Australian Ice Hockey League

The Australian Ice Hockey League ( AIHL ) is the highest hockey league in Australia and is under Ice Hockey Australia, a member of the IIHF. The league was founded in 2001 by the Canberra Knights, Sydney Bears and Adelaide Avalanche. Two years later, three more teams were added.

The players of the AIHL are semi-professionals. During the summer break in the NHL in 2005 played Steve McKenna, former player in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins, for the Adelaide Avalanche. He returned in 2007 as a coach back to Australia.

Rob Zamuner, also a former NHL player, was in the 2006 interim at the Gold Coast Blue Tongues under contract.

• 4.1 Regular Season
• 4.2 Extension and points system
• 4.3 Playoffs

Teams 2012

• Adelaide Adrenaline
• Canberra Knights
• Gold Coast Blue Tongues
• Melbourne Ice
• Mustangs IHC
• Newcastle North Stars
• Perth Thunder
• Sydney Bears
• Sydney Ice Dogs

Former teams

• Adelaide Avalanche
• Central Coast Rhinos

Trophies

Goodall Cup

The Goodall Cup was first awarded in 1909, but only since 2002 to the master of the AIHL. Previously, he was the winner of the Cup States Championship in Australia. In a few years (1914-1920, 1940-1946, 1955-1960, 1993), the Cup was not played.

Behind the Stanley Cup ( 1892), the Queens Cup (1903), the Boyle Cup (1904 ) and the Allan Cup (1908 ) is the Goodall Cup, the fifth oldest hockey trophy.

The previous Goodall Cup winner ( 1909-1999 ):

• New South Wales 35 times
• Victoria 24 times
• South Australia 6 times
• Queensland 1 times
• Australian Capital Territory 1 times

Winner of the regular season

By 2009, the V.I.P. was Cup awarded to the team that was in first place after the regular season. Was introduced to the Cup in 2006 and was named after the sponsor (VIP Home Service ). During its existence could V.I.P. Cup winner never in the same season the champion trophy, the Goodall Cup win. For the 2010 season the H Newman Reid Trophy replaced the VIP Cup from a trophy for the champion of the regular season.

The V.I.P. Cup winner:

• 2006 - Melbourne Ice
• 2007 - Adelaide Avalanche
• 2008 - AIHL Bears
• 2009 - Newcastle North Stars

The previous H Newman Reid Trophy Winner:

• 2010 - Newcastle North Stars
• 2011 - Melbourne Ice

Wilson Cup

The Wilson Cup the team that decides the has been held since the 2008 season, pre-season competition for themselves.

2009 won the Central Coast Rhinos Wilson Cup, but were no longer in the AIHL season 2009.

Season structure

Regular Season

The AIHL season starts in April every year and lasts for six months. Games are almost exclusively played on Saturdays or Sundays, mainly in the afternoon, but there are also some evening games. Each team plays a total of four times against each of the other seven teams, so each team comes to 28 games.

Extension and points system

The points system as it currently exists in the AIHL, was not introduced until 2006. Three points are awarded to a team for a win, no points for a defeat. Ends a game is tied, a penalty shootout is performed. The winner of the shootout gets two points, the losing team at least one point. By 2005 a five-minute extension was played instead of a shootout.

Playoffs

2000 and 2001 the team was promoted to master that in the regular season leading the table. A final game for the championship was introduced in 2002. 2003, the playoffs were expanded from two to four teams, with the semifinals and the finals went through each game. So far there are no plans of the league that make the playoffs in the future series, as known from the NHL are "best of seven" discharged.

AIHL champions

• 2001 Adelaide Avalanche
• 2002 Sydney Bears
• 2003 Newcastle North Stars
• 2004 Western Sydney Ice Dogs
• 2005 Newcastle North Stars
• 2006 Newcastle North Stars
• 2007 AIHL Bears
• 2008 Newcastle North Stars
• 2009 Adelaide Adrenaline
• 2010 Melbourne Ice
• 2011 Melbourne Ice
• 2012 Melbourne Ice
• 2013 Sydney Ice Dogs