*Photo contributed by Juan Carlos Wood – @shotsbyjcw on Instagram
The Wisconsin Windigo are slated to host the Fairbanks Ice Dogs for a two-game series that begins on Friday, Oct. 3 and wraps up on Saturday, Oct. 4. Both teams are fresh off the 22nd Annual NAHL Showcase, which took place from Wednesday, Sept. 24 to Saturday, Sept. 27.
At the Showcase, multiple Windigo players suffered injuries that will keep them out of the current lineup. On Thursday, Sept. 25, second-year defenseman Declan Burns sustained an upper-body injury. His timetable for return is four to six weeks. Before the injury, Burns led the team in points with five total tallies.
Additionally, Windigo forward Josh Sardo went down with a lower-body injury on Saturday, Sept. 27. His timetable for return is four to six weeks. Sardo had three points across seven games, and he entered the year with six points in six games for the Windigo a season ago.
With the injuries to Burns and Sardo, the Windigo called two of their 2025 NAHL Draft picks to the roster. The team recalled defenseman Brody Josselyn back to the roster from their NA3HL-affiliate West Bend Power. In four games with the Power this season, Josselyn notched five goals and dished out three assists.
Also, the Windigo are bringing in draftee Payton Mithmuangneua, who spent two seasons in the NAHL with the St. Cloud Norsemen. Mithmuangneua spent his first season in St. Cloud with Windigo Head Coach John Mitchell, who served as the team’s associate Head Coach.
In addition, Windigo defenseman Noah Mannausau was called up to the USHL by the Sioux Falls Stampede. Prior to the call-up, Mannausau had an assist across seven appearances.
The Windigo enter this weekend’s series after going 1-2-0 at the NAHL Showcase. Wisconsin began its showcase slate with a 3-1 loss to the Aberdeen Wings before taking down the Corpus Christi IceRays in a 2-1 battle. The Windigo wrapped up the showcase on Saturday, Sept. 27 with a 4-2 loss to the Johnstown Tomahawks.
During the showcase, second-year Windigo winger Ronnie Hill scored a goal in all three games the team played. Second-year forward Teddy Richardson had a multi-point performance in the team’s win over Corpus Christi. In net, both Max Kogler and Easton Cody have above a .940 save percentage across their two respective appearances.
While the Ice Dogs entered the showcase at 2-0-0, they are currently on a three-game losing streak headed into the weekend series. At the showcase, they lost to the Shreveport Mudbugs 1-0, the Maine Nordiques 3-0, and the Aberdeen Wings 5-2. Fairbanks is currently led in points by forward Lucas Ricciardi, who has three tallies.
In the NAHL Midwest Division standings, the Windigo are currently in fourth place with a 3-3-1 overall record. Fairbanks ranks in sixth place with a 2-3-0 record.
During this weekend’s series, both game nights will have a theme. On Saturday, Oct. 3, the Windigo are hosting David Gruber night in partnership with Gruber Law Offices. If you dress like David Gruber, you get into the game for free. Additionally, the first 100 fans in attendance will receive a free Wisconsin Windigo T-shirt sponsored by Gruber Law Offices.
On Saturday, Oct. 4, the game night theme is Student Night. All students who wear their respective school’s gear will receive 50 percent off their ticket.
Puck drop on Friday, Oct. 3 is set for 5:35 PM central time. Tickets can be purchased on the team’s website. If you can’t make it in person, all Windigo home games can be streamed on NATV. Visit nahltv.com for more details.
