Championship Weekend Awaits as FALL League Finals Hit Blaine
The NAPHL FALL League season concludes next week in Blaine, Minnesota, with the FALL Finals taking place October 31–November 3, where champions will be crowned at the 18U and 16U levels.
With the high school hockey season fast approaching, the FALL League play provides 18U and 16U players from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan a final chance to showcase their skills in front of NAHL coaches before returning to their school programs. The FALL Finals event runs in conjunction with the T1ER / T1EHL 18U Invitational, which consistently delivers a fast-paced, highly competitive environment that helps players stay sharp and elevate their game ahead of the winter season.
As the third and final FALL League event of the year, standings have taken shape and several teams have emerged as strong contenders heading into round-robin play in Blaine. The weekend will culminate with the FALL League Championship Games on Monday, November 3, wrapping up another exciting season of development and exposure within the NAPHL pathway.
The FALL League does a great job of bridging the gap between high school and junior hockey, providing athletes with the opportunity to showcase their skills, measure themselves against top competition, and continue advancing within USA Hockey’s development pathway. The 2025 FALL League season has been a tremendous three-week stretch of competition and development, reinforcing the league’s mission to create meaningful advancement opportunities for players across the NAHL system.” — Dennis Vickers, Director of Player Personnel, NAHL
18U teams to watch: When looking at the standings, the team to beat is clearly the Kenai River Brown Bears, who remain the only undefeated squad with eight straight wins.The Brown Bears’ offense has been unstoppable, racking up a massive +30 goal differential, far ahead of the next closest team at +2. Four players are averaging a point per game or better, led by Brady Lockman, who has tallied 15 points (10 goals, 5 assists). Joining him near the top of the 18U scoring race is teammate Gavin Cunningham, who sits third overall with 13 points (3 goals, 10 assists). The Brown Bears have been dominant from start to finish, with only one of their eight games decided by a single goal, the rest have been convincing victories.
16U teams to watch: The 16U division is shaping up to be a race to the finish, with the standings tightly packed. Four teams, the Austin Bruins, Chippewa Steel, and Odessa Jackalopes, all sit within a single point of one another, while three are locked in a tie at 21 points. Leading the way are the St. Cloud Norsemen, who hold 22 points and remain unbeaten in regulation, their only loss coming in overtime against the Minnesota Wilderness. St. Cloud also boasts the division’s top two scorers: Logan Ylinen, with 18 points (11 goals, 7 assists), and Tobias Walseth, who has 15 points (8 goals, 7 assists).
ALL PLAYOFF FORMAT (3 Game Round Robin)
· 3 Points for a Regulation Win
· 2 Points for an OT/Shootout Win
· 1 Point for an OT/Shootout Loss
· 0 Points for a Regulation Loss
· The Top (1) team in each bracket + (1) Wild Card team will move on to the Semi-Final games, with the Championship Game being Mon. morning.
· Games between Clubs tied (results of games between tied teams)
If a tiebreaker establishes a position for one or more teams, the remaining teams will restart the process
Tie Breakers in order (Based on Round Robin play): Points, Head-to-Head, Wins in Regulation, Goal Differential, and Coin Flip.
Don’t miss a moment of the action. Click here for the full schedule and stream every game live on NATV, the exclusive streaming provider of the NAHL.
Past 18U FALL League Champions:
2024 - Fairbanks Ice Dogs
2023 - Fairbanks Ice Dogs
2022 - Chippewa Steel
2021 - Fairbanks Ice Dogs
2020 - MHA Mudbugs
Past 16U FALL League Champions:
2024 - Fairbanks Ice Dogs
2023 - Wisconsin Windigo
2022 - St. Cloud Norsemen
2021 - Southern Minnesota Bears
2020 - MHA Mudbugs
