Australian Ice Hockey League

The Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) was formed in 2000 following the collapse of the former national league. In its first season, the AIHL comprised three teams – the Adelaide Avalanche, Canberra Knights, and the Sydney Bears.[1] During the first two seasons the teams competed in round-robin weekends over the length of the season, with the two top teams playing a single final. Adelaide Avalanche finished first in both years after the regular season, with the Sydney Bears winning the Goodall Cup in the 2001 playoffs.

League logo used between 2007-11

In 2002 the AIHL expanded to six teams with the inclusion of the Melbourne Ice, Newcastle North Stars and the West Sydney Ice Dogs. The Sydney Bears finished first in the regular season standings and won the Goodall Cup playoffs.[1] At the start of the 2003 AIHL season it was announced that the finals playoff would be expanded to include the top four finishing teams after the regular season. Newcastle North Stars won their first regular season and their first Goodall Cup. The following season, in 2004, the West Sydney Ice Dogs won their first Goodall Cup after defeating the Newcastle North Stars in the final.

In 2005 the AIHL expanded to eight teams with the Central Coast Rhinos and the Brisbane Blue Tongues joining the league. During the 2005 season the Avalanche signed former National Hockey League (NHL) player Steve McKenna who played over 350 games in the NHL while the North Stars won their second Goodall Cup.[2] In 2006 the Brisbane Blue Tongues signed Canadian Rob Zamuner who had played nearly 800 games in the NHL.[3] The North Stars went on to win their second consecutive Goodall Cup title, defeating Adelaide for the second year in a row.[1] The 2007 AIHL season opened with the Avalanche and the Blue Tongues announcing the signing of former NHL players Mel Angelstad and Tyrone Garner respectively.[4][5] The Bears won the 2007 Goodall Cup, their first since 2002, after defeating the North Stars in the final.[1]

Starting the 2008 season the Brisbane Blue Tongues announced their relocation to the Gold Coast to become the Gold Coast Blue Tongues as well as the signing of former Tampa Bay Lightning player Gaetan Royer.[6] During the season the Adelaide Avalanche folded due to financial problems. Following the withdrawal of the Avalanche a new team was formed, the Adelaide Adrenaline. Newcastle North Stars went on to win the 2008 Goodall Cup, defeating West Sydney Ice Dogs in the final.[1] In 2009 the Central Coast Rhinos left the league after refusing to accept the AIHL's new licensing model and went on to join the newly formed Australian International Ice Hockey Cup.[7] 2009 also saw the Goodall Cup withdrawn from the AIHL by Ice Hockey Australia so it could return to being a state contested tournament. It was replaced by the H. Newman Reid Trophy which was won by the Adrenaline. The following season, 2010, Ice Hockey Australia returned the Goodall Cup to the AIHL with the H. Newman Reid Trophy being consigned to be the prize for the winner of the regular season. Melbourne Ice won their first Goodall Cup, defeating the Adrenaline in the final 6–4.

In 2011, the league returned to an eight-team competition with the inclusion of the Melbourne-based Mustangs IHC. The AIHL also granted a ninth team, the Perth Thunder, a provisional licence to play exhibition games during the 2011 season, to seek a vote to join the league on a full licence in 2012.[1] Melbourne Ice went back-to-back and won the H. Newman Reid Trophy and the Goodall Cup in 2011, defeating the Newcastle Northstars in the grand final.[8][9] In August 2011, the AIHL and the New Zealand Ice Hockey League (NZIHL) jointly announced the formation of the Trans-Tasman Champions League.[10] The Champions League would feature two teams from both leagues in a round-robin format. The tournament would commence in Australia in 2012 and hosting rights would alternate between Australia and New Zealand from that point forward.[10] After Season 2011 finished, in November 2011, at the annual general meeting (AGM), the AIHL reached consensus and announced Perth Thunder had been successful in obtaining a full league licence and would enter the AIHL proper in 2012.[11]

For season 2012, with the addition of a ninth team, the AIHL implemented a conference system for the first time in the league’s history. The decision was made to manage team costs and the season schedule length.[11] The league signed a 3-year sponsorship contract with Skaters Network that included the naming rights of the two conferences. The conferences were subsequently named Bauer and Easton after ice hockey brands Bauer Hockey and Easton Hockey, two brands Skaters Network distribute.[12] The conference restructure flowed into Finals format changes. The conference winners would draw the opposing conference’s second place finisher in the semi-finals, rather than the traditional 1v4 and 2v3. Winners of the semi’s would advance to the Goodall Cup Final as normal.[12] To further assist with team travel costs, the AIHL signed a one-year partnership agreement with Virgin Australia to become the league’s preferred airline partner.[13] The NSW and ACT based teams were grouped together in the Bauer Conference and the VIC, SA, WA and QLD teams were grouped together in the Easton Conference during the 2012 regular season.[12]

