NEW MEXICO ICE WOLVES PLAYERS, HEAD COACH AND TEAM BROADCAST ANNOUNCER SELECTED FOR 2026 NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE TOP PROSPECTS TOURNAMENT
Forwards Andy Earl and Stanley Hubbard Along with Defenseman Sean Smith Named to NAHL Team South with Defenseman Koen Harrold Named to NAHL Selects Blue Team
NM Ice Wolves Head Coach Kyle McKenzie Named Assistant Coach for Team South
NM Ice Wolves Broadcaster Jason Thomas Tapped as Broadcaster for 2026 Top Prospects Tournament
Development Team Goalie Josh Middleton and Forward Jake Wenner Named to 2026 NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament Gold Team
All Games From the 2026 NAHL and NA3HL Top Prospects Tournaments Will be Played Monday-Tuesday, February 16-17 and Streamed Live and in HD Exclusively on NAHLTV.
(Albuquerque, NM) Friday, January 30, 2026 —The New Mexico Ice Wolves® today announced that forwards Andy Earl and Stanley Hubbard, along with defensemen Sean Smith and Koen Harrold were named to play in the 2026 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament. Head Coach Kyle McKenzie was named assistant coach for the team representing the rugged NAHL South Division and team broadcaster Jason Thomas was named as one of two broadcasters selected league wide to provide play by play for the NAHL’s big event. Earl, Hubbard and Smith will play on Team South with Coach McKenzie as Assistant Coach for the team while Harrold will play on Selects Blue team and Thomas will help call 2026 Top Prospects Tournament games. The NAHL Top Prospects Tournament will be played at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan February 16-17, 2026.
The NAHL has invested in more opportunities for players this season and has expanded the annual event to seven teams. Four of the rosters will feature divisional teams featuring top players born in 2005 playing in their last year of NAHL hockey from their respective divisions (Central, East, Midwest, South). Alongside them, there will be three at-large ‘Selects’ teams, consisting of younger talent born from 2006-2009.
The NM Ice Wolves earned the right to have three players selected to play on the South Division team by being in second place in the division on January 18, 2026. Each divisional team’s assigned head coach chose his roster from six coach nominations of college-ready players from their respective coaches. Just like the selection of rosters, the division coaches were determined by each team’s winning percentage in their respective divisions. The first-place team will have their coach serve as the head coach, while New Mexico’s second-place standing secured the assistant coaching spot for Kyle McKenzie.
The three ‘Selects’ teams were chosen with the help of NAHL coaches, NCAA coaches, and NHL Central Scouting. The three ‘Selects’ teams will feature athletes from across all four divisions. In addition, the team will be coached by NAHL coaches based on winning percentage.
This annual event marks the USA Hockey National Development Team (NTDP) returning to compete for the first time since 2022. With eight games over two days at the USA Hockey Arena, this is a prime opportunity for players to showcase their talents on the ice. NCAA Division I, NCAA Division III, and NHL scouts will all be in attendance.
All teams will be composed of 20 players (12 forwards, six defensemen, two goalies), for a total of 140 athletes.
Additionally, goaltender Josh Middleton and forward Jake Wenner from the NA3HL NM Ice Wolves development team were selected as NA3HL Top Prospects and will play on Team Gold, one of four teams created from the 38 teams in the league. The NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament games will play at the same location and dates as the NAHL event.
The 2026 NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament is a prime example of the strong partnership and development pathway between the NA3HL and NAHL. When it comes to Tier III junior development leagues, no other league has produced more players who advance to the NAHL than the NA3HL, offering a valuable opportunity for more players to be showcased to scouts from the NAHL, college, and professional levels.
Similar to years past, the NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament will be done in conjunction with the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament. Each of the four NA3HL Top Prospects teams feature a 20-player roster, including 12 forwards, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies.
2026 NAHL Top Prospects Schedule for Team South and Selects Blue (all times mountain time):
Monday, February 16:
– Selects Blue vs. Selects Red at 10:30m
– South vs. Midwest at 12:45pm
– East vs. Central at 3pm
– USNTDP vs. Selects White at 5:15pm
Tuesday, February 17:
– Central vs. South at 8am
– Midwest vs. East at 10:15am
– Selects White vs. Selects Red at 12:30pm
– USNTDP vs. Selects Blue at 2:45pm
2026 NA3HL Top Prospects Schedule for Team Gold (all times mountain time):
Monday, February 16:
– Black vs. Gold at 8am MT
– Red vs. White at 9:30am MT
Tuesday, February 17:
– Gold vs. Red at 8:30am MT
– White vs. Black at 10:45am MT
All games from the 2026 NAHL and NA3HL Top Prospects Tournaments will streamed live and in HD Exclusively on the league streaming service NAHLTV.
