Minnesota Wilderness

Not to be confused with Minnesota Wild.

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.

Minnesota Wilderness
City	Cloquet, Minnesota, United States
League	North American Hockey League
Division	Midwest
Founded	2003
Home arena	Northwoods Credit Union Arena(Did play at St. Luke's Sports and Events Center to start 2023)
Colors	Gray, Black, and Green
General manager	David Boitz
Head coach	David Boitz
Franchise history
Junior A/Tier III franchise
2000–2004	Northwest Wisconsin Knights
2004–2010	Wisconsin Mustangs
2010–2012	Wisconsin Wilderness
2012–2013	Minnesota Wilderness
Tier II NAHL franchise
2003–2006	Texarkana Bandits
2006–2012	St. Louis Bandits
2013–present	Minnesota Wilderness

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

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

On May 17, 2010, the Mustangs announced they were officially leaving the MnJHL, their players were released to a dispersal draft. 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. He was also temporarily suspended by the United States Center for SafeSport.

Season-by-season records

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

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

External links

• Wilderness Webpage
• Superior International JHL Webpage
• Minnesota JHL Webpage