Newcastle and Melbourne Ice finished top of the two conferences at the end of the 2012 regular season, with Newcastle claiming the Premiership title by a single point in the combined league table.[14] Sydney Ice Dogs and Adelaide were runner’s up, all qualifying for Finals. The two top teams won their semi-finals to advance to the grand final decider. Melbourne ice won the grand final 4–3, thanks to Lliam Webster who scored the winning goal, over the Northstars to claim the Goodall Cup for a third straight time, completing the first three-peat in AIHL history.[15]

In July 2012, the inaugural Trans-Tasman Champions League took place at the Icehouse in Melbourne. AIHL teams, Melbourne Ice and Newcastle North Stars, were joined by NZIHL teams, Botany Swarm and Southern Stampede for the round-robin tournament. The Melbourne Ice finished first in the standings and claimed the maiden Champions League title and trophy, beating Newcastle to the title on goal difference.[16][17]

League logo used between 2012-13)

Ahead of the 2013 season, In February 2013, the league appointed Robert Bannerman has the new AIHL Commissioner. Bannerman was charged with improving the AIHL's revenue growth, fan development and attendance.[18] The AIHL signed its first broadcast deal with Australian based pay-television service Fox Sports. The deal would see one game a week broadcast during the regular season on Foxtel's Fox Sports channels.[19] The League also shrunk back to eight teams with the suspension announcement of Gold Coast Blue Tongues' AIHL licence to due the team's inability to secure a home venue agreement with a suitable rink.[20] During the 2013 AIHL season, the Sydney Ice Dogs secured the Premiership-Championship double by finishing top of the regular season standings and winning the grand final. It was the first time the Ice Dogs had won either the H Newman Reid Trophy or Goodall Cup since 2004.[21][22]

2014 saw the league experience further change. In February 2014, AIHL founding team, Canberra Knights, folded operations after 33 years with owner, John Raut, citing financial costs, lack of local player talent and sustained poor performances as the reasons for the decision.[23][24] A Canberra player and community led consortium was established to keep an AIHL licence in Canberra following the Knight's collaps.[25] After meeting AIHL licence demands in April, the consortium was successful in obtaining the Canberra licence and a new team was formed, named CBR Brave.[26] Season 2014 produced a new Goodall Cup and Premiership winner, with the Melbourne Mustangs claiming their first league and Finals titles, defeating the Melbourne Ice in the grand final.[27][28]

After the 2014 season, the AIHL made important decisions at their AGM in December 2014 to reject, for undisclosed reasons, the Central Coast Rhinos application to re-join the league and allow the Gold Coast Blue Tongues' licence to expire, after two years of suspension with the team unable to secure financing to build a proposed new rink or relocate to an appropriate alternative facility.[29][30][31] Thus confirming the AIHL would kick off 2015 with the same eight teams from 2014.

Between 2015 and 2018, the league experienced game rule changes, exhibition matches in Queensland, the loss of the premier Sydney ice rink and team relocations. In 2015, the Sydney Ice Arena was approved for redevelopment into apartments by the owner, forcing the Sydney Bears to relocate to Penrith.[32] The League adopted the international recognised hybrid icing rule to assist AIHL players in preparation for IIHF competition while continuing to protect players from the risks of potentially damaging collisions.[33] In 2016, the Bears took two regular season games to Brisbane to showcase the league in Queensland for the first time since 2012. Games were held at both Iceworld Boondall and Iceworld Acacia Ridge against the Melbourne Ice.[34] In 2017, following the completion of renovations, the Sydney Bears and Sydney Ice Dogs relocated from Penrith and Liverpool to Macquarie Ice Rink.[35] In 2018, AIHL Commissioner, Rob Bannerman, stepped down after six years in the role. Bannerman would be relocating to the United States to pursue a career change.[36]

In 2019, AIHL head of finance, Heidi Wilson, resigned from her role in the league commission. Dawn Watt was elected Deputy Commissioner and the AIHL canvased for new members.[37] David Turik was subsequently appointed the new AIHL Commissioner.[38]

During 2020 and 2021, the league suspended operations due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Different health measures and border restrictions domestically and internationally made it unviable to run seasons in 2020 and 2021. Originally in 2020 the league was suspended but it was later cancelled.[39][40] In 2021, exhibition series were run instead of the league, but they were interrupted due to the ongoing outbreak.[41][42][43] In 2021, AIHL Commissioner, David Turik, resigned from the role by “mutual agreement”, no reasons for his departure were disclosed.[44]

