–0648212331—461801964th, MnJHL
2006–0740251230—531761303rd, MnJHLLost Semifinal
2007–0848385—5—812681222nd, MnJHLLost Quarterfinal
2008–09482917—2—602191724th, MnJHLLost Semifinal
2009–10502818—4—601891484th, MnJHLLost Semifinal
Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL)
2010–1156456—5—952641221st, SIJHLWon Super Series, 1–1 (2–1 SO) (Lakers)
Won Semi-final, 4–0 (North Stars)
Won Final, 4–0 (Ice Dogs)
4th of 4 DHC Round-Robin (0–2–1)
2011–1256496—1—99259971st, SIJHLLost Super Series, 1–1 (5–6 SO) (Lakers)
Won Semi-final, 4–0 (North Stars)
Won Final, 4–3 (Lakers)
4th of 4 DHC Round-Robin (1–0–2)
2012–1356513—2—104282851st, SIJHLWon Semi-final, 4–0 (Iron Rangers)
Won Final, 4–2 (Lakers)
1st of 4 DHC Round-Robin (2–0–1)
Won DHC Final, 4–3 OT (Buzzers)
4th of 5 RBC Round-Robin (1–3–0)
Lost RBC Semi-final, 4–5 OT (Bandits)
North American Hockey League (NAHL)
2013–14 603714—9—831591152nd of 6, Midwest
4th of 24, NAHL		Lost Div. Semifinal series, 2–3 vs. Wenatchee Wild
2014–15 603915—6—842091522nd of 5, Midwest
8th of 24, NAHL		Won Div. Semifinal series, 3–2 vs. Coulee Region Chill
Won Div. Final series, 3–0 vs. Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Won Semifinal series, 2–0 vs. Janesville Jets
Won Championship series, 2–0 vs. Austin Bruins
2015–16 603418—7—761831613rd, Midwest
t-7th of 22, NAHL		Won Div. Semifinal series, 3–1 vs. Janesville Jets
Lost Div. Final series, 2–3 vs. Fairbanks Ice Dogs
2016–17 603222—42701881792nd, Central
9th of 24, NAHL		Won Div. Semifinal series, 3–2 vs. Brookings Blizzard
Lost Div. Final series, 2–3 vs. Aberdeen Wings
2017–18 603321—33721841813rd, Central
t-8th of 23, NAHL		Lost Div. Semifinal series, 1–3 vs. Austin Bruins
2018–19 602629—32571701895th, Central
t-17th of 24, NAHL		did not qualify
2019–20 522622—40561601655th, Central
15th of 23, NAHL		Posteason cancelled
2020–21 562527—1354136168t-3rd, Central
t-12th of 23, NAHL		Lost Div. Semifinal series, 0–3 vs. Bismarck Bobcats
2021–22 603523—11722162034th of 8, Midwest
12th of 29, NAHL		Won Div. Semifinal series, 3-2 vs. Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Lost Div. Final series, 1-3 Anchorage Wolverines
2022–23 603518—34771681462nd of 8, Midwest
8th of 29, NAHL		Won Div. Semifinal series, 3-0 vs. Kenai River Brown Bears
Won Div. Final series, 3-1 vs. Wisconsin Windigo
Lost Semifinal series, 0-2 vs. Oklahoma Warriors
2023–24 603025—23651571704th of 8 Midwest
20th of 32, NAHL		 Lost Div. Semifinal series, 1-3 Anchorage Wolverines
2024–25 593025—40642101975th of 8 Midwest
19th of 35, NAHL		did not qualify

References

  1. ↑ "Wilderness announce coaching change". NAHL. June 11, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Mnjhl.com".
  3. 1 2 "Minnesota Wilderness coach fired after sex solicitation allegations". KSTP Eyewitness News. July 12, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Strang, Katie. "Junior hockey coach fired over sexual misconduct allegations". The Athletic.
  5. ↑ "Minnesota Wilderness Assistant Coach Brendan Phelps Fired after YouTube Video". Fox. July 12, 2022.
  6. ↑ "No charges for former Cloquet coach after amateur sting". Duluth News Tribune. August 18, 2022.
  7. ↑ OurSports Central. (2023, April 4). *Marx-Norén lands on all NAHL all-division teams*. OurSports Central. https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/marx-norxe9n-lands-on-all-nahl-all-division-teams/n-5960683
  8. ↑ OurSports Central. (2023, April 7). *Wilderness hold off Windigo to clinch division crown*. OurSports Central. https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/wilderness-hold-off-windigo-to-clinch-division-crown/n-5962208
  9. ↑ Pine Knot News. (2024, May 3). *Wilderness bow out of playoffs*. Pine Knot News. https://www.pineknotnews.com/story/2024/05/03/sports/wilderness-bow-out-of-playoffs/11111.html
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