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128-542: The Australian Ice Hockey League ( AIHL ) is Australia's top-level men's ice hockey league. Established in 2000, the AIHL is sanctioned by Ice Hockey Australia (a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation ). The AIHL is a semi-professional league that is contested by ten franchised teams in two conferences spanning six Australian states and territories . AIHL premiers are awarded
256-419: A centre and two wingers : a left wing and a right wing . Forwards often play together as units or lines , with the same three forwards always playing together. The defencemen usually stay together as a pair generally divided between left and right. Left and right side wingers or defencemen are generally positioned on the side on which they carry their stick. A substitution of an entire unit at once
384-401: A penalty shootout . If the score remains tied after an extra overtime period, the subsequent shootout consists of three players from each team taking penalty shots. After these six total shots, the team with the most goals is awarded the victory. If the score is still tied, the shootout then proceeds to sudden death . Regardless of the number of goals scored by either team during the shootout,
512-409: 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. The conference restructure flowed into Finals format changes. The conference winners would draw the opposing conference's second-place finisher in
640-405: A chest protector, a goalie mask, and a large jersey. Goaltenders' equipment has continually become larger and larger, leading to fewer goals in each game and many official rule changes. Ice hockey skates are optimized for physical acceleration, speed and manoeuvrability. This includes rapid starts, stops, turns, and changes in skating direction. In addition, they must be rigid and tough to protect
768-537: A forward. The seventh defenceman may play as a substitute defenceman, spend the game on the bench, or if a team chooses to play four lines then this seventh defenceman may see ice-time on the fourth line as a forward. A professional ice hockey game consists of three periods of twenty minutes, the clock running only when the puck is in play. The teams change ends after each period of play, including overtime. Recreational leagues and children's leagues often play shorter games, generally with three shorter periods of play. If
896-549: A game is tied after regulation, then a 20-minute period of 5-on-5 sudden-death overtime will be added. If the game is still tied after the overtime, another period is added until a team scores, which wins the match. Since 2019, the IIHF World Championships and the gold medal game in the Olympics use the same format, but in a 3-on-3 format. In ice hockey, infractions of the rules lead to a play stoppage whereby
1024-412: A goal scored by the other team. Major penalties assessed for fighting are typically offsetting, meaning neither team is short-handed and the players exit the penalty box upon a stoppage of play following the expiration of their respective penalties. The foul of boarding (defined as "check[ing] an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards") is penalized either by
1152-528: A larger blade and a wide, flat shaft. This stick is primarily intended to block shots, but the goaltender may use it to play the puck as well. Ice hockey is a full-contact sport and carries a high risk of injury. Players are moving at speeds around approximately 20–30 mph (30–50 km/h) and much of the game revolves around the physical contact between the players. Skate blades, hockey sticks, shoulder contact, hip contact, and hockey pucks can all potentially cause injuries. Lace bite , an irritation felt on
1280-690: A minimum 10 AIHL matches in a season. Legend: AIHL season awards are announced near or at the end of the regular season, with the Finals MVP announced after the conclusion of the Goodall Cup Final. Below is the known history of AIHL award winners. References: Damien Ketlo, the 2017 save percentage leader, became a contestant on Big Brother Canada season 7 and mentioned Australian hockey in episode 22. Ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America)
1408-507: A minor or major penalty at the discretion of the referee, based on the violent state of the hit. A minor or major penalty for boarding is often assessed when a player checks an opponent from behind and into the boards. Some varieties of penalty do not require the offending team to play a man short. Concurrent five-minute major penalties in the NHL usually result from fighting. In the case of two players being assessed five-minute fighting majors, both
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#17327758014301536-436: A neck protector. Goaltenders use different equipment. With hockey pucks approaching them at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h) they must wear equipment with more protection. Goaltenders wear specialized goalie skates (these skates are built more for movement side to side rather than forwards and backwards), a jock or jill, large leg pads (there are size restrictions in certain leagues), blocking glove, catching glove,
1664-539: A new board of directors and executive team as well as the adoption of a new finals format and increase to game lengths. 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. The League also announced a new license holder for the Adelaide Adrenaline franchise, headed by Benny Gebert and Glen Foll. A new domestic broadcasting deal
1792-526: A new organized game with codified rules which today is ice hockey. While the general characteristics of the game remain constant, the exact rules depend on the particular code of play being used. The two most important codes are those of the IIHF and the NHL. Both of these codes, and others, originated from Canadian rules of ice hockey of the early 20th century. Ice hockey is played on a hockey rink . During normal play, there are six players on ice skates on
1920-488: A penalty, but was an infraction in the NHL before recent rules changes, is the two-line offside pass . Prior to the 2005–06 NHL season, play was stopped when a pass from inside a team's defending zone crossed the centre line, with a face-off held in the defending zone of the offending team. Now, the centre line is no longer used in the NHL to determine a two-line pass infraction, a change that the IIHF had adopted in 1998. Players are now able to pass to teammates who are more than