In 2022, the AIHL announced it would be returning to a regular season for the first time since 2019.[45] The league released information of a new board of directors and executive team as well as the adoption of a new finals format and increase to game lengths.[46] The AIHL would implement the international standard 60-minute games (up from 50 minutes) and expanded the finals weekend to include a preliminary final and an additional day in the schedule.[46][47] The League also announced a new license holder for the Adelaide Adrenaline franchise, headed by Benny Gebert and Glen Foll.[46] A new domestic broadcasting deal was struck with Kayo Sports that will increase the amount of AIHL content broadcast within Australia.[46] Internationally, the league signed a three-year contract with Swiss-based multi-national Sportradar to distribute AIHL broadcasting in North America and Europe.[48] Preparations for the 2022 season were disrupted by the withdrawals of the Perth Thunder and Adelaide Adrenaline due to continued state border restrictions and disagreements with rink management respectively.[49][50] However, in February 2022, the AIHL announced the expansion of the league would take place in 2023 and followed this up with the granting of licenses to the Brisbane Lightning, headed by Ice Hockey Queensland (IHQ), and the Central Coast Rhinos, who will be returning to the league for the first time in fourteen years after originally leaving at the conclusion of the 2008 season.[51][52]

The AIHL season commences mid April and runs through to the last weekend of August or the first weekend of September. Games are usually played on Saturday or Sunday, typically starting between 2.00 pm and 5.30 pm depending on the venue.

Teams nominally play each of their seven opponents in the league four times for a total of 28 regular season games. In seasons prior to 2011, some games were played for double-points (and counted as two games) to keep travel costs down.

The length of matches has changed throughout the history of the AIHL. From inception in 2000 to 2012 matches were forty-five minutes long. From 2013 to 2019 the AIHL increased the match length to fifty minutes, consisting of two fifteen minute periods followed by a twenty-minute third period. On 11 February 2020, the AIHL announced the league would be adopting the international standard sixty minutes match length. The change increased the league's matches by ten minutes and standardised the period lengths to twenty minutes each. The change was scheduled to come into effect for the 2020 season until the season was cancelled.[55] It was finally introduced in the 2022 season.[56]

The points system and overtime formats used by the AIHL has developed and changed over the history of the league.

The current points system, first introduced in 2006, follows similar systems widely used in Europe.[57] 3 points is awarded for a win, and 0 points for a loss. If a match is tied at the end of regulation time, overtime (OT) is used to guarantee a match winner. An overtime win is worth 2 points and an overtime loss is worth 1 point.

The current overtime rules deployed in the AIHL for regular season matches was introduced in 2019. At the end of regulation time there is a five-minute three on three overtime period, with the first goal winning the game. If no one scores during this OT period the match is then sent to a shootout to decide the winner and points split.

Between 2000 and 2005, the league had a then NHL style four on four five minute overtime period. If no one scored, the match was then officially recorded as a tie. In 2006 the league removed the five minute overtime period and replaced it with a shootout, meaning every match would have a winner. The shootout only system was used by the league until the end of the 2018 season.

For AIHL finals (play-offs), overtime periods are played to a regulation period length and incorporate the golden goal rule – in an overtime period, the game ends when one team scores a goal; the teams are at full strength (five skaters, barring penalties), there is no shootout, and each overtime period is 20 minutes with full intermissions between overtime periods.

Between 2000 and 2002 the AIHL had a single match final, known as the championship final, between the two teams who finished first and second in the regular round-robin season. In 2002, the Goodall Cup was awarded to the winner of the championship final for the first time, previously it was used as the award for the annual inter-state tournament held by IHA. In 2003, the AIHL switched to a four team playoff system, expanding the format into a 'finals weekend'. Retaining the single-match series, two semi-finals and a final would be played at a single venue over one weekend. The top four teams from the regular season qualify for the finals weekend. The two semi finals are conducted on the Saturday with 1 v 4 (semi final 1) playing first followed by 2 v 3 (semi final 2). The winners of the two semi finals advance to the final, held on the Sunday, to compete for the Goodall Cup and the AIHL Championship.[1]

In 2022, the league expanded the finals format by adding a preliminary final and a third day to the schedule. Semi-finals are played on Friday night. The top two teams from the AIHL regular season play-off in the major semi-final for an automatic spot in the Sunday afternoon Goodall Cup final. The teams who finished third and fourth in the regular season play-off in an elimination game in the minor semi-final. The winner of the minor semi-final advances to the preliminary final to play the loser of the major semi-final. The winner of the Saturday afternoon preliminary final progresses to the Goodall Cup final and the loser is eliminated. The winner of the grand final is named AIHL Champion and lifts the historic Goodall Cup.[58]

As of 2023, finals have been held in three different Australian states including New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, six cities including, Sydney, Adelaide, Central Coast, Newcastle, Penrith and Melbourne and eight stadiums as detailed in the table below:

The Henke Rink at the Melbourne Icehouse has hosted a record nine AIHL Finals weekends

As of 2022 AIHL season [61]

Top-ten skater totals in six categories. For PPG, to qualify for the list, a player must have played a minimum 20 matches in the AIHL.