Ahead of the 2026 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament the NM Ice Wolves have one final weekend of home games in January at Outpost Ice Arenas in Albuquerque starting tonight, Friday, January 30 and Saturday, January 31 as the team welcomes South Division rival Shreveport Mudbugs with both games starting at 6:30pm MT. Tickets are sold out for both games but standing room and on ice tickets are available at the door.
Single game tickets for the NAHL team start at $18 for Reserved Bleacher Seats and $31 for Reserved Stadium Chair Seats. Tickets can be purchased at tickets.nmicewolves.com.
The NA3HL NM Ice Wolves Development Team has five home games at Outpost Ice Arenas ahead of the 2026 Top Prospects Tournament. First up Friday-Saturday, February 6-7 the team welcomes South Division rival Texas Brahmas with both games starting at 6:30pm MT. Then the team hosts a three-game homestand against South Division rival Tulsa Oilers from Thursday-Saturday, February 12-14 with Thursday’s game starting at 11am MT and the Friday and Saturday games starting at 6:30pm MT.
Single game NA3HL team tickets start at $10.75 for Reserved Bleacher Seats and $15.75 for Reserved Stadium Chair Seats. Tickets can be purchased at tickets.3hlnmicewolves.com.
The NM Ice Wolves have two hospitality suites available on a single game basis. Suites come with light snacks and fountain drinks and catering options, including adult beverages, are available for an additional charge. The Land of Enchantment Suite starts at $499 and seats 32, and the Sandia Suite starts at $599 and seats 42. Anyone interested in reserving a suite for a group or special event can contact suites@nmicewolves.com for more information. New for the 2025-2026 season is the option to add a bar to suites through 312 Mobile Bar & Liquor Service giving suite hosts the ability to treat their guests with tailor-made selections of beer, wine, spirits and signature cocktails.
All games for both NM Ice Wolves teams are available to stream live on NAHL TV at home and on mobile devices. The NATV streaming service is designed and supported for viewing on home televisions by downloading the NAHL TV apps on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick and more. NATV can also be viewed on a PC, Android and iOS phones and tablets. Registering for an account is free here with a subscription required to watch games. All NM Ice Wolves home games are produced using 12 cameras, replays and live interviews with a unique internship program that teaches high school students how to do live sports production using a state of the art dedicated production facility.
To learn more about the NM Ice Wolves NAHL team, please visit the team website nmicewolves.com or on social media on X, Facebook, TikTok or Instagram and the arena at www.outposticearena.com. The NM Ice Wolves are also on YouTube where fans can watch every episode of the We Are Ice Wolves series taking viewers inside the pack following the team through this season, and previous seasons, showing the life of junior hockey players developing within the NM Ice Wolves organization and community.
To learn more about the NM Ice Wolves NA3HL development team, please visit the team website 3hlnmicewolves.com or on social media on X, Facebook or Instagram.
About NAHL
In its 51st season in 2025-26, the NAHL is the oldest Junior hockey league in the United States and the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II Junior league, with 34 teams playing in 19 states across North America. With more than 422 NCAA commitments last season, the NAHL is the best in the world at advancing players to NCAA hockey and often beyond to professional hockey.
The NAHL’s dedication to player development and movement to college hockey and beyond is demonstrated by the league’s high-profile annual exposure events like the NAHL Showcase in September, the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament, and the NAHL Robertson Cup Championship, which have all evolved into hockey’s most prominent and popular of its kind events that are a must-see for hockey fans and must-scout for NCAA programs and NHL teams alike.
The NAHL is unique in the fact that a vast majority of players begin their NAHL careers without an NCAA opportunity and earn one through the course of their development in the league.
About the NA3HL
In its 16th season in 2025-26, the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Junior league and serves as one of the top training grounds in the country by providing the best coaching, exposure and developmental vehicles available for student-athletes in its classification. The primary mission of the NA3HL, which is managed organizationally by the North American Hockey League (NAHL), is to provide a structured developmental environment for student-athletes who have aspirations of playing in Tier I or II junior hockey and eventually the NCAA or American College Hockey Association. For more information, visit www.na3hl.com
*For additional photos of NM Ice Wolves 2026 Top Prospects please visit the team press page www.nmicewolves.com
