Australian Ice Hockey League
Encyclopedia
The Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) is Australia's top-level ice hockey
league. It is sanctioned by Ice Hockey Australia
(a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation
) and is run by its own Board of Directors.
AIHL players are semi-professional
. Typically this means that players are not paid to play in the AIHL, but receive other benefits such as the use of a car, accommodation, flights/travel within Australia, and other benefits. Often these benefits are supplied or funded by sponsors and vary from team to team.
The AIHL has attracted players up to and including NHL players.
, Canberra Knights
, and the Sydney Bears
. 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. 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. 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 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. In 2006 the Brisbane Blue Tongues
signed Canadian Rob Zamuner
who had played nearly 800 games in the NHL. The North Stars went on to win their second consecutive Goodall Cup title, defeating Adelaide for the second year in a row.
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. The Bears won the 2007 Goodall Cup, their first since 2002, after defeating the North Stars in the final. 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
. During the season the Adelaide Avalanche folded due to financial problems. Following the withdrawel 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. In 2009 and the Central Coast Rhinos left the league after refusing to accept the AIHL's new licencing model. 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 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 license to play exhibition games during the 2011 season and potentially securing a vote to join the league in 2012.
In August 2011 the AIHL and the New Zealand Ice Hockey League
(NZIHL) announced the formation of the Trans-Tasman Champions League. The Trans-Tasman Champions League will begin in 2012 and will be hosted in Australia, with the series shifting to New Zealand in 2013. The series will feature two teams from each the AIHL and the NZIHL each playing the others once with the winner being the team who finishes first in the round-robin standings. The two teams chosen from each league will be the regular season champions and the winner of the playoff. In a situation where the winning of both events is the same the runner up of the playoff final will be selected to represent their respective league.
Teams nominally play each of their seven opponents in the league four times for a total of 24 regular season games. In previous seasons, some games were played for double-points (and count as two games) to keep travel costs down. There are no double-point games in 2011.
Playoff finals have been held in the following locations:
Finals weekends will follow the format of semi finals on Saturday, 1v4 and 2v3 placed teams, followed by the two semi final winning teams playing for the Goodall Cup and the AIHL Championship on Sunday evening.
The champions of the AIHL are awarded the Goodall Cup, a perpetual national trophy third in age only to the Stanley Cup (1892) and the Allan Cup (1908).The Goodall Cup was incorporated into the AIHL in 2002 after the league expanded to 6 teams. The Goodall Cup is awarded to the team that wins the Finals series/playoffs weekend at the end of each season. The team that holds the Goodall Cup is considered to be the Australian champion.
The Goodall Cup was withdrawn from the AIHL in 2009 by the cup's custodians, Ice Hockey Australia. The Goodall Cup was instead awarded to South Australia in a traditional state vs state tournament held in Adelaide, South Australia in October 2009 as a 100 year celebration of the Goodall Cup.
In 2010 the Goodall Cup was offered back to the AIHL, and the cup accepted by a vote of the members and board. The Goodall Cup has been re-instated by the AIHL as its finals tournament trophy and as the prize signifying Australian champions of ice hockey.
Like in the case of the Stanley Cup, the original Goodall Cup is considered too delicate to travel and a replica is now awarded to the league champion team.
Currently the replica cup is kept at Melbourne's Icehouse, in Docklands and on display.
AIHL Champions Trophy
In 2009 Ice Hockey Australia withdrew the Goodall Cup from the AIHL, claiming it was instead to presented to the winning team from IHA's own tournament to be run in South Australia, celebrating the Cup's 100th anniversary since it was first awarded in a game between NSW and Victoria in 1909. Without a major trophy to present to its finals winning team, the AIHL designed and had manufactured its own unique trophy.
The new AIHL Champions Trophy was awarded to the 2009 AIHL Champions, the Adelaide Adrenaline following their victory in the 2009 final.
In 2010 the AIHL Champions Trophy was re-launched as the H Newman Reid Trophy, honouring the minor premiers from each season back to 2007.
H Newman Reid Trophy
The H Newman Reid Trophy is awarded to the regular season's minor premiers; that is, the team that finishes first overall in the standings.
Reid is considered the father of ice hockey in Australia, opening Australia's first two ice rinks and employing key people who introduced Australians, including his own children, to winter sports.
