After a long 2020-21 season and a short summer break, the Aberdeen Wings are back in action and set to start the 2021-22 season at the NAHL Showcase, held at the beautiful Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, MN.
The Wings kick off their season with four games in four days, with a new out-of-division opponent each matchup.
- Wednesday, Sept. 15 — 1:45 p.m. — Johnstown Tomahawks
- Thursday, Sept. 16 — 7:15 p.m. — Shreveport Mudbugs
- Friday, Sept. 17 — 7: 15 p.m. — Springfield Jr. Blues
- Saturday, Sept. 18 — 1 p.m. — Corpus Christi Ice Rays
The Wings return nine players from last year’s record-setting team: Kevin MacKay, Devon Carlstrom, Seamus Campbell, Owen DuBois, Nate Mann, Michael Reed, Cade Neilson, Kyle Gaffney and Jackson Yee.
They are joined by a pool of talented players — ten forwards, six defensemen and two goalies, who all came to South Dakota from across the 50 states and Canada, Sweden and France.
Taking the helm this season is Steve Jennings, who’s new to Aberdeen but not new to the Wings. As the Director of Player Personnel since 2016, Jennings has had a direct hand in recruiting most of the Wings rosters in that time and is already familiar with the locker room.
“We will continue to build off the great structure and culture we already have,” he said. “We have all invested into making Aberdeen a true destination for hockey players and there’s no need to change that.”
Joining him on the bench is Zach Stepan, who joins the Wings after serving as the head coach for the New Ulm Steel in the NA3HL for the past two seasons.
“What you guys have built is incredible and we have big shoes to fill, and I’m excited to come in,” Stepan said. “It’s a program both players and coaches want to be a part of. It’s a first-class organization.”
Follow the Wings
Fans who can’t make the trip to Blaine can still get in on the action.
- HockeyTV: As the official broadcast partner of the NAHL, HockeyTV is a subscription-based platform that hosts all games across the league.
- Buffalo Wings & Rings: Fans can swing down to Buffalo Wings & Rings in Aberdeen, the official away game sponsor of the Wings. They stream every away game, so it’s a great place to grab a bite to eat and watch some Wings hockey.
- Game Center: Follow this live stat sheet to catch what’s happening. The game center is available for every single game and can be found at the top of AberdeennWings.com.
More to Come
After the Showcase, the Wings return home for a week of practice before hitting the road again for their first away weekend. Up first is the North Iowa Bulls on Sept. 24-25.
The Wings and the Bulls split preseason games, with the Wings falling 7-1 last Friday before nabbing an overtime victory on Saturday.
Home Opener
The Wings’ home opener is slated for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 1-2 when they host the St. Cloud Norsemen at the Odde Ice Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the puck drops at 7:15 p.m.
Tickets are available for purchase online at tickets.AberdeenWings.com.
Last season, the Wings went 11-1 against St. Cloud.