2048-409: A player may receive up to nineteen minutes in penalties for one string of plays. This could involve receiving a four-minute double-minor penalty, getting in a fight with an opposing player who retaliates, and then receiving a game misconduct after the fight. In this case, the player is ejected and two teammates must serve the double-minor and major penalties. A penalty shot is awarded to a player when
2176-415: A shot or pass play. Officials also stop play for puck movement violations, such as using one's hands to pass the puck in the offensive end, but no players are penalized for these offences. The sole exceptions are deliberately falling on or gathering the puck to the body, carrying the puck in the hand, and shooting the puck out of play in one's defensive zone (all penalized two minutes for delay of game). In
2304-566: 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
2432-492: A team losing a skater during regulation instead causes the other side to add a skater. Once the penalized team's penalty ends, the penalized skater exits the penalty box and the teams continue at 4-on-4 until the next stoppage of play, at which point the teams return to three skaters per side. International play and several North American professional leagues, including the NHL (in the regular season), now use an overtime period identical to that from 1999–2000 to 2003–04 followed by
2560-409: A tie occurs in tournament play, as well as in the NHL playoffs, North Americans favour sudden death overtime , in which the teams continue to play twenty-minute periods until a goal is scored. Up until the 1999–2000 season, regular-season NHL games were settled with a single five-minute sudden death period with five players (plus a goalie) per side, with both teams awarded one point in the standings in
2688-576: A week broadcast during the regular season on Foxtel 's Fox Sports channels. 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. During the 2013 AIHL season , the Sydney Ice Dogs secured the Premiership-Championship double by finishing top of the regular season standings and winning
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#17327758014302816-402: 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
2944-500: 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,
3072-406: Is a team sport played on ice skates , usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey . Two opposing teams use ice hockey sticks to control, advance, and shoot a vulcanized rubber hockey puck into the other team's net. Each goal is worth one point. The team with the highest score after an hour of playing time
3200-462: Is a full-contact sport, body checks are allowed so injuries are a common occurrence. Protective equipment is mandatory and is enforced in all competitive situations. This includes a helmet with either a visor or a full face mask, shoulder pads, elbow pads, mouth guard, protective gloves, heavily padded shorts (also known as hockey pants) or a girdle, athletic cup (also known as a jock, for males; and jill, for females), shin pads, skates, and (optionally)
3328-410: Is also a penalty in certain leagues in order to reduce the chance of injury to players. Often the term checking is used to refer to body checking, with its true definition generally only propagated among fans of the game. One of the most important strategies for a team is their forecheck . Forechecking is the act of attacking the opposition in their defensive zone. Forechecking is an important part of
3456-854: Is awarded annually to the most valuable player of the Australian Ice Hockey League All-Star Game. As of 2018, the Cup was re-purposed as the award to the winning team of the Australian Ice Hockey League All-Star Game. The trophy is named after Australian ice hockey advocate, Mick McCormack, who is the CEO of APA Group. Recipients of the Mick McCormack Cup include Pat O’Kane from the Melbourne Mustangs ( 2015 ), Michael Dorr of Perth Thunder ( 2016 ), and Dominic Jalbert of CBR Brave ( 2017 ). Team Rezek won
3584-419: 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
3712-459: Is called a line change . Teams typically employ alternate sets of forward lines and defensive pairings when short-handed or on a power play . The goaltender stands in a, usually blue, semi-circle called the crease in the defensive zone keeping pucks out of the goal. Substitutions are permitted at any time during the game, although during a stoppage of play the home team is permitted the final change. When players are substituted during play, it
3840-418: Is called changing on the fly . An NHL rule added in the 2005–06 season prevents a team from changing their line after they ice the puck. The boards surrounding the ice help keep the puck in play and they can also be used as tools to play the puck. Players are permitted to bodycheck opponents into the boards to stop progress. The referees, linesmen and the outsides of the goal are "in play" and do not stop
3968-569: 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
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4096-568: Is declared the winner; ties are broken in overtime or a shootout . In a formal game, each team has six skaters on the ice at a time, barring any penalties, including a goaltender . It is a full contact game and one of the more physically demanding team sports. The modern sport of ice hockey was developed in Canada, most notably in Montreal , where the first indoor game was played on March 3, 1875. Some characteristics of that game, such as
4224-528: Is if a team opts to pull their goalie in exchange for an extra skater during overtime and is subsequently scored upon (an empty net goal), in which case the losing team receives no points for the overtime loss. Since the 2015–16 season, the single five-minute sudden-death overtime session involves three skaters on each side. Since three skaters must always be on the ice in an NHL game, the consequences of penalties are slightly different from those during regulation play; any penalty during overtime that would result in
