Luc Bydal's hat trick leads Anchorage Wolverines to playoff win

The effort pushed the Wolverines to a 1-0 lead in the Midwest Division semifinal series against the Minnesota Wilderness.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 4:38pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the chaotic action of a hockey game, with players and the puck represented as fragmented, overlapping shapes in a vibrant color palette.Luc Bydal's hat trick heroics push the Anchorage Wolverines to a crucial playoff victory over their division rivals.Anchorage Today

Luc Bydal scored all three goals for the Anchorage Wolverines in their 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wilderness in the opening round of the North American Hockey League playoffs. The victory gives the Wolverines a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five Midwest Division semifinal series.

Why it matters

The Wolverines' playoff run is an important moment for the team and its fans, as they look to make a deep postseason push. Bydal's hat trick performance was a key factor in the opening game win.

The details

Bydal opened the scoring just 78 seconds into the game, and then added two more unassisted goals in the second and third periods to give Anchorage a 3-1 lead. Minnesota's Talan Blanck and Avery Anderson scored the other goals for the Wilderness, but it wasn't enough to overcome Bydal's heroics.

  • The game was played on Friday, April 18, 2026.
  • The two teams will face off again on Saturday, April 19, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. Alaska time.

The players

Luc Bydal

A forward for the Anchorage Wolverines who scored a hat trick in the team's playoff win.

Talan Blanck

A forward for the Minnesota Wilderness who scored one of the team's two goals.

Avery Anderson

A forward for the Minnesota Wilderness who scored the team's second goal late in the third period.

Kai Weigel

The goaltender for the Anchorage Wolverines who made 28 saves in the win.

Ryan Gerlich

The goaltender for the Minnesota Wilderness who made 27 saves in the loss.

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What’s next

Saturday's game can be viewed locally via nahltv.com or at a watch party at Dave & Buster's.

The takeaway

Luc Bydal's hat trick performance was the key to the Anchorage Wolverines' playoff-opening win over the Minnesota Wilderness. The Wolverines will look to build on this momentum as they continue their postseason push.