The H Newman Reid Trophy was first awarded in 2010 to the Newcastle North Stars after they finished first in the regular season with 54 points.
The Reid Trophy is backdated to 2007 including minor premiers the Adelaide Avalanche (2007), Sydney Bears (2008), and the Newcastle North Stars (2009 & 2010).
V.I.P. Cup
The V.I.P. Cup was awarded to the minor premiers of each season; that is, the team that finishes first overall in the standings at the end of the regular season. The VIP cup was last awarded to the Adelaide Avalanche in 2007. The VIP Cup was not returned to the league and has been replaced by the H Newman Reid Trophy.
Wilson Cup
The Wilson Cup is awarded to the winner of the AIHL pre-season competition, which began in 2007 and ran again in 2008 and 2009. No Wilson Cup was run in 2010 or 2011.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
league. It is sanctioned by Ice Hockey Australia
Ice Hockey Australia
The Australian Ice Hockey Federation, currently trading as Ice Hockey Australia , is the official national governing body of ice hockey in Australia and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation....
(a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
) and is run by its own Board of Directors.
AIHL players are semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
. Typically this means that players are not paid to play in the AIHL, but receive other benefits such as the use of a car, accommodation, flights/travel within Australia, and other benefits. Often these benefits are supplied or funded by sponsors and vary from team to team.
The AIHL has attracted players up to and including NHL players.
History
The Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) was formed in 2000 following the collaspe of the former national league. In its first season, the AIHL comprised three teams - the Adelaide AvalancheAdelaide Avalanche
The Adelaide Adrenaline are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Thebarton, South Australia that play in the Australian Ice Hockey League .-History:...
, Canberra Knights
Canberra Knights
The Canberra Knights are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre in Phillip, a suburb of Australia's capital city, Canberra....
, and the Sydney Bears
Sydney Bears
The Sydney Bears are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Penrith, New South Wales, who are members of the Australian Ice Hockey League . They have won two Goodall Cup championships since their founding in 2000, most recently in 2007. The Bears are one of the original three teams that...
. 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
Sydney Bears
The Sydney Bears are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Penrith, New South Wales, who are members of the Australian Ice Hockey League . They have won two Goodall Cup championships since their founding in 2000, most recently in 2007. The Bears are one of the original three teams that...
winning the Goodall Cup
Goodall Cup
The Goodall Cup is the championship trophy of the Australian Ice Hockey League ice hockey in Australia. The Goodall Cup has been contested as the national senior men's ice hockey trophy in Australia since 1909, making it the fifth oldest known ice hockey trophy still being awarded, after the...
in the 2001 playoffs. In 2002 the AIHL expanded to six teams with the inclusion of the Melbourne Ice
Melbourne Ice
The Melbourne Ice are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the National Ice Sports Centre in Melbourne, which was completed in 2010. It formerly played at the Olympic Ice Skating Centre in Oakleigh South, a suburb of Monash...
, Newcastle North Stars
Newcastle North Stars
The Newcastle North Stars are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium in Warners Bay, a suburb of Lake Macquarie located about 15 kilometres south-west of Newcastle, New South Wales.The North Stars...
and the West Sydney Ice Dogs. The Sydney Bears finished first in the regular season standings and won the Goodall Cup playoffs. 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 the West Sydney Ice Dogs won their first Goodall Cup after defeating the Newcastle North Stars
Newcastle North Stars
The Newcastle North Stars are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium in Warners Bay, a suburb of Lake Macquarie located about 15 kilometres south-west of Newcastle, New South Wales.The North Stars...
in the final. In 2005 the AIHL expanded to eight teams with the Central Coast Rhinos
Central Coast Rhinos
The Central Coast Rhinos are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Erina, New South Wales, Australia that play in the Australian International Ice Hockey Cup. They are a former member Australian Ice Hockey League, playing in the league from 2005 to 2008...
and the Brisbane Blue Tongues
Brisbane Blue Tongues
The Bartercard Gold Coast Blue Tongues, formerly known as the Brisbane Blue Tongues are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Iceland in Bundall, Gold Coast, Queensland.-History:...
joining the league. During the 2005 season the Avalanche signed former National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) player Steve McKenna
Steve McKenna
Steve McKenna is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played both defense and left wing. He was a veteran of eight seasons in the NHL.-Playing career:...