4352-403: Is the left wing lock , which has two forwards pressure the puck and the left wing and the two defencemen stay at the blueline. Offensive tactics include improving a team's position on the ice by advancing the puck out of one's zone towards the opponent's zone, progressively by gaining lines, first your own blue line, then the red line and finally the opponent's blue line. NHL rules instated for
4480-457: The dump and chase strategy (i.e. shooting the puck into the offensive zone and then chasing after it). Each team uses their own unique system but the main ones are: 2–1–2 , 1–2–2, and 1–4. The 2–1–2 is the most basic forecheck system where two forwards go in deep and pressure the opposition's defencemen, the third forward stays high and the two defencemen stay at the blueline. The 1–2–2 is a bit more conservative system where one forward pressures
4608-552: 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
4736-534: The H Newman Reid Trophy and AIHL champions are awarded the Goodall Cup , the world's third oldest ice hockey trophy, having been first awarded in 1909. The most successful team in AIHL history is the Newcastle Northstars , having claimed six championship titles. The current champions, from 2024 , are the Canberra Brave . The Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) was formed in 2000 following
4864-795: The Sydney Bears hosted an exhibition All-Star event and match at the Penrith Ice Palace . The All Star Classic had the Bears Veterans (over 35's) face off against the Rookies (Under 35s). The Rookies team won the All Star Classic 9–5. During the season three teams competed against the AIHL's provisional member, Perth Thunder , in order for the Thunder to gain entry into the league for the following season. In May
4992-440: 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
5120-659: The 1930s, hockey was an on-side game, meaning that only backward passes were allowed. Those rules emphasized individual stick-handling to drive the puck forward. With the arrival of offside rules, the forward pass transformed hockey into a true team sport, where individual performance diminished in importance relative to team play, which could now be coordinated over the entire surface of the ice as opposed to merely rearward players. The six players on each team are typically divided into three forwards, two defencemen, and one goaltender. The term skaters typically applies to all players except goaltenders. The forward positions consist of
5248-416: The 2006 season redefined the offside rule to make the two-line pass legal; a player may pass the puck from behind his own blue line, past both that blue line and the centre red line, to a player on the near side of the opponents' blue line. Offensive tactics are designed ultimately to score a goal by taking a shot. When a player purposely directs the puck towards the opponent's goal, he or she is said to "shoot"
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5376-747: 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 withdrawal of
5504-692: The AIHL and the New Zealand Ice Hockey League (NZIHL) jointly announced the formation of the Trans-Tasman Champions League . 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. After Season 2011 finished, in November 2011, at
5632-557: 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. The AIHL season commences mid April and runs through to
5760-479: 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
5888-726: 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 . The League adopted the international recognised hybrid icing rule to assist AIHL players in preparation for IIHF competition while continuing to protect players from
6016-659: 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 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 . 2009 also saw the Goodall Cup withdrawn from the AIHL by Ice Hockey Australia so it could return to being
6144-573: The Blue Tongues home venue, Bundall Iceland. The AIHL deemed that the Blue Tongues have forfeited the game against the Ice Dogs 5–0, with the Ice Dogs being awarded the full three points. From 20 to 21 August the Australia men's national ice hockey team will field a team at the 2011 New Zealand Winter Games so only two games will be held for that weekend. Prior to the regular season,
6272-551: The Easton Conference during the 2012 regular season. 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. 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
6400-572: The H Newman Ried trophy after finishing first in the regular season standings with 65 points. The Ice also won the Goodall Cup final series after defeating the Newcastle North Stars in the final. In 2011 the AIHL had 8 teams competing in the league. During the off-season the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) announced two new teams would be joining the league. The Mustangs IHC were announced to become
6528-542: 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
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#17327758014306656-410: The NHL, a unique penalty applies to the goalies. The goalies now are forbidden to play the puck in the "corners" of the rink near their own net. This will result in a two-minute penalty against the goalie's team. Only in the area in front of the goal line and immediately behind the net (marked by two red lines on either side of the net) can the goalie play the puck. An additional rule that has never been
6784-610: The National Hockey League, a number of leagues have implemented the "four-official system", where an additional referee is added to aid in the calling of penalties normally difficult to assess by one referee. The system is used in every NHL game since 2001, at IIHF World Championships , the Olympics and in many professional and high-level amateur leagues in North America and Europe. Officials are selected by
6912-472: The Newcastle North Stars (2009 & 2010). 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. The Wilson Cup is awarded to
7040-596: The Thunder in a two-game series. The Thunder won both the first and second game 4–2. The Melbourne Ice won the H Newman Reid Trophy after finishing first in the regular season standings with 65 points. Last years winners, the Newcastle North Stars finished second with 59 points. Jason Baclig of the Melbourne Ice was named the 2011 AIHL MVP edging out the Gold Coast Blue Tongues' Matt Amado and Sydney Ice Dogs' Matt Monaghan. ^ I Game
