Fairbanks, Anchorage vie for home ice in NAHL playoffs in regular-season finales

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) - One element that has been determined; the Fairbanks Ice Dogs and the Anchorage Wolverines will square-off in the first round of the NAHL Robertson Cup Playoffs next weekend.

What has not been determined whether home-ice advantage will go to Fairbanks at the Big Dipper, or to Anchorage at the Sullivan Arena.

Playoff position is the line for Alaska’s junior hockey programs in the regular-season finale this weekend as both the Ice Dogs and Wolverines are tied in the Midwest Division standings with 76 points. Whomever comes away with a better record during their weekend series will determine who gets home-ice advantage during the first round of the five-game series of the playoffs next week.

“[This weekend] has a little bit of everything, right?” Ice Dogs General Manager Rob Proffitt said.

The Ice Dogs are set to host the Kenai River Brown Bears for their final homestand. A win and a Wolverines loss on the weekend would lock up the two-seed and home ice advantage in the first round. After missing the playoffs last season, the Dogs have bounced back in a major way, with a record of 35-16-6 and have all but secured their first Alaska Airlines Club 49 Cup, the season long head-to-head-to-head series between the three Alaska junior hockey programs in it’s third season being handed out.

Kyle Rohrer leads the program in points with 55 (18 goals, 37 assists), while Mason McElroy was named Midwest Division Player of the Week in net, posting a 16-6-2 record this season.

“Having two rabid fan bases like that, getting the extra game in your barn is going to be even that much more important,” McElroy said of securing home ice this weekend.

North Pole skater Cam Vansickle has also been a strong contributor to their success this season, tallying 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points in front of his hometown community.

“Yeah it’s big obviously being from North Pole I grew up here my whole life so it is super special and I think it is special to the team as well, wouldn’t change it for the world.” Vansickle said of the season.

Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday night at the Big Dipper Ice Arena.

The Ice Dogs will be in action Friday and Saturday night at 7 pm in the Big Dipper Arena.

No matter the results, the first round of the NAHL Playoffs will pin Fairbanks versus Anchorage against each other for the first time in the rivalries history.

“You can’t draw it up any better right?” Proffitt said. “It is Anchorage, Fairbanks, it doesn’t get any better than that, you could be playing checkers and people are going to be excited. The [Big] Dipper is going to be rockin’, we’d love to host it, start it here next Friday the 18th and we’ll see what happens.”

The Anchorage Wolverines will look to take care of business at the Sullivan Arena, and hope for an Ice Dogs loss to ensure home ice in the first round.

“Yeah it’d be huge, the atmosphere here is unreal and to play a playoff game here would be even more amazing so yeah we really want the home ice advantage.” local Anchorage skater Toby Carlson said, posting 21 goals and 27 assists so far this season.

While the number two-seed will have a three-game home ice advantage in the five-game series, when you combine playoffs and rivalries, records can be thrown out the window.

“Of course anytime you can start at home, you want to, especially when you have a crowd and a building like ours,” Anchorage Wolverines head coach Nick Walters said. “Obviously we have a really good record at home, however once you get to playoffs, everybody’s record is 0-0, anything can happen. I truly believe if we want to be a championship team, you’re going to have to win on the road. So whether we start up in Fairbanks or we start here, don’t get me wrong, we’d love to start here, but we have to make sure we take care of business up there as well.”

The Wolverines (35-16-6) will welcome in the Chippewa Steel Friday and Saturday night with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. at the Sullivan Arena.

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