who played over 350 games in the NHL while the North Stars won their second Goodall Cup. In 2006 the Brisbane Blue Tongues
Brisbane Blue Tongues
The Bartercard Gold Coast Blue Tongues, formerly known as the Brisbane Blue Tongues are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Iceland in Bundall, Gold Coast, Queensland.-History:...
signed Canadian Rob Zamuner
Rob Zamuner
Robert F. Zamuner is a retired ice hockey forward, playing thirteen seasons in the NHL, most recently with the Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
who had played nearly 800 games in the NHL. The North Stars went on to win their second consecutive Goodall Cup title, defeating Adelaide for the second year in a row.
The 2007 AIHL season opened with the Avalanche and the Blue Tongues announcing the signing of former NHL players Mel Angelstad
Mel Angelstad
"Mad" Mel Angelstad is a former professional ice hockey player. He played two games in the NHL, both coming in the 2003–04 NHL Season with the Washington Capitals during which he became the first player to wear #69 in a regular season game. Throughout his career he was known as a feared enforcer,...
and Tyrone Garner
Tyrone Garner
For Tyron Garner, plaintiff in Lawrence v. Texas, see that article.Tyrone "Ty" Garner is a Canadian professional ice hockey player...
respectively. The Bears won the 2007 Goodall Cup, their first since 2002, after defeating the North Stars in the final. Starting the 2008 season the Brisbane Blue Tongues announced their relocation to the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
to become the Gold Coast Blue Tongues as well as the signing of former Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
player Gaetan Royer
Gaetan Royer
Gaetan Royer is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. He played three games in the National Hockey League with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2001–02 season, going scoreless....
. During the season the Adelaide Avalanche folded due to financial problems. Following the withdrawel 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. In 2009 and the Central Coast Rhinos left the league after refusing to accept the AIHL's new licencing model. 2009 also saw the Goodall Cup withdrawn from the AIHL by Ice Hockey Australia
Ice Hockey Australia
The Australian Ice Hockey Federation, currently trading as Ice Hockey Australia , is the official national governing body of ice hockey in Australia and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation....
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 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
Mustangs IHC
The Mustangs Ice Hockey Club are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Docklands, Victoria, Australia. They are members of the Australian Ice Hockey League .-History:The Mustangs IHC were founded in 2010...
. The AIHL also granted a ninth team, the Perth Thunder
Perth Thunder
The Perth Thunder are a semi-professional ice hockey team based at the Cockburn Ice Arena in Western Australia. They are members of the Australian Ice Hockey League.-History:The Perth Thunder were founded in 2010...
, a provisional license to play exhibition games during the 2011 season and potentially securing a vote to join the league in 2012.
In August 2011 the AIHL and the New Zealand Ice Hockey League
New Zealand Ice Hockey League
The NZIHL is New Zealand’s national league. It is an amateur league that was formed in 2005 to develop the sport in the New Zealand and to give the top players regular competition against each other and to allow them to improve the skill level of the game domestically as well become more...
(NZIHL) announced the formation of the Trans-Tasman Champions League. The Trans-Tasman Champions League will begin in 2012 and will be hosted in Australia, with the series shifting to New Zealand in 2013. The series will feature two teams from each the AIHL and the NZIHL each playing the others once with the winner being the team who finishes first in the round-robin standings. The two teams chosen from each league will be the regular season champions and the winner of the playoff. In a situation where the winning of both events is the same the runner up of the playoff final will be selected to represent their respective league.
