New Zealand Ice Hockey League
The New Zealand Ice Hockey League ( NZIHL ) is the highest hockey league in New Zealand and is subject to the New Zealand Ice Hockey Federation, a member of the IIHF. Although the league was founded in 2005 as an amateur league, use many professional players in the northern hemisphere the opportunity as part of its summer break to get some match practice in New Zealand since the league in the southern winter and thus played in the northern summer. The ultimate goal of the league, however, is to promote local hockey players and to present them at international level. Record champion of the League is with four championships Botany Swarm.
Team
In the 2011 season, five teams took three of the four regions of New Zealand the game operation in part:
Mode
Squad
According to the statutes of the League, each team must have at least 18 field players and two goalkeepers in the squad have, of which at least two players for the New Zealand Under-18 national team and at least three players must be eligible to play for the national U20 team. Since each squad must include a minimum of five junior players, a double counting of players is not possible.
The rest of the squad must be filled with any number of domestic players and overseas imports, each team may, however, use a maximum of five foreign players during a game.
Season structure
During a season of NZIHL the first five teams play a regular season of 16 games. The finale to the New Zealand Cup finally challenge the top two finishers of the regular season, the table sponsor has home advantage.
Master
- 2013: Canterbury Red Devils
- 2012: Canterbury Red Devils
- 2011: Botany Swarm
- 2010: Botany Swarm
- 2009: Canterbury Red Devils
- 2008: Botany Swarm
- 2007: Botany Swarm
- 2006: Southern Stampede
- 2005: Southern Stampede