WEEKEND PREVIEW: Aviators seek revenge against red-hot Mountain Kings
After splitting two games this past weekend and securing the season series against the Danbury Hat Tricks, the Elmira Aviators (14-19-5-2) are getting ready to welcome the New Hampshire Mountain Kings to the LECOM Event Center.
While the Aviators have continued to look up the standings as they try to climb back in the East Division playoff race, the Mountain Kings have been sneaking up from behind.
Now eight points out of a playoff spot with 19 games to go in the regular season, Elmira needs a big response against New Hampshire this weekend.
TOUGH KINGS TO CRACK
The Mountain Kings have been stuck in last place in the East Division for over two months. Yet, Elmira has had its struggles with New Hampshire, going 1-3-0-0 in the previous two series against the Mountain Kings.
Most recently, on a series from Jan. 9-10, New Hampshire piled on 11 goals in a two-game sweep over Elmira. That’s 11 goals in a pair of games against a Mountain King team that is the lowest scoring team in the East Division and third-lowest across the 34 clubs in the NAHL.
It wasn’t much better for the Aviators when they battled the Mountain Kings at Delta Dental Arena on Halloween night. Elmira carried a 3-1 lead into the third period before New Hampshire haunted it with five unanswered goals in the final frame.
The Mountain Kings have scored five or more goals in an entire game just four times this season. Three such occasions came against the Aviators.
The purple and black’s lone triumph over New Hampshire came on Nov. 1. Top Prospects selection Evan Dantas tied the score at three with less than three minutes to go in regulation time. Then, he set up former Aviator Zach Buffone, who tallied the winner in the final minute of the overtime period.
Elmira has not yet had the privilege of hosting New Hampshire at the LECOM Event Center this season. The Aviators will hope home ice will play a major advantage.
Elmira is 8-7-3-2 at the LECOM Event Center this season. Compare that to the bleak 8-16-3-1 home record from last season, including 0-4-0-0 against New Hampshire, and the Aviators are starting to get on the right track in defending home ice.
The Mountain Kings are hot and have been tough to crack for the Aviators in the past, but an Elmira team improving at home and desperate to get back in the playoff fight should make for a good series this weekend.
THE MOUNTAIN KINGS
The last-place Mountain Kings are just one point away from getting out of the basement of the East Division and are in the form to do so. New Hampshire has won six of its last ten games, including sweeps over the Aviators and Northeast Generals.
The New Hampshire roster is near unrecognizable both in personnel and play from the beginning of the campaign. The Mountain Kings lost 11 games in a row from early November to mid-December, slotting them last in the East Division ever since.
It’s a hole New Hampshire’s been striving to climb out of with its strong play to start 2026. The Mountain Kings are now on the precipice with this weekend’s series in Elmira.
This is the final set between Elmira and New Hampshire for the regular season. The Mountain Kings have already secured the season series in terms of points by going 3-0-1-0 against the Aviators in the first four.
Elmira can, at the very least, even up the wins and losses with a series sweep this weekend.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New Hampshire: Aidan Petroff (‘06 F)
Named East Division 1st Star of the Week on Monday, Petroff has been lighting it up over the last couple of series.
Petroff put up two goals and two assists in the Mountain Kings’ sweep over the Northeast Generals last weekend. The Pennsylvania native is also riding a four-game point streak, collecting two goals and four assists during this run of play.
Petroff started his NAHL career with New Hampshire last season, but began this campaign with the Maryland Black Bears. The Mountain Kings re-acquired him in mid-November, and the 2006-born forward has picked up the pace since.
After managing just one point in 16 games to start the year with Maryland, Petroff has rattled off 16 points in 21 games with New Hampshire. He’s been great against the Aviators, too, scoring three and assisting twice in three career games against Elmira.
Elmira: Luke Rubin (‘05 F)
One of the most experienced Aviators, Luke Rubin has thrived as a veteran presence and leader in Elmira. He saw increased power play time last weekend and capitalized by bagging a goal.
Rubin has four total tallies in his 19 games with Elmira this season, but he has phenomenal career numbers against New Hampshire. In eight games versus the Mountain Kings, Rubin has put up three goals and five assists, good for a point per game in those tilts.
With increased power play and overall ice time due to a shifting roster near the player movement deadline, Rubin will be relied upon to build on his past success against New Hampshire.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Fans can see all the exciting hockey action at the LECOM Event Center this Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7. Friday is Scouting Night with all scouts receiving free admission for that game. Saturday is the much anticipated Puppy Bowl.
Both games drop the puck at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m. Fans who can’t make it to the LECOM Event Center can follow the matchups by streaming them on NATV or listening live on WINGZ93.
Fans can also keep tabs on the games by following the Aviators on social media @Elmiraaviatorsnahl.
Mac Young is the play-by-play voice of the Elmira Aviators. To contact him, email [email protected].