Teams
| Team | City | Arena | Joined AIHL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Adrenaline | Thebarton, South Australia Thebarton, South Australia Thebarton is a suburb of the city of Adelaide, South Australia. The suburb is bounded by the River Torrens to the north, Port Road and Bonython Park to the east, Kintore Street to the south, and South Road to the west.... |
Ice ArenA | 2008 as Adelaide A's |
| Sydney Bears Sydney Bears The Sydney Bears are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Penrith, New South Wales, who are members of the Australian Ice Hockey League . They have won two Goodall Cup championships since their founding in 2000, most recently in 2007. The Bears are one of the original three teams that... |
Penrith, New South Wales Penrith, New South Wales Penrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith... |
Penrith Ice Palace | 2000, from 2007–2009 known as the AIHL Bears |
| Canberra Knights Canberra Knights The Canberra Knights are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre in Phillip, a suburb of Australia's capital city, Canberra.... |
Phillip, Australian Capital Territory Phillip, Australian Capital Territory Phillip is a suburb of Canberra, Australia in the district of Woden Valley. It is located in the centre of the district and contains the district's main commercial centre, Woden Town Centre. The suburb is named after Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales. The suburb name was... |
Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre | 2000 |
| Gold Coast Blue Tongues | Bundall, Queensland Bundall, Queensland Bundall is a suburb located in the Gold Coast, west of Surfers Paradise and Nerang River. At the 2006 Census, Bundall had a population of 4,102.... |
Iceland | 2005 as Brisbane Blue Tongues |
| Melbourne Ice Melbourne Ice The Melbourne Ice are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the National Ice Sports Centre in Melbourne, which was completed in 2010. It formerly played at the Olympic Ice Skating Centre in Oakleigh South, a suburb of Monash... |
Docklands, Victoria | Icehouse National Ice Sports Centre, Melbourne The National Ice Sports Centre is an ice sports centre, located in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia.- Facilities :... |
2002 |
| Newcastle North Stars Newcastle North Stars The Newcastle North Stars are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium in Warners Bay, a suburb of Lake Macquarie located about 15 kilometres south-west of Newcastle, New South Wales.The North Stars... |
Warners Bay, New South Wales Warners Bay, New South Wales Warners Bay is a suburb of the City of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, and is located from Newcastle's central business district on the eastern side of Lake Macquarie. It was named after Jonathan Warner, who settled the area.... |
Hunter Ice Skating Stadium | 2002 |
| Sydney Ice Dogs | Liverpool, New South Wales Liverpool, New South Wales Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool... |
Liverpool Catholic Club’s ice rink | 2002 as West Sydney Ice Dogs |
| Mustangs IHC Mustangs IHC The Mustangs Ice Hockey Club are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Docklands, Victoria, Australia. They are members of the Australian Ice Hockey League .-History:The Mustangs IHC were founded in 2010... |
Docklands, Victoria | Icehouse National Ice Sports Centre, Melbourne The National Ice Sports Centre is an ice sports centre, located in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia.- Facilities :... |
2011 |
| Perth Thunder Perth Thunder The Perth Thunder are a semi-professional ice hockey team based at the Cockburn Ice Arena in Western Australia. They are members of the Australian Ice Hockey League.-History:The Perth Thunder were founded in 2010... |
Perth, Western Australia Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... |
Perth Ice Arena | 2012 |
Former teams
| Team | City | Arena | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Avalanche Adelaide Avalanche The Adelaide Adrenaline are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Thebarton, South Australia that play in the Australian Ice Hockey League .-History:... |
Thebarton, South Australia Thebarton, South Australia Thebarton is a suburb of the city of Adelaide, South Australia. The suburb is bounded by the River Torrens to the north, Port Road and Bonython Park to the east, Kintore Street to the south, and South Road to the west.... |
Ice ArenA | 2000-2008: Suspended operations June 2008 |
| Central Coast Rhinos Central Coast Rhinos The Central Coast Rhinos are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Erina, New South Wales, Australia that play in the Australian International Ice Hockey Cup. They are a former member Australian Ice Hockey League, playing in the league from 2005 to 2008... |
Erina, New South Wales Erina, New South Wales Erina is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located between Gosford and the Pacific Ocean at Terrigal. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area.... |
Erina Ice World Erina Fair Erina Fair is a major shopping centre located in Erina on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Erina Fair was opened as Central Coast Fair in 1987. With expansions in 1994, 2003 and 2009, Erina Fair has become the largest non-metropolitan shopping centre in Australia and the largest... |
2005-2008: Declined to sign licence for 2009 |
Regular season
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 between 3.30pm and 5.45pm depending on the venue.Teams nominally play each of their seven opponents in the league four times for a total of 24 regular season games. In previous seasons, some games were played for double-points (and count as two games) to keep travel costs down. There are no double-point games in 2011.
