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Minnesota Wilderness

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Not to be confused with Minnesota Wild.
Minnesota Wilderness
CityCloquet, Minnesota, United States
LeagueNorth 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]
Franchise history
Junior A/Tier III franchise
2000–2004Northwest Wisconsin Knights
2004–2010Wisconsin Mustangs
2010–2012Wisconsin Wilderness
2012–2013Minnesota Wilderness
Tier II NAHL franchise
2003–2006Texarkana Bandits
2006–2012St. 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.


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

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Mustangs' Logo

2000–09

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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

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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

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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]


Season-by-season records

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Season GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA Finish Playoffs
2000–01 36 26 9 — 1 53 192 120 3rd, MnJHL
2001–02 42 30 10 — 2 62 227 160 2nd, MnJHL
2002–03 42 29 10 — 3 61 221 132 3rd, MnJHL
2003–04 40 14 25 1 3 32 152 194 5th, MnJHL
2004–05 48 11 34 1 2 25 151 267 6th, MnJHL
2005–06 48 21 23 3 1 46 180 196 4th, MnJHL
2006–07 40 25 12 3 0 53 176 130 3rd, MnJHL Lost Semifinal
2007–08 48 38 5 — 5 81 268 122 2nd, MnJHL Lost Quarterfinal
2008–09 48 29 17 — 2 60 219 172 4th, MnJHL Lost Semifinal
2009–10 50 28 18 — 4 60 189 148 4th, MnJHL Lost Semifinal
2010–11 56 45 6 — 5 95 264 122 1st, SIJHL Won 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)
2011–12 56 49 6 — 1 99 259 97 1st, SIJHL Lost 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)
2012–13 56 51 3 — 2 104 282 85 1st, SIJHL Won 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 60 37 14 — 9 83 159 115 2nd, Midwest Lost Div. Semifinals, 2–3 vs. Wenatchee Wild
2014–15 60 39 15 — 6 84 209 152 2nd, Midwest Won First Round, 3–2 vs. Coulee Region Chill
Won Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Won Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Janesville Jets
Won Finals, 2–0 vs. Austin Bruins
Robertson Cup Champions
2015–16 60 34 18 — 7 76 183 161 3rd, Midwest Won Div. Semifinals, 3–1 vs. Janesville Jets
Lost Div. Finals, 2–3 vs. Fairbanks Ice Dogs
2016–17 60 32 22 — 6 70 188 179 2nd, Central Won Div. Semifinals, 3–2 vs. Brookings Blizzard
Lost Div. Finals, 2–3 vs. Aberdeen Wings
2017–18 60 33 21 — 6 72 184 181 3rd, Central Lost Div. Semifinals, 1–3 vs. Austin Bruins
2018–19 60 26 29 — 5 57 170 189 5th, Central did not qualify
2019–20 52 26 22 — 4 56 160 165 5th, Central Season cancelled
2020–21 56 25 27 — 4 54 136 168 3rd, Central Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–3 vs. Bismarck Bobcats
2021–22 60 35 23 — 2 72 216 203 4th of 8, Midwest
12th of 29 NAHL		 Won Div. Semifinals, 3-2 vs. Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Lost Div. Finals 1-3 Anchorage Wolverines
2022–23 60 35 18 — 7 77 168 146 2nd of 8, Midwest
8th of 29 NAHL		 Won Div. Semifinals, 3-0 vs. Kenai River Brown Bears
Won Division Finals 3-1 vs. Wisconsin Windigo
lost League Semifinals 0-2 vs. Oklahoma Warriors
2023-24 60 30 25 - 5 65 157 170 4th of 8 Midwest
20th of 32 NAHL 		Lost Div. Semi-Finals, 1-3 Anchorage Wolverines

NA3HL Season-By-Season Records

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Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA Finish
2024-25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 tbd

References

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  1. ^ "Wilderness announce coaching change". NAHL. June 11, 2021.
  2. ^ "Mnjhl.com".
  3. ^ a b "Minnesota Wilderness coach fired after sex solicitation allegations". KSTP Eyewitness News. July 12, 2022.
  4. ^ a b 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.
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