*Photo Contributed by – @photosbysociety on Instagram
By: Ben Buttrick
In the heart of the NAHL’s first half of the regular season, the Wisconsin Windigo took their first of two multi-week trips to Alaska. While the results on the ice didn’t go their way, the team has multiple reasons to keep their heads up ahead of a busy slate of games in November.
Friday, Oct. 16
Final Score: Windigo 2, Brown Bears 4
For the first of four matchups in The Last Frontier, the Windigo faced off against the Kenai River Brown Bears at Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. Despite losing the opening game of the trip, the Windigo were able to get out to an early lead and hold it for the first 30 minutes of regulation. The opening tally came on a power play in the first period, when alternate captain Aidan Hickok found the back of the net on a wrist shot from just outside the top of the left face-off circle. Hickok’s tally was his fifth of the season and 14th with the Windigo all-time, placing him in the top-25 goal scorers in team history.
Rather than putting their heads down after the Brown Bears tallied four consecutive goals in the back half of regulation, the Windigo battled until the very end, finding twine once again before the final buzzer sounded. The second tally of the night for Wisconsin was put away by rookie winger Axel Gleasman, who played a shot from the left wing that snuck past Brown Bears’ netminder Devin Rustlie. Gleasman’s goal was his second of the season, and he currently has five points across 13 appearances.
Defending the road net was Owen Lunneborg. The rookie netminder made 34 saves on 37 attempts, including an unbelievable diving stop with the end of his stick. The play was deemed the NAHL’s Save of the Week.
Saturday, Oct. 17
Final Score: Windigo 3, Wolverines 7
After a three-hour drive from Kenai River to Anchorage, the Windigo faced off against the Anchorage Wolverines at Sullivan Arena. The two squads played in front of 6,135 fans, which set a new record for attendance at the Olympic-sized sheet of ice.
Despite the Wolverines finding the back of the net three times in the opening period, the Windigo came away with a goal in the first stanza as well. It was another power-play tally from the team’s first unit, which produced a goal in four of their first six games in October. The power-play tally was put away by veteran defenseman Devin Berg, who rifled the puck through traffic to find the back of the net. Berg, who played six games with the Wolverines in the 2025-26 season, was assisted by Hickok and veteran forward Gabe Braun.
While the Wolverines got up to five goals by the end of the second period, the Windigo paced them in that span, keeping the deficit at just two scores after 40 minutes. Wisconsin’s second goal of the night was put away by rookie center Emils Brakse, who stripped the puck away from an Anchorage forward before launching it into the top-right shelf. The goal was Brakse’s third of the season and, at the time, was his third total point in the team’s last four games.
The Windigo’s third goal of the night and second of the period was converted on another power play. This time, alternate captain Brayden Severin redirected the puck into the back of the net for his first goal of his second NAHL season. The shot he tipped was fired from rookie winger Kaden Mote, who recorded a helper in each of the team’s first two games in Alaska.
In goal, veteran netminder Harry Byers battled between the pipes all game long. He faced 50 shots on net and made 43 saves , which marked his second-highest total of the season. Despite playing in just eight games this season, Byers has faced the eighth-most shots on net across the NAHL.
Friday, Oct. 23
Final Score: Windigo 1, Ice Dogs 4
For the second half of the two-week trip to Alaska, the Windigo returned to Big Dipper Ice Arena for the first time since they picked up two wins during the 2026 Midwest Division Semifinals. While the first contest of the weekend told a different story, the windigo didn’t leave without scoring a goal. Their lone tally of the night was put away Berg. His second goal of the trip was rifled into the back of the net off a deflection. His tally Friday became his third goal of the season and marked his third consecutive game with a point. Chipping in on his tally was Braun, who launched the shot that caused the rebound attempt, and second-year blueliner Jona Zimbalatti, who ushered the puck up the ice.
Between the pipes, Byers went back to work, making 34 saves on 38 attempts on net. Dating back to the start of the 2026-27 campaign, he’s recorded six games with 30-plus saves.
Saturday, Oct. 24
Final Score: Windigo 2, Ice Dogs 9
In the final game of the extensive road trip, the Windigo fell in a tough outing. While the game eventually got out of hand, the Windigo battled in the early stages of the contest, as they exited the period down just 2-1. Wisconsin’s first goal of the night was lasered into the back of the net by rookie center Torii Schmidt. Zimbalatti saw him breaking down the ice, and one pass later from rookie winger Artis Skrebels, Schmidt took control of the puck and tucked it away in the top-right corner. The tally was Schmidt’s fourth goal and sixth overall point of the season. The assist from Skrebels was his eighth total point, and Zimbalatti’s helper was his fifth assist of the season.
The Windigo got their only other goal of the night from team captain Hunter Friedrich. He crept towards the center of the net before receiving an excellent set-up pass from Hickok. Friedrich then ripped the puck into the top corner for his second goal of the season to make it a 3-2 game. Hickok’s assist was his sixth of the season, and rookie winger Renner Stavroplos was credited with the secondary helper for his fourth assist of the campaign.
In net, Owen Lunneborg faced a barrage of attempts. He ultimately stopped 39 shots on net on 48 tries, which marked new season highs in both categories.
Standings
Following the two-week trip to Alaska, the Windigo find themselves in seventh place in the Midwest Division with a 4-10-0 record. They currently sit 10 points out of a playoff spot and 11 points away from first place, which is currently occupied by the Fairbanks Ice Dogs.
Team Leaders
Leading the charge offensive is Hickok, who has tallied five goals and 11 points across 13 appearances. Mote trails him by one point, as he currently has three goals and a team-high seven assists. In a three-way tie for third on the team, Berg, Braun and Skrebels all have eight points.
Between the posts, Byers leads the team with eight appearances. He currently holds a 3-5-0 record, a 4.01 GAA, an .895 save percentage and a league-high two shutouts. Across four appearances with the Windigo, Lunneborg has a 1-3-0 record, a 4.02 GAA and an .893 save percentage.
Up Next
After a week back home to reset from the two-week trip, the Windigo will look to get back on track in a road series against the Springfield Jr. Blues. Ahead of the weekend slate, the Jr. Blues rank eighth in the Midwest Division, trailing the Windigo by seven points. The 2025-26 season series was electric from start to finish, and the matchup in the new campaign figures to provide much of the same excitement.
Puck drop on Friday, Oct. 30, is slated for 7:05 PM Central Time, and the second game of the weekend will take place on Halloween Night. The puck drop for Saturday’s clash is set for 6:05 PM Central Time. Both games can be streamed on NATV. Visit nahltv.com for more details.
