The Titans depart from Newark airport today at 11:40am and head to Minneapolis for the North American Hockey League’s 17th annual showcase which will be held at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, MN. They will play a total of four games, with a game scheduled for each day beginning on Wednesday, September 18 and concluding on Saturday, September 21.
Last year the Titans went 2 – 2 in Blaine. The franchise’s overall record in the Showcase is 11 – 5. In four years, the Titans have had one shutout (Lone Star Brahmas – 2017), and they have been shutout twice (Amarillo Bulls – 2016; Aberdeen Wings – 2017).
The Titans first game will be held on Wednesday, September 18 at 12:00PM ET against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. The last time these teams met was back in the 2016-17 season. In all, the Titans have a 3 – 5 record against the Ice Dogs. They are 3 – 1 under Craig Doremus. Last season the Ice Dogs finished first in the Midwest Division with a 37-16-3-4 record for 81 points. They lost to the Aberdeen Wings in the Robertson Cup finals. Fairbanks home open is on October 11 against the Minnesota Magicians.
The second game will take place on Thursday, September 19 at 5:00PM ET against the Shreveport Mudbugs. This is the first meeting between the teams. Last year the Mudbugs finished in third place in the South Division with a 28-22-4-6 record for 66 points. They lost in the South Division’s finals to Amarillo in five games. The Mudbugs currently sit atop the South Division with a 2 – 0 record after defeating the New Mexico Ice Wolves by a combined score of 8 – 1.
The third game will occur on Friday, September 20 at 12:00PM ET against the Springfield Jr. Blues. These teams have met only once in the past back in the 2016-17 Showcase with the Titans winning 4 – 2. The Jr. Blues finished in third place last season in the Midwest Division with a 33-22-4-1 record for 71 points. They lost in the divisional semi-final series against the Magicians four games to one. Springfield’s home open is on September 27 against the Topeka Pilots.
The final game of the Showcase will take place on Saturday, September 21 at 1:30PM ET against the Ice Wolves. This is the first meeting between the teams. The Ice Wolves are an expansion team this season. They currently reside in last place in the South Division with a 0 – 2 record.
Make sure you visit the Titans Twitter feed (@NAHLTitans) for the most up-to-date scores highlights.