Skip to content
Sign In Subscribe
Sports — Minnesota Wilderness

Wilderness chasing final playoff spot

,   and  Howie
1 min read

The Minnesota Wilderness are now within striking distance of the Midwest Division’s final playoff spot. Minnesota completed its first sweep of the season against the Chippewa Steel in a home-and-home series this weekend. A pair of 4-3 victories, Friday in Cloquet and Saturday in Chippewa Falls, WI, has moved Minnesota to two points behind the Steel for 4th-place in the Midwest Division standings.

The division’s top four teams qualify for the NAHL’s Robertson Cup playoffs.

The Wilderness (27-24-4) will play their final four games of the 2024-25 regular season schedule at home, while Chippewa (28-22-4) travels to Alaska for its final five contests. Minnesota must gain three more points than the Steel before the end of the regular season, and stay ahead of the sixth-place Springfield Jr. Blues to qualify for the post-season. Springfield is only one point behind Minnesota and three points away from Chippewa.

The Wilderness will host Janesville in a Thursday-Friday series before entertaining Springfield in a season-closing two-game series April 11 and 12.

Comments

Related

Plante, Gajan lead Bulldogs’ 2025-26 award recipients
Sports

Plante, Gajan lead Bulldogs’ 2025-26 award recipients

Howie's daily column is sponsored by Lyric Kitchen Bar. University of Minnesota Duluth honored six players with its 2025-26 men’s hockey team awards Wednesday, headlined by sophomore forward Max Plante, who capped a historic season as the Bulldogs’ most valuable player. Plante, a Hermantown native, received the

Members Public
Sports

Howie: Max Plante wins Hobey Baker

Plante said he plans to return to Minnesota Duluth next season, with the opportunity to play alongside his brothers, Zam and incoming freshman Victor.

Members Public
50 Yard Football

Howie: The 10 most important people in arena football right now

If arena football stabilizes, history will trace it back to whether Jerry Kurz succeeds. Kurz understands the league’s past because he lived it. His challenge is preventing nostalgia from becoming policy. Expansion discipline, ownership vetting and media credibility all run through his office.

Members Public

Latest

Howie

Howie: Reinert has failed Downtown Duluth

The library debate generated plenty of noise and no resolution. Skywalk conversations took up oxygen without producing a clear direction. The broader Imagine Downtown Duluth effort exists, but still feels like a $300,000 plan waiting for a moment when it becomes real in ways people can’t miss.

Members Public
2027 Election

Howie: Forsman the best choice for Duluth’s next mayor

Arik Forsman doesn’t posture. He doesn’t spend his time trying to win the internet for a day. He leans into the unglamorous mechanics of governing — budgets, policy detail, stakeholder conversations — and does it with a steadiness that’s easy to overlook if you’re chasing noise instead of results.

Members Public