Watertown Shamrocks Release 2026-27 Schedule

Watertown, SD — The Watertown Shamrocks, in conjunction with the North American Hockey League (NAHL), have finalized the clubs 59 game 2026-27 regular season schedule. The Shamrocks will open the regular season on the road in a playoff rematch against the Austin Bruins on September 18 and 19.

“Austin is a good team and we had a lot of good games with them last season,” Shamrocks Head Coach and General Manager Casey Kirley said. “It’s great to play against a strong opponent right out of the gates.”

Watertown will once again compete in the NAHL’s Central Division, however, a handful of changes elsewhere in the division and NAHL have resulted in significant changes to the Shamrocks schedule compared to years past. After consisting of eight teams the last two seasons, the Central Division will now host just six teams.

The North Iowa Bulls have previously announced their departure for Houston Texas leaving the division with just seven teams. Added to their departure, is the movement of the Mallards from the Central to the Midwest Division. The Central Division had previously operated as a six-team unit from 2015 until the Shamrocks and Minnesota Mallards joined the division in 2024.

The divisional realignment resets the scheduling formula for the Central Division and the Shamrocks. Each team will play three games at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota from September 23-26 and then will skate in 12 contests against four of their divisional opponents and in eight games against one of their opponents.

“We play in a strong division,” Kirley said of the realignment. “With the reduced number of teams, we will see the same opponents more often, which should make for some intense games.”

The Shamrocks will open their 2026-27 home slate in a weekend series against the Bismarck Bobcats starting on Friday, October 9 at the Prairie Lakes Ice Arena. Watertown will take on the Bruins, Aberdeen Wings, Minot Minotauros, and St. Cloud Norsemen 12 times this season with Bismarck being their opponent who falls into the eight games bucket.

“We are so excited to welcome fans back into the Prairie Lakes Ice Arena for the upcoming season,” said Blake Theisen, the Shamrocks Vice President and Director of Broadcasting and Media. “The schedule this season is incredibly balanced and provides a ton of opportunities for fans to make it out to a game this year. Our fans are truly the best in the North American Hockey League and provide us with a real home ice advantage. We can’t wait to get the season underway.”

The Shamrocks home schedule features a handful of marquee dates. Watertown will once again play host on Halloween night taking on the Minot Minotauros at home. For the first time in franchise history, the club will host a home game over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend on Saturday, November 28. Fans can also ring in the New Year at the Prairie Lakes Ice Arena when the Shamrocks take on their in-state rival Aberdeen Wings on December 31.

The home schedule also includes a home series against the St. Cloud Norsemen over Valentine’s Day weekend, the annual St. Patrick’s Day game against Aberdeen, and will close out on April 16 against Aberdeen.

“We’re excited to get back to town in August,” Kirley added. “We’re looking forward to a successful third season in Watertown.”

The Shamrocks full 2026-27 season schedule can be found below.

Information regarding single game tickets and promotional dates will be provided at a later date.