| St. Cloud Norsemen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | St. Cloud, Minnesota |
| League | North American Hockey League |
| Division | Central |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Home arena | St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex |
| Colors | Black, blue, gray, and white |
| Owner(s) | Chris and Mitri Canavati |
| General manager | Corey Millen |
| Head coach | Corey Millen |
| Franchise history | |
| 2003–2006 | Minnesota Blizzard |
| 2006–2012 | Alexandria Blizzard |
| 2012–2019 | Brookings Blizzard |
| 2019–2020 | St. Cloud Blizzard |
| 2020–present | St. Cloud Norsemen |
The St. Cloud Norsemen is a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's (NAHL) Central Division. The Norsemen play out of the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The team consists of players ranging in age from 16–20 years old who relocate from anywhere in the United States, with a limited number of international players. The team plays a 60-game schedule from September to March.
The team began in the 2003–04 season as the Minnesota Blizzard based in Alexandria, Minnesota. In 2006, the team was re-branded as the Alexandria Blizzard and played at the Runestone Community Center. From 2012 to 2019, the organization played at the Larson Ice Center in Brookings, South Dakota, as the Brookings Blizzard.
On May 6, 2020, the Blizzard announced their rebrand to Norsemen.
Season-by-season records
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Blizzard | ||||||||||
| 2004–05 | 56 | 28 | 24 | 4 | 60 | 159 | 198 | 1,360 | 4th, Central | Lost 1st Round, 0–3 vs. Fargo-Moorhead Jets |
| 2005–06 | 58 | 24 | 29 | 5 | 53 | 158 | 219 | 1,235 | 4th, Central | Lost 1st Round, 2–3 vs. Southern Minnesota Express |
| Alexandria Blizzard | ||||||||||
| 2006–07 | 62 | 28 | 29 | 5 | 61 | 165 | 193 | 1,325 | 3rd, Central | Lost 1st Round, 2–3 vs. Southern Minnesota Express |
| 2007–08 | 58 | 29 | 25 | 4 | 62 | 222 | 223 | 1,517 | 3rd, Central | Won 1st Round, 3–2 vs. Southern Minnesota Express Won 2nd Round, 3–2 vs. Springfield Jr. Blues Eliminated (0–3) in Robertson Cup Round Robin (L, 2–3 vs. Bandits; L, 2–4 vs. RoadRunners; L, 1–6 vs. Phantoms) |
| 2008–09 | 58 | 26 | 26 | 6 | 58 | 180 | 201 | 1,215 | 4th, Central | Lost 1st Round, 1–3 vs. Bismarck Bobcats |
| 2009–10 | 58 | 30 | 22 | 6 | 66 | 180 | 166 | 870 | 3rd, Central | Won 1st Round, 3–1 vs. Owatonna Express Lost 2nd Round, 0–3 vs. Bismarck Bobcats |
| 2010–11 | 58 | 33 | 19 | 6 | 72 | 208 | 177 | 923 | 1st, Central | Lost 1st Round, 2–3 vs. Bismarck Bobcats |
| 2011–12 | 60 | 40 | 15 | 5 | 85 | 212 | 156 | 815 | 2nd, Central | Lost 1st Round, 1–3 vs. Austin Bruins |
| Brookings Blizzard | ||||||||||
| 2012–13 | 60 | 32 | 23 | 5 | 69 | 175 | 179 | 1204 | 3rd, Central | Lost 1st Round, 0–3 vs. Bismarck Bobcats |
| 2013–14 | 60 | 18 | 34 | 8 | 44 | 132 | 206 | 1263 | 5th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2014–15 | 60 | 19 | 32 | 9 | 47 | 141 | 206 | 968 | 5th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2015–16 | 60 | 25 | 29 | 6 | 56 | 149 | 200 | 985 | 4th, Central | Lost Div. Semifinals, 1–3 vs. Bismarck Bobcats |
| 2016–17 | 60 | 30 | 25 | 5 | 65 | 192 | 193 | 973 | 3rd, Central | Lost Div. Semifinals, 2–3 vs. Minnesota Wilderness |
