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 .
16-879: 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
32-691: A Tier II Junior A ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). The team played their home games at the 2,200-seat Hardee's Iceplex (previously Summit Center) in Chesterfield, Missouri . Owners of the St. Louis Bandits include former St. Louis Blues Kelly Chase as well as Scott McCuaig, Ben Bishop, Jr., Jeff Cooper, Michael J. Brooks, and Jon Cooper . In the Spring of 2013, their franchise rights were sold to
48-623: A third consecutive season when St. Louis beat the Wenatchee Wild in the championship game by a score of 3-2 with an overtime goal by Clinton Bourbonais. Hardee%27s Iceplex Hardee's IcePlex was a 2,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Chesterfield, Missouri . At one time, the 115,000 square feet (10,700 m ) building was the largest ice skating facility in Missouri. The facility had two regulation NHL-size rinks (85’ x 200’) with 600-seat capacities each. The facility's main rink
64-560: 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
80-684: 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. 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 . St. Louis Bandits The St. Louis Bandits were
96-587: The USHL ceased operations at the end of the 2005 season. In 2007 & 2008, head coach and general manager Jon Cooper coached the team to back-to-back Robertson Cup National Championships. The team has made appearances in the NAHL playoff rounds each of their five years in the NAHL. In 2007 they claimed the South Division title and in 2008 claimed the North Division title. The Bandits moved back to
112-659: 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
128-725: The South Division for the 2008–09 season. They once again moved to the Central Division for the 2010–11 season. The team hosted the Robertson Cup Championships at the Hardee's IcePlex in May 2008 where they became back-to-back National Championships. The 2008–09 season the Bandits headed to Mason City, Iowa for the Robertson Cup Championships and yet again took home the most coveted award in the NAHL. The three-peat
144-794: 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
160-647: 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,
176-752: The ownership group of the Minnesota Wilderness . The franchise joined the North American Hockey League for the 2003–04 season as the Texarkana Bandits . The team played in Texarkana from 2003 until the summer of 2006 when the team moved to the Greater St. Louis Metro Area. The team moved to the Hardees Ice Complex in Chesterfield, Missouri , filling the void left when the St. Louis Heartland Eagles of
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#1732793395266192-478: The playoffs and would continue to make the playoffs every season. In May 2007 the St. Louis Bandits became NAHL champions and Tier II Junior A Hockey National Champions. The Bandits remained strong for the 2007–08 season and won back-to-back Robertson Cup Champions when they hosted it at the Hardee's IcePlex in May 2008. In 2009, the Bandits kept the winning tradition alive by capturing the Robertson Cup for
208-861: 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. 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
224-448: Was a regulation Olympic-size rink (100’ x 200’) with a seating capacity of 2,200. The building also had a Total Hockey franchise, as well as a restaurant. Hardee's IcePlex closed in May 2017, as the owner of the facility sold the property to Dallas-based Topgolf . The facility opened in 1995 as the U.S. Ice Sports Complex . In 2002, it was bought by Summit Development and changed its name to Summit Center . On February 19, 2008,
240-480: Was clinched with a 3–2 overtime win against the West Division Champion, Wenatchee Wild . After going dormant in 2012, the Bandits' franchise rights were sold to the ownership of the Minnesota Wilderness of Cloquet, Minnesota in the Spring of 2013. The team had seen many successes since the Bandits began in 2003. In their first season in the league the team was the only expansion team to make
256-442: 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. 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
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