On Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, the New Mexico Ice Wolves North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) unveiled the South Division 2023-2024 Regular Season Champion banner to its home opener crowd at the Outpost Ice Arenas in Albuquerque, NM. The banner was presented by Gino Gutierrez, Nick Hudson, and Dan Webster who have all played a role in the program’s broadcast team since its inaugural season in 2022.
Under Head Coach Darren Banks and Assistant Coach Alex Gilbert, the Ice Wolves finished the 2023-2024 regular season 38-7-2-0 earning themselves the title of South Division Regular Season Champions. They began the road to the 2024 Fraser Cup in a best of three series against the Texas Brahmas, defeating them 2-0, but fell short against the Louisiana Drillers. Nonetheless, the team’s work in the regular season earned them the well-deserved championship title.
In just three short seasons, a remarkable program for growth, development, and player experience has been built at the base of the Sandia Mountains and is continuing to thrive. Every age out from the program is now playing collegiate hockey, and there are currently six former Ice Wolves NA3HL players now playing on teams in the North American Hockey League (NAHL), with two on the current roster of the New Mexico Ice Wolves NAHL team.
The New Mexico Ice Wolves NA3HL is an outstanding program that continuously shows how the ladder of development works in the North American leagues, and this upcoming season will be nothing different. Let’s Go Ice Wolves!
