BLAINE, Minn. — With the NAHL's Robertson Cup Championship set to begin on Friday, The Rink Live's Jess Myers and Kirsten Krull sat down with Mike Aikens, head coach of the Anchorage Wolverines, to discuss his hockey path from Rochester John Marshall to the USHL, the University of Denver and into coaching. Aikens discusses what it's been like to experience Anchorage's inaugural season from behind the bench and how the city has welcomed the franchise with fandom and sponsorship.
Rochester native Mike Aikens has guided the Anchorage Wolverines to the North American Hockey League's Robertson Cup, the league's final four tournament, in the franchise's first year of existence. He's done it with some names familiar to southeastern Minnesota hockey fans: Albert Lea's Campbell Cichosz, a Minnesota State commit, and former Rochester Grizzlies Collin Pederson (an Owatonna native) and Shane Soderwall.
The New Mexico Ice Wolves, Anchorage Wolverines, New Jersey Titans and St. Cloud Norsemen will all face off at Fogerty Arena in an effort to earn the prestigious Robertson Cup.
Mike Aikens helped build his hometown Rochester Grizzlies into a national championship contender in just three seasons. Now he'll try to do the same thing in the North American Hockey League, as head coach of the expansion Anchorage Wolverines.
The Wolverines will take on the St. Cloud Norseman in a best-of-three series beginning Friday, May 20, at Fogerty Arena in Blaine for a spot in the NAHL national championship game.
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