Overtime and points system
The AIHL's points system, introduced in its present form in 2006, is similar to ice hockey leagues in Europe. 3 points are awarded for a win, and 0 points for a loss. Games that end in a tie go to a shootout, with the standings table displaying both shootout wins (SOW) and shootout losses (SOL). Shootout wins are worth 2 points, while shootout losses are worth 1 point. The shootout replaced an NHL-style five-minute overtime period which was used up to 2005.Playoffs
For the 2000 season, the AIHL champion was the team that finished first in the standings at the end of the regular season. The AIHL introduced a championship game in 2001. In 2002 the Goodall Cup was awarded to the winner of the championship game for the first time; in previous seasons, the Goodall Cup had been held as a separate tournament. In 2003, the playoffs expanded to four teams (1 v 4, 2 v 3). The semi-finals and final remain single-game series, with all three games played at the same venue in one weekend; the 2006 AIHL playoffs were held in Adelaide. The AIHL has not announced any plans to expand the playoffs to multiple-game series.Playoff finals have been held in the following locations:
- 2001: Adelaide - Thebarton Snowdome (now the Adelaide Ice ArenA)
- 2002: Sydney - Blacktown Ice Arena
- 2003: Sydney - Glaciarium (now the Sydney Ice Arena)
- 2004: Central Coast, NSW - Erina Ice World (now Erina Ice Arena)
- 2005: Newcastle - Hunter Ice Skating Stadium, Warners Bay
- 2006: Adelaide - Adelaide Ice ArenA, Thebarton
- 2007: Sydney - Penrith Ice Palace, Penrith
- 2008: Newcastle - Hunter Ice Skating Stadium, Warners Bay
- 2009: Newcastle - Hunter Ice Skating Stadium, Warners Bay
- 2010: Melbourne - Icehouse, Docklands
- 2011: Melbourne - Icehouse, Docklands
Finals weekends will follow the format of semi finals on Saturday, 1v4 and 2v3 placed teams, followed by the two semi final winning teams playing for the Goodall Cup and the AIHL Championship on Sunday evening.
League champions
- 2000: Adelaide Avalanche (first in standings)
- 20012001 AIHL seasonThe 2001 AIHL season is the second season of the Australian Ice Hockey League . The Adelaide Avalanche finished first after the regular season and also won the championship final, defeating the Sydney Bears 10–7...
: Adelaide Avalanche (def. Sydney Bears in final) - 20022002 AIHL seasonThe 2002 AIHL season is the 3rd season of the Australian Ice Hockey League .-League business:The 2002 season saw the league expand from three teams to six with the introduction of the Melbourne Ice, Newcastle North Stars, and the West Sydney Ice Dogs....
: Sydney Bears (def. Adelaide Avalanche in final) - 20032003 AIHL seasonThe 2002 AIHL season is the 4th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League .-Regular season:-Playoffs:The playoffs were held at Sydney's Glaciarium...
: Newcastle North Stars (def. Western Sydney Ice Dogs in final) 4-1 - 20042004 AIHL seasonThe 2004 AIHL season was the 5th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 3rd in which the Goodall Cup was awarded to the league champions.The West Sydney Ice Dogs won their first Goodall Cup defeating the Newcastle Northstars in the championship game....
: Western Sydney Ice Dogs (def. Newcastle North Stars in final) 3-1 - 20052005 AIHL seasonThe 2005 AIHL season was the 6th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 4th in which the Goodall Cup was awarded to the league champions....
: Newcastle North Stars (def. Adelaide Avalanche in final) 3-1 - 20062006 AIHL seasonThe 2006 AIHL season was the 7th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 5th in which the Goodall Cup was awarded to the league champions.The Melbourne Ice mathematically clinched their first ever V.I.P...
: Newcastle North Stars (def. Adelaide Avalanche in final) 4-0 - 20072007 AIHL seasonThe 2007 AIHL season was the 8th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 6th in which the Goodall Cup will be awarded to the league champions....
: Bears (formerly Sydney Bears) (def. Newcastle North Stars in final during Overtime) 4-3 - 20082008 AIHL seasonThe 2008 AIHL season is the 9th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 7th in which the Goodall Cup will be awarded to the league champions.The season opened 19 April 2008 with games in Newcastle, Adelaide and Penrith....
