CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — In addition to its USHL Power Rankings, The Rink Live introduces its first NAHL Power Rankings. Jordan McAlpine will provide rankings on a bi-weekly basis throughout the rest of the season.
Without further ado, let’s get to it.
29.) Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks, 2-34-4-2
The Jr. Hat Tricks are currently riding a 28-game winless streak (0-22-4-2) and their last win came on Oct. 21.
28.) El Paso Rhinos, 11-25-3-0
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El Paso is 1-8-1-0 in its last 10 and has dropped eight straight.
27.) Corpus Christi IceRays, 9-26-5-0
The IceRays have won three of their past 10 but still own the second-fewest wins in the NAHL.
26.) North Iowa Bulls, 18-18-2-1
North Iowa is 3-6-0-1 in its last 10 and sits at the bottom of the Central. However, the Bulls are still just five points back of second place.
25.) Philadelphia Rebels, 17-20-1-1
The Rebels are 6-4-0-0 in their last 10. Five different Rebels have hit the 20-point mark this season but Philadelphia’s 106 goals still rank near the bottom of the NAHL.
24.) Chippewa Steel, 19-18-1-1
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Chippewa is coming off a pair of wins over Kenai River but the Steel are 3-7-0-0 in their last 10. However, Chippewa only trails third-place Wisconsin by eight points in the Midwest Division.
23.) Springfield Jr. Blues, 19-19-1-0
Despite their place in the standings, the Jr. Blues are 6-3-0-1 in their last 10 and have points in four straight. Tyler Borgula leads Springfield with 16 goals and has back-to-back two-goal games.
22.) Kenai River Brown Bears, 21-20-1-1
Kenai River has earned the sixth-most road points (27) in the NAHL this season but the Brown Bears are 3-6-0-1 in their last 10 games overall.
21.) Anchorage Wolverines, 18-16-5-1
Anchorage has played .500 hockey over its last 10 (5-5-0-0) but the Wolverines are still sixth in the Midwest Division. Anchorage’s 135 goals rank ninth in the NAHL.
20.) Bismarck Bobcats, 18-17-3-2
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The Bobcats have scored 136 goals this season, including 30 over their last seven games. Bismarck is 6-2-1-1 in its last 10 and has been on a roll since the calendar flipped to 2023.
19.) Aberdeen Wings, 20-16-2-2
Aberdeen won six of its eight games in December and the Wings are currently second in the Central. However, they’re 3-6-1-0 in their last 10 and Aberdeen’s offense has gone quiet.
18.) Odessa Jackalopes, 19-17-1-1
Ryan Mansfield has points in 16 of his last 18 games and leads Odessa with 37 points (15-22-37) in 38 games. The Jackalopes are 6-3-1-0 in their last 10.
17.) Johnstown Tomahawks, 19-17-2-0
Johnstown also has points in seven of its last 10 games (7-3-0-0) and the Tomahawks are riding a six-game win streak.
16.) St. Cloud Norsemen, 19-16-2-3
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The Norsemen are riding a seven-game point streak and have won three straight road games. St. Cloud is just one point behind Minot and Aberdeen in the Central.
15.) Minot Minotauros, 21-17-1-1
Hunter Longhi is averaging 1.21 points per game and the AIC commit is fourth in the NAHL with 47 points in 39 games. Minot is also 7-3-0-0 in its last 10 and second in the Central.
14.) Amarillo Wranglers, 20-16-2-1
The Wranglers have won three of their last five and are 5-5-0-0 in their last 10. Amarillo’s penalty kill is third in the NAHL (85.8%) and the Wranglers have gotten solid play from goaltenders Luca Ganz and Carter Clafton.
13.) Fairbanks Ice Dogs, 23-16-4-0
The Ice Dogs have dropped three straight and are 4-5-1-0 in their last 10. But Fairbanks has been one of the league’s most consistent teams this season. Billy Renfrew's 41 points lead Fairbanks and rank 12th in the NAHL.
12.) Northeast Generals, 22-14-4-1
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The Generals have the league’s top-three point producers in David Andreychuk (14-44-58), Paul Minnehan (22-31-53) and Jake LaRusso (27-21-48). The Generals are 4-4-1-1 in their last 10 but they also have points in eight straight (5-0-3-0) home games.