| 2017–18 | 60 | 23 | 30 | 7 | 53 | 169 | 211 | 778 | 6th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2018–19 | 60 | 11 | 44 | 5 | 27 | 115 | 242 | 878 | 6th, Central | Did not qualify |
| St. Cloud Blizzard | ||||||||||
| 2019–20 | 52 | 10 | 37 | 5 | 25 | 130 | 240 | 770 | 6th, Central | Season cancelled |
| St. Cloud Norsemen | ||||||||||
| 2020–21 | 56 | 22 | 33 | 1 | 45 | 151 | 206 | 917 | 6th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2021–22 | 60 | 41 | 16 | 3 | 85 | 230 | 153 | 818 | 1st of 6, Central 3rd of 29, NAHL |
Won Div. Semifinals, 3–2 vs. Bismarck Bobcats Won Div. Finals, 3–1 vs. Aberdeen Wings Lost League Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Anchorage Wolverines |
| 2022–23 | 60 | 28 | 23 | 9 | 65 | 163 | 184 | 916 | 3rd of 6, Central 16th of 29, NAHL |
Won Div. Semifinals, 3–0 vs. Aberdeen Wings Lost Div. Finals, 1–3 vs. Austin Bruins |
| 2023–24 | 59 | 25 | 21 | 13 | 63 | 171 | 171 | 1122 | 5th of 6 Central, 21 of 32 NAHL | Eliminated |
College commitments
About one third of the NAHL roster end up committing to an NCAA school. Below are St. Cloud Norsemen players that have made NCAA Division I commitments.
| Player | School | Conference | College Commitment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrle, Connor | United States Military Academy | Atlantic Hockey | 2013–14 |
| Bitz, Michael | Bemidji State University | WCHA | 2012–13 |
| Brevig, Drew | Ohio State University | Big Ten | 2012–13 |
| Cavallini, Aidan | University of Wisconsin | Big Ten | 2012–13 |
| Connor, Girard | United States Air Force Academy | Atlantic Hockey | 2013–14 |
| DeCenzo, Nick | United States Military Academy | Atlantic Hockey | 2013–14 |
| Gameli, Chase | Lake Superior State University | WCHA | 2015–16 |
| Gauthier, Will | Lake Superior State University | WCHA | 2015–16 |
| Graber, Will | Dartmouth College | ECAC Hockey | 2013–14 |
| Hakkarainen, Mikael | Providence College | Hockey East | 2017–18 |
| Jeszka, Griff | University of Massachusetts | Hockey East | 2016–17 |
| Marooney, Cody | University of Alabama-Huntsville | WCHA | 2012–13 |
| Parker, Brandon | University of Alabama-Huntsville | WCHA | 2013–14 |
| Samec, T.J. | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | ECAC Hockey | 2016–17 |
| Youso, Matt | University of Nebraska-Omaha | NCHC | 2013–14 |
References
- "Millen and Chorske take over reigns in St. Cloud". NAHL. April 2, 2020.
- "Minnesota Blizzard Statistics and History". HockeyDB. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "NAHL announces relocation of Brookings Blizzard to St. Cloud, Minnesota". NAHL. Jun 3, 2019.
- "Blizzard rebrand as St. Cloud Norsemen". NAHL. May 6, 2020.
- "Numbers don't lie: NAHL one of the best for NCAA commitments". NAHL. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 2014-09-24.
- "College Commitments List: 2015-2015 Season". NAHL. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
External links
| St. Cloud, Minnesota | |
|---|---|
| Areas | |
| Education | |
| Landmarks | |
| Transportation | |
| Media | |
| Culture | |
| History | |
| This list is incomplete. Granite City Lumberjacks are based out of nearby Sauk Rapids. | |
 | This American ice hockey team-related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
 | This article about a sports team in Minnesota is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |