Trying to play catch-up here, we'll first note that the NAHL's defending Robertson Cup champions, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, are among eight teams left in the hunt for the 2015 title.
The Ice Dogs swept the Minnesota Magicians in three games in their opening-round series, courtesy in no small part to goaltender Patrick Munson, who went 2-0 with a shutout, .50 goals-against average and .979 save percentage (47 saves on 48 shots). The Ice Dogs feature a couple of Alaskans in defenseman John Teets of Fairbanks and forward Cayden Cahill of Anchorage. Teets had two assists in the opening round and was +5 -- he's bound for Alabama-Huntsville. Cahill played two games in the first round, with no points.
Next up for the Ice Dogs is a best-of-5 series against the Minnesota Wilderness, coached by Corey Millen, the former NHLer who spent a long stretch living and working in Alaska after he retired as a player. The series opens Friday in Minnesota.
The only other Alaskan we found in the NAHL playoffs is defenseman Alex Carle of Anchorage, listed on the roster of the Lone Star Brahmas. He hasn't played a playoff game yet. Know he's endured some injuries, and surgeries if memory serves, the last couple years. Carle is a Merrimack College recruit.
In the USHL, goaltender Eric Schierhorn of Anchorage (Minnesota commit) backstopped the Muskegon Lumberjacks to a first-round defeat of the Youngstown Phantoms in four games of a best-of-5. Schierhorn went 3-1, 2.15, .928. He stopped 44 shots in a 2-1 double OT win in Game 3. Next up for the Lumberjacks are the Dubuque Fighting Saints, who include a UAA commit in defenseman Wyatt Ege. He had two assists in three first-round games and his +8 rating tops the circuit.
The other USHL semifinal will pit the Tri-City Storm against the winner of the Sioux City-Sioux Falls series that's tied 2-2 entering Tuesday night's decisive Game 5. Sioux Falls includes forward Ryan Schwalbe (Minnesota Mankato commit), who has played in all four games of the series.
Elsewhere, after winning the British Columbia Hockey League playoff title, the Pentiction Vees and UAA commit/winger Cam Amantea next head to the Western Canada Cup, a five-team tournament in Fort McMurray, Alberta, that pits the winners of the BCHL, AJHL, SJHL and MJHL and the host Oil Barons. Amantea owns 5-2--7 totals in 17 games -- he scored five goals in 44 regular-season games, so he's raised his game in the postseason. The SJHL champion Melfort Mustangs have winger Howard Yawit of Anchorage on the roster. He's played in one postseason game.