11.) Janesville Jets, 20-15-3-4
The Jets have won three straight and are 6-4-0-0 in their last 10. Janesville is just five points behind Midwest Division-leading Minnesota.
10.) Shreveport Mudbugs, 21-13-2-4
The Mudbugs have points in four straight and seven of their last 10 (5-3-0-2). Shreveport also has points in eight (7-2-0-1) of its last 10 road games and the Mudbugs' penalty kill (86.7%) ranks second in the NAHL.
9.) Maine Nordiques, 20-15-1-1
Despite Maine’s place in the standings, the Nordiques’ .568 win percentage ranks 12th in the NAHL and their 141 goals rank fourth. The Nordiques also have points in 10 straight home games (9-0-0-1).
8.) Minnesota Wilderness, 23-13-2-4
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The Wilderness are 4-3-1-2 in their last 10 and although three of their past four games have gone to overtime, Minnesota has won just one of them. But they still lead their division.
Forward Kevin Marx Noren has points in seven of his last eight games and 15 points (7-8-15) in that stretch. His 42 points are 10th in the NAHL.
7.) Wisconsin Windigo, 23-15-1-1
Wisconsin is 8-2-0-0 in its last 10 and is coming off back-to-back wins over Minnesota. Wisconsin is third in the Midwest Division, just four points behind the Wilderness.
Wisconsin’s plus-26 goal differential ranks fifth in the league and their .600 win percentage is eighth. The Windigo also have points in nine (8-1-0-1) of their last 10 at home.
6.) New Mexico Ice Wolves, 24-14-2-1
The Ice Wolves are 7-2-0-1 in their last 10 and have won four straight. New Mexico took three games from El Paso last weekend and the Ice Wolves outscored El Paso 17-4. New Mexico’s 139 goals rank fifth in the NAHL.
William Howard leads the way with 26 and Sully Scholle has lit the lamp 21 times. Howard is second in the league. New Mexico is currently third in the South Division but their .622 win percentage ranks sixth in the NAHL.
5.) Lone Star Brahmas, 26-9-1-3
The Brahmas own the league’s third-best win percentage (.718) and the only thing between the Warriors and a division lead is Oklahoma’s remarkable season. Lone Star is also 4-6-0-0 in its last 10.
At the same time, Lone Star has been one of the league’s best teams all season, especially defensively. Goaltender Arthur Smith has continued to stand on his head too. Smith has a league-best 1.53 GAA and his .927 save percentage is tied for third in the NAHL.
4.) Austin Bruins, 25-9-3-4
Austin currently holds a 13-point lead atop the Central Division and the Bruins are 6-4-0-0 in their last 10. Austin’s plus-33 goal differential ranks third in the NAHL and three Bruins have reached the 30-point mark in Walter Zacher (36), Austin Salani (35) and James Goffredo (30).
3.) New Jersey Titans, 25-13-1-2
The Titans are the NAHL’s second-highest penalized team with 943 penalty minutes. But New Jersey owns the fourth-best penalty kill (85.7%) and has been able to overcome it. New Jersey has points in three straight and the Titans have points in eight of their last 10 (7-2-0-1).
New Jersey’s .646 win percentage ranks fifth in the NAHL and the Titans find themselves second in the East Division behind Maryland.
2.) Maryland Black Bears, 27-9-4-0
The Black Bears own the league’s second-best win percentage at .725 and have points in eight of their last 10 (6-2-2-0). Maryland has scored the NAHL’s second-most goals this season (148) and has scored a league-best 72 at home.
Christian Catalano is third in the league with 23 while his 43 points are tied for seventh.
1.) Oklahoma Warriors, 31-6-0-1
The Warriors own the NAHL's most wins (31), points (63) and the biggest goal differential at a staggering plus-91. Oklahoma is a perfect 14-0-0-0 at home this season and has won 11 straight games.
Oklahoma currently holds a 13-point lead in the South Division. The Warriors were well-represented at the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament and will look to continue their winning ways down the stretch.
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