: Newcastle North Stars (def. Western Sydney Ice Dogs in final) 4-1 - 20092009 AIHL seasonThe 2009 AIHL season is the 10th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League. The season opens on 25 April 2009 with games in Liverpool and Canberra. Newcastle North Stars won the V.I.P...
: Adelaide Adrenaline (def. Newcastle North Stars in final during Overtime) 3-2 - 20102010 AIHL seasonThe 2010 AIHL season is the 11th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League . It ran from 24 April 2010 until 22 August 2010, with the Goodall Cup finals following on 28 and 29 August.-League business:...
: Melbourne Ice (def. Adelaide Adrenaline in final) 6-4 - 20112011 AIHL seasonThe 2011 AIHL season is the 12th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League . It ran from 14 April 2011 until 28 August 2011, with the Goodall Cup finals following on 3 and 4 September. The Melbourne Ice won the H Newman Ried trophy after finishing first in the regular season standings with 65 points...
: Melbourne Ice (def. Newcastle North Stars in final) 3-2
Trophies and awards
Goodall CupThe champions of the AIHL are awarded the Goodall Cup, a perpetual national trophy third in age only to the Stanley Cup (1892) and the Allan Cup (1908).The Goodall Cup was incorporated into the AIHL in 2002 after the league expanded to 6 teams. The Goodall Cup is awarded to the team that wins the Finals series/playoffs weekend at the end of each season. The team that holds the Goodall Cup is considered to be the Australian champion.
The Goodall Cup was withdrawn from the AIHL in 2009 by the cup's custodians, Ice Hockey Australia. The Goodall Cup was instead awarded to South Australia in a traditional state vs state tournament held in Adelaide, South Australia in October 2009 as a 100 year celebration of the Goodall Cup.
In 2010 the Goodall Cup was offered back to the AIHL, and the cup accepted by a vote of the members and board. The Goodall Cup has been re-instated by the AIHL as its finals tournament trophy and as the prize signifying Australian champions of ice hockey.
Like in the case of the Stanley Cup, the original Goodall Cup is considered too delicate to travel and a replica is now awarded to the league champion team.
Currently the replica cup is kept at Melbourne's Icehouse, in Docklands and on display.
AIHL Champions Trophy
In 2009 Ice Hockey Australia withdrew the Goodall Cup from the AIHL, claiming it was instead to presented to the winning team from IHA's own tournament to be run in South Australia, celebrating the Cup's 100th anniversary since it was first awarded in a game between NSW and Victoria in 1909. Without a major trophy to present to its finals winning team, the AIHL designed and had manufactured its own unique trophy.
The new AIHL Champions Trophy was awarded to the 2009 AIHL Champions, the Adelaide Adrenaline following their victory in the 2009 final.
In 2010 the AIHL Champions Trophy was re-launched as the H Newman Reid Trophy, honouring the minor premiers from each season back to 2007.
H Newman Reid Trophy
The H Newman Reid Trophy is awarded to the regular season's minor premiers; that is, the team that finishes first overall in the standings.
Reid is considered the father of ice hockey in Australia, opening Australia's first two ice rinks and employing key people who introduced Australians, including his own children, to winter sports.
The H Newman Reid Trophy was first awarded in 2010 to the Newcastle North Stars after they finished first in the regular season with 54 points.
The Reid Trophy is backdated to 2007 including minor premiers the Adelaide Avalanche (2007), Sydney Bears (2008), and the Newcastle North Stars (2009 & 2010).
V.I.P. Cup
The V.I.P. Cup was awarded to the minor premiers of each season; that is, the team that finishes first overall in the standings at the end of the regular season. The VIP cup was last awarded to the Adelaide Avalanche in 2007. The VIP Cup was not returned to the league and has been replaced by the H Newman Reid Trophy.
Wilson Cup
The Wilson Cup is awarded to the winner of the AIHL pre-season competition, which began in 2007 and ran again in 2008 and 2009. No Wilson Cup was run in 2010 or 2011.
See also
- Players in the AIHL
- List of AIHL seasons
- New Zealand Ice Hockey LeagueNew Zealand Ice Hockey LeagueThe NZIHL is New Zealand’s national league. It is an amateur league that was formed in 2005 to develop the sport in the New Zealand and to give the top players regular competition against each other and to allow them to improve the skill level of the game domestically as well become more...