"Summer" Hockey

[JMCx4]

It had been quite some time since I poked my head in on the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). Best I can piece together from their web & social media sites and from the Ice Hockey News Australia site, the league's 2021 season consists of two exhibition series: the McCormack Cup (running May 8 thru August 29) involving 3 teams (CBR Brave, Newcastle Northstars and Sydney Ice Dogs); and the Yarra Cup (running May 22 thru August 29) involving two teams (Melbourne Ice and Melbourne Mustangs). There have been several game postponements & cancellations due to COVID restrictions in the exhibition host states. It does seem that fans are being allowed to attend at least some of the games (media coverage is spotty as usual for this league), and the teams that could manage to compete this season are plugging along. I hope the AIHL can survive these circumstances & get back to some sense of stability in 2022.

Click to read more...

 

[GindyDraws]

Maybe one day, one day... Adelaide will get that elusive win.

 

[TSK1020]

Can ECHL and AHL players play in a leauge like the AIHL during the "off season". Curious to know how tied into the clubs they are. At same time they dont get paid much so cant imagine its too stringent. Help?

 

[JMCx4]

There have been former ECHL & AHL (and SPHL & FPHL) players who have played in the AIHL. The numbers are very small, as the AIHL only allows 2 or 3 import players per team (IIRC) and the Australian League is semi-pro (no salaries but some expenses covered). North American minor pro players are almost exclusively signed to single-season contracts, so they are free to play hockey elsewhere as they wish when not under contract. Not so much during the pandemic, though, for reasons of travel restrictions & because the AIHL is down to 5 teams playing an exhibition-only schedule with a reduced # of games this season.

 

[Af77]

Figure this is as good of a place as any to ask this. Does anyone here know anything about the quality of the AIHL? My very uneducated guess after a few minutes of research is that it is better than the FHL but a little below the SPHL.

 

[JMCx4]

Figure this is as good of a place as any to ask this. Does anyone here know anything about the quality of the AIHL? My very uneducated guess after a few minutes of research is that it is better than the FHL but a little below the SPHL.

From what I've seen of the AIHL play in pre-pandemic years on the League streams, the average level of talent wouldn't measure up to the current FPHL. Australia has been a destination in the past for a handful of SPHL & Canadian Junior B & lower level Euro players to get some extra playing time in their off-seasons, but the AIHL rosters are still dominated (according to League rules) by homegrown hockey guys. So the talent pool is typically at low tide. The most notable exception is a brief AIHL Sydney Ice Dogs player & the Washington Capitals' 2014 3rd round draft pick Nathan Walker, who is now in the St. Louis Blues' system.

 

[Af77]

From what I've seen of the AIHL play in pre-pandemic years on the League streams, the average level of talent wouldn't measure up to the current FPHL. Australia has been a destination in the past for a handful of SPHL & Canadian Junior B & lower level Euro players to get some extra playing time in their off-seasons, but the AIHL rosters are still dominated (according to League rules) by homegrown hockey guys. So the talent pool is typically at low tide. The most notable exception is a brief AIHL Sydney Ice Dogs player & the Washington Capitals' 2014 3rd round draft pick Nathan Walker, who is now in the St. Louis Blues' system.

Thank you!

 

[mk80]

Saw this thread and I guess I will put an updated addendum that there is now another league down under in addition to the AIHL

The 4 team PHL in their inaugural season:

Home - Pacific Hockey League

Welcome to the Pacific Hockey League - where the best of the best will play! Inaugural season kicks off in May 2022 with teams in Adelaide, Brisbane, Central Coast and Melbourne.

www.pacifichockeyleague.com.au

 

[JMCx4]

Saw this thread and I guess I will put an updated addendum that there is now another league down under in addition to the AIHL

The 4 team PHL in their inaugural season ...

Good find, @mk80. Per this Ice Hockey News Australia article from early Feb 2022, the PHL looks like a rogue league formed by principal partners that include former AIHL people. The AIHL countered a few days later with an announcement of expansion plans for 2023 (the Brisbane Lightning) & 2025 (a club in New Zealand), under the proclamation that they are "the biggest, strongest premier league in Australia." IMO, the introduction of the PHL has set up a period (duration unknown) of quibbling over operating territories & competing for ice time in a country with severely limited facilities. Plus there will be further dilution of the national talent pool. But boys will always be boys.

 

[GindyDraws]

Good find, @mk80. Per this Ice Hockey News Australia article from early Feb 2022, the PHL looks like a rogue league formed by principal partners that include former AIHL people. The AIHL countered a few days later with an announcement of expansion plans for 2023 (the Brisbane Lightning) & 2025 (a club in New Zealand), under the proclamation that they are "the biggest, strongest premier league in Australia." IMO, the introduction of the PHL has set up a period (duration unknown) of quibbling over operating territories & competing for ice time in a country with severely limited facilities. Plus there will be further dilution of the national talent pool. But boys will always be boys.

People, please.

It won't be until they fight for the Northern Territory that we know shit is getting petty.

 

[mk80]

Good find, @mk80. Per this Ice Hockey News Australia article from early Feb 2022, the PHL looks like a rogue league formed by principal partners that include former AIHL people. The AIHL countered a few days later with an announcement of expansion plans for 2023 (the Brisbane Lightning) & 2025 (a club in New Zealand), under the proclamation that they are "the biggest, strongest premier league in Australia." IMO, the introduction of the PHL has set up a period (duration unknown) of quibbling over operating territories & competing for ice time in a country with severely limited facilities. Plus there will be further dilution of the national talent pool. But boys will always be boys.

To highlight the bolded in your nugget of info.... this sets up another battle for territory and ice time with the NZIHL Official NZIHL Website - New Zealand Ice Hockey League

 

[JMCx4]

Figure this is as good of a place as any to ask this. Does anyone here know anything about the quality of the AIHL? My very uneducated guess after a few minutes of research is that it is better than the FHL but a little below the SPHL.

The AIHL has posted coverage of two recent exhibition matches on You Tube. A chance to make up your own mind re. quality of play ...

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=AIHL

 

[JMCx4]

The Pacific Hockey League must be considered a serious threat to the AIHL. PHL has already got a larger web media footprint ... https://youtube.com/c/PacificHockeyLeague

"Where The Best Of The Best Will Play"

 

[CrazyEddie20]

The AIHL has posted coverage of two recent exhibition matches on You Tube. A chance to make up your own mind re. quality of play ...

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=AIHL

I've seen better beer league games than what's in that video. To be fair, the AIHL draws from an extremely limited talent pool.

 

[JMCx4]

The AIHL (as currently organised) made it through their first full pseudo-regular season since 2019, and will begin their post-season playoffs this weekend. Season-ending standings look like this ...

According to Ice Hockey News Australia (who provides far more info than the League does) ...

Competition now moves onto the Goodall Cup playoffs. The first round of the playoffs are set for 2 September with the two semifinals. The first semifinal will see the third placed Sydney Bears take on the fourth placed Melbourne Mustangs for a chance to play in the preliminary final. In the second semifinal the CBR Brave take on the second placed Newcastle Northstars with the winner advancing to the grand final and the loser moving onto the preliminary final.

Hockey Down Under lives on.

 

[JMCx4]

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[JMCx4]