Appearances No. Name Pos GP 1 Greg Oddy F 383 2 David Dunwoodie D 372 3 Tommy Powell F 369 4 Lliam Webster D 341 5 Tomas Manco D 332 6 Mark Rummukainen D 325 7 Scott Stephenson F 301 8 Vladimir Rubes F 299 9 Todd Stephenson F 297 10 Adrian Esposito F 290

Goals No. Name Pos G 1 Greg Oddy F 268 2 Lliam Webster D 193 3 Joey Hughes F 186 4 Vladimir Rubes F 176 5 Tommy Powell F 173 6 Wehebe Darge F 168 7 Matt Armstrong F 161 8 Jason Baclig F 148 9 Jamie Bourke F 143 10 Michael Schlamp D 133

Assists No. Name Pos A 1 Greg Oddy F 347 2 Tommy Powell F 294 3 Vladimir Rubes F 270 4 Lliam Webster D 243 5 Robert Starke D 242 6 Matt Armstrong F 239 7 Wehebe Darge F 229 8 Joey Hughes F 223 9 Michael Schlamp D 201 10 Tomas Landa F 193

Points No. Name Pos P 1 Greg Oddy F 615 2 Tommy Powell F 467 3 Vladimir Rubes F 446 4 Lliam Webster D 436 5 Joey Hughes F 409 6 Matt Armstrong F 400 7 Wehebe Darge F 397 8 Jason Baclig F 337 9 Michael Schlamp D 334 10 Jamie Bourke F 306

Points per game No. Name Pos PPG 1 Brad Smulders F 3.455 2 Jesse Gabrielle F 3.350 3 Marcel Kars F 3.300 4 B.J. Pelkey F 3.095 5 Luke Moffatt F 3.095 6 Addison DeBoer F 3.036 7 Peter Cartwright F 3.000 8 Jesse Pyatt F 3.000 9 Tim Crowder F 2.962 10 Stephen Blunden F 2.949

Penalty minutes No. Name Pos PIM 1 David Dunwoodie D 1652 2 Andrew White D 1248 3 Lliam Webster D 1026 4 Greg Oddy F 938 5 Joey Hughes F 842 6 Jamie Bourke F 837 7 Vincent Hughes D 834 8 Mark Rummukainen D 826 9 Cass Delsar F 746 10 Todd Stephenson F 703

Legend:

As of 2022 AIHL season [62]

Top-ten season totals for skaters and goaltender in four categories. For goaltenders, to qualify for lists, a player must have played a minimum 10 AIHL matches in a season.

Points No. Name Season Pos P 1 Geordie Wudrick 2015 F 91 2 Addison DeBoer 2011 F 85 3 Brian Bales 2010 F 81 4 Stephen Blunden 2015 F 79 5 Peter Cartwright 2010 F 78 6 Tim Crowder 2019 F 77 7 Britt Ouellette 2011 F 77 8 Brad Smulders 2009 F 76 9 Peter Cartwright 2011 F 75 10 Matt Amado 2011 F 69

Penalty minutes No. Name Season Pos PIM 1 Blair Collins 2006 F 208 2 Ryan O'Keefe 2006 D 192 3 Bryan Lachance 2008 D 191 4 Trevor Ross 2005 D 189 5 Jamie Bourke 2011 F 180 6 Derek Campbell 2010 F 175 7 Jordan Landry 2005 F 172 8 Blair Collins 2005 F 168 9 Mike Funk 2005 D 168 10 Harrison Byers 2013 D 167

Save percentage No. Name Season Pos SV% 1 Anthony Kimlin 2012 G .935% 2 Thomas Heemskerk 2016 G .927% 3 Matt Hewitt 2018 G .925% 4 Peter Di Salvo 2017 G .924% 5 Damien Ketlo 2017 G .923% 6 Josh Unice 2015 G .921% 7 Anthony Kimlin 2018 G .920% 8 Matthew Ezzy 2004 G .919% 9 Anthony Kimlin 2013 G .919% 10 Matthew Ezzy 2010 G .918%

Goals against average No. Name Season Pos GAA 1 Matt Hewitt 2018 G 1.95 2 Troy Davenport 2016 G 2.08 3 Matt Climie 2019 G 2.14 4 Jaden Pine-Murphy 2014 G 2.23 5 Anthony Kimlin 2012 G 2.25 6 Matthew Ezzy 2004 G 2.28 7 Dayne Davis 2017 G 2.33 8 Anthony Kimlin 2018 G 2.39 9 Olivier Martin 2013 G 2.45 10 Thomas Heemskerk 2016 G 2.45

Legend: