Fairbanks Ice Dogs
The Fairbanks Ice Dogs are a Tier II Junior A ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's Midwest Division. The Ice Dogs play home games at the 2,200-seat Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Ice Dogs are well known for their rivalry with the Wenatchee Wild when the Wild were in the NAHL.
Fairbanks Ice Dogs | |
---|---|
City | Fairbanks, Alaska |
League | NAHL |
Division | Midwest |
Founded | 1997 (In the WSHL) |
Home arena | Big Dipper Ice Arena |
Colors | Grey, maroon, and sky blue |
General manager | Rob Proffitt |
Head coach | Trevor Stewart (2011–12) |
Franchise history | |
1997–present | Fairbanks Ice Dogs |
Championships | |
Regular season titles | NAHL: 2015–16 |
Division Championships | WSHL Northern: 1997–98, 1998–99 NorPac: 2000–01 NAHL West: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2014–15 NAHL Midwest: 2015–16 |
Playoff championships | Cascade Cup: 2000–01 Robertson Cup: 2010–11, 2013–14, 2015–16 |
History
Originally started in 1997 in the Tier III Junior B Western States Hockey League (WSHL) as a hockey program to replace the Alaska Gold Kings and give Alaskan players a chance to play after they finished high school and/or midgets. The Ice Dogs won the Northern Division its inaugural season, but lost to the Southern champs the following year in exhibition games. In 1998–99 season, they again won the Northern Division but lost to the Southern Division champions, the Ventura Mariners.
In 2000, the Ice Dogs became a member of the Tier III Junior B Northern Pacific Hockey League (NorPac) and also played sixteen games[1] in the Tier III Junior A America West Hockey League (AWHL) to help fill out their schedule in the 2000–01 season. The team would go on to win the NorPac championship in that season before leaving for the higher level AWHL full-time for the 2001–02 season.[2]
The Ice Dogs were named the 2001–02 AWHL Organization of the Year in their first full Junior A season. The team moved to the NAHL in the AWHL-NAHL merger that took place in 2003. The Ice Dogs were upset in the West Division Finals in the 2008–09 season after winning the West Division regular season title. The Ice Dogs lost in the 2010 Robertson Cup final to the Bismarck Bobcats 3-0. The following season the Ice Dogs won the Robertson Cup for the first time in a come from behind win over the Michigan Warriors 4-2. In the 2013–14 season, the Ice Dogs once more won the West Division regular season title (4th time in 6 years) and proceeded to win the Robertson Cup for the second time.
Season-by-season records
Season | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fairbanks Ice Dogs (NAHL) | ||||||||||
2003–04 | 56 | 31 | 15 | 10 | 72 | 174 | 140 | 1,807 | 2nd, South | No statistics available |
2004–05 | 56 | 26 | 24 | 6 | 58 | 164 | 179 | 1,029 | 4th, North | Lost in 1st Round |
2005–06 | 58 | 30 | 18 | 10 | 70 | 173 | 175 | 984 | 2nd, West | Lost in 2nd Round |
2006–07 | 62 | 34 | 24 | 4 | 72 | 223 | 203 | 1,347 | 4th, South | Eliminated in Round Robin |
2007–08 | 58 | 39 | 15 | 4 | 82 | 183 | 129 | 1,306 | 2nd, South | Lost in 2nd Round |
2008–09 | 59 | 39 | 12 | 8 | 84 | 226 | 152 | 1,421 | 1st, West | Lost in 2nd Round |
2009–10 | 58 | 32 | 22 | 4 | 68 | 203 | 182 | 1,727 | 3rd, West | Lost in Finals |
2010–11 | 58 | 40 | 15 | 3 | 83 | 245 | 167 | 1,121 | 1st, West | Robertston Cup Champions |
2011–12 | 60 | 39 | 13 | 8 | 86 | 225 | 163 | 920 | 1st, West | Lost Robertson Cup Semifinal |
2012–13 | 60 | 39 | 17 | 4 | 82 | 192 | 148 | 896 | 2nd, West | Lost in Division Finals |
2013–14 | 60 | 45 | 14 | 1 | 91 | 215 | 136 | 970 | 1st, West | Robertson Cup Champions |
2014–15 | 60 | 40 | 16 | 4 | 84 | 238 | 167 | 970 | 1st, West | Lost in Division Finals |
2015–16 | 60 | 49 | 8 | 3 | 101 | 251 | 116 | 1081 | 1st of 6, Midwest Div. 1st of 22, NAHL | Robertson Cup Champions |
2016–17 | 60 | 33 | 24 | 3 | 69 | 185 | 165 | 974 | 2nd of 6, Midwest Div. 10th of 24, NAHL | Lost Division Finals |
2017–18 | 60 | 45 | 8 | 7 | 97 | 223 | 125 | 713 | 1st of 6, Midwest Div. 1st of 23, NAHL | Lost Robertson Cup Semifinal |
2018–19 | 60 | 37 | 16 | 7 | 81 | 204 | 138 | 1007 | 1st of 6, Midwest Div. 4th of 24, NAHL | Lost Robertson Cup Championship |
2019–20 | 52 | 38 | 11 | 3 | 79 | 197 | 111 | 757 | 1st of 6, Midwest Div. 3rd of 26, NAHL | Season cancelled |
Playoffs
- 2004
- Information unavailable
- 2005
- First Round – Team USA defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 3-games-to-0
- 2006
- First Round – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Wasilla Spirit 3-games-to-0
- Second Round – Bozeman Icedogs defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 4-games-to-1
- 2007
- First Round – St. Louis Bandits defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 3-games-to-0
- Fairbanks Ice Dogs advance to Round Robin as HOST.
- Robertson Cup Round Robin – Fairbanks Ice Dogs(0-3) - Qualify for Consolation Game (L, 3-7 vs. Phantoms; L, 1-4 vs. Bandits; L, 3-5 vs. Express)
- Robertson Cup Consolation Game – Southern Minnesota Express defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 3-2
- 2008
- First Round – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Wichita Falls Wildcats 3-games-to-1
- Second Round – Topeka RoadRunners defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 3-games-to-2
- 2009
- First Round – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Kenai River Brown Bears 3-games-to-0
- Second Round – Wenatchee Wild defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 3-games-to-1
- 2010
- First Round – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Alaska Avalanche 3-games-to-0
- Second Round – Wenatchee Wild defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 3-games-to-0
- Fairbanks Ice Dogs advance to Round Robin as West representatives as Wenachee Wild is HOST.
- Robertson Cup Round Robin – Fairbanks Ice Dogs (3-1) - Qualify for Championship game (W, 3-2 vs. Wild; W, 4-3 vs. Bandits; L, 1-2 vs. North Stars; W, 4-3 vs. Bobcats)
- Robertson Cup Final – Bismarck Bobcats defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 3-0
- 2011
- Division Semifinals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Kenai River Brown Bears 3-games-to-0
- Division Finals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Wenatchee Wild 3-games-to-1
- Robertson Cup Round Robin – Fairbanks Ice Dogs (3-0) - Qualify for Championship game (W, 4-3 vs. RoadRunners; W, 4-2 vs. Warriors; W, 2-1 vs. Bulls)
- Robertson Cup Final – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Michigan Warriors 4-2
- Robertson Cup Champions
- 2012
- Divisional Semifinals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Kenai River Brown Bears 3-games-to-0
- Divisional Finals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Wenatchee Wild 3-games-to-0
- Robertson Cup Round Robin – Fairbanks Ice Dogs (2-1) - Qualify for Semifinal (L, 1-3 vs. Bandits; W, 3-1 vs. Bulls; W, 4-3 vs. Fighting Falcons)
- Robertson Cup Semifinal game – Texas Tornado defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 4-3
- 2013
- Divisional Semifinals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Kenai River Brown Bears 3-games-to-2
- Divisional Finals – Wenatchee Wild defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 3-games-to-2
- 2014
- Divisional Semifinals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Kenai River Brown Bears 3-games-to-2
- Divisional Finals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Michigan Warriors 2-games-to-0
- Robertson Cup Semifinals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Wenatchee Wild 3-games-to-2
- Robertson Cup Finals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Austin Bruins 2-games-to-0
- Robertson Cup Champions
- 2015
- Robertson Cup 1st Round Series – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Minnesota Magicians 3-games-to-0
- Robertson Cup Quarterfinals – Minnesota Wilderness defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 3-games-to-0
- 2016
- Divisional Semifinals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Coulee Region Chill 3-games-to-1
- Divisional Finals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Minnesota Wilderness 3-games-to-2
- Robertson Cup Semifinals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Aston Rebels 2-games-to-0
- Robertson Cup Championship game – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Wichita Falls Wildcats 2–0
- Robertson Cup Champions
- 2017
- Divisional Semifinals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Minnesota Magicians 3-games-to-0
- Division Finals – Janesville Jets defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 3-games-to-1
- 2018
- Divisional Semifinals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Minnesota Magicians 3-games-to-0
- Division Finals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Janesville Jets 3-games-to-2
- Robertson Cup Semifinals – Minot Minotauros defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 2-games-to-1
- 2019
- Divisional Semifinals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Janesville Jets 3-games-to-0
- Division Finals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Minnesota Magicians 3-games-to-0
- Robertson Cup Semifinals – Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated Johnstown Tomahawks 2-games-to-1
- Robertson Cup Championship game – Aberdeen Wings defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs 2–1
References
- "2000-01 America West Hockey League Standings". HockeyDB. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
- "Season Summaries". Fairbanks Ice Dogs. Archived from the original on November 4, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.