7168-512: The Thunder travelled to Adelaide to compete in two games against the Adelaide Adrenaline. They drew the first game 2–2 and won the second 3–0. In June the Melbourne Ice travelled to Perth to compete in two games against the Thunder at the Cockburn Ice Arena. The Ice won the first game 4–3 and lost the second game 3–6 after letting in six goals to none in the final period. In September the Newcastle North Stars traveled to Perth to play
7296-419: 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. 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. The league signed
7424-415: The app determines that a particular impact has the potential to cause brain injury, it will alert the coach who can in turn seek medical attention for the individual. Defensive ice hockey tactics vary from more active to more conservative styles of play. One distinction is between man-to-man oriented defensive systems, and zonal oriented defensive systems, though a lot of teams use a combination between
7552-477: The blue and centre ice red line away. The NHL has taken steps to speed up the game of hockey and create a game of finesse, by reducing the number of illegal hits, fights, and "clutching and grabbing" that occurred in the past. Rules are now more strictly enforced, resulting in more penalties, which provides more protection to the players and facilitates more goals being scored. The governing body for United States' amateur hockey has implemented many new rules to reduce
7680-727: The championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL). In the early 1900s, the Canadian rules were adopted by the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace , in Paris , France, the precursor to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The sport was played for the first time at the Olympics during the 1920 Summer Games —today it is a mainstay at the Winter Olympics . In 1994, ice hockey
7808-491: 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 . 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
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#17327758014307936-464: 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. First awarded in 2015, the Mick McCormack Cup
8064-534: The cup in 2018 . 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
8192-485: The eighth team in the AIHL starting in the 2011 season. The Mustangs are based at Docklands, Victoria , the home of the Melbourne Ice . The ninth team, Perth Thunder , were accepted into the league as a provisional member. The Thunder will play exhibition games against other AIHL teams during the 2011 season in order to gain the vote to be accepted for the 2012 season. At the Annual General Meeting it
8320-452: The event of a tie. With a goal, the winning team would be awarded two points and the losing team none (just as if they had lost in regulation). The total elapsed time from when the puck first drops, is about 2 hours and 20 minutes for a 60-minute game. From the 1999–2000 until the 2003–04 seasons, the National Hockey League decided ties by playing a single five-minute sudden-death overtime period with each team having four skaters per side (plus
8448-416: 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 was backdated to 2008 including minor premiers the Sydney Bears (2008) and
8576-411: The final score recorded will award the winning team one more goal than the score at the end of regulation time. In the NHL if a game is decided in overtime or by a shootout the winning team is awarded two points in the standings and the losing team is awarded one point. Ties no longer occur in the NHL. Overtime in the NHL playoffs differs from the regular season. In the playoffs there are no shootouts. If
8704-511: The front of the foot or ankle, is a common ice hockey injury. Compared to athletes who play other sports, ice hockey players are at higher risk of overuse injuries and injuries caused by early sports specialization by teenagers. According to the Hughston Health Alert, prior to the widespread use of helmets and face cages, "Lacerations to the head, scalp, and face are the most frequent types of injury [in hockey]." One of
8832-427: The game , too many players on the ice , boarding , illegal equipment, charging (leaping into an opponent or body-checking him after taking more than two strides), holding, holding the stick (grabbing an opponent's stick), interference, hooking , slashing , kneeing, unsportsmanlike conduct (arguing a penalty call with referee, extremely vulgar or inappropriate verbal comments), "butt-ending" (striking an opponent with
8960-411: The game when the puck or players either bounce into or collide with them. Play can be stopped if the goal is knocked out of position. Play often proceeds for minutes without interruption. After a stoppage, play is restarted with a faceoff . Two players face each other and an official drops the puck to the ice, where the two players attempt to gain control of the puck. Markings (circles) on the ice indicate
9088-406: The game. There are typically two linesmen who are mainly responsible for calling "offside" and " icing " violations, breaking up fights, and conducting faceoffs, and one or two referees , who call goals and all other penalties. Linesmen can report to the referee(s) that a penalty should be assessed against an offending player in some situations. The restrictions on this practice vary depending on
9216-401: The goalie). In the event of a tie, each team would still receive one point in the standings but in the event of a victory the winning team would be awarded two points in the standings and the losing team one point. The idea was to discourage teams from playing for a tie, since previously some teams might have preferred a tie and 1 point to risking a loss and zero points. The exception to this rule
9344-402: The goaltender carries a stick consisting of a long, relatively wide, and slightly curved flat blade, attached to a shaft. The curve itself has a big impact on its performance. A deep curve allows for lifting the puck easier while a shallow curve allows for easier backhand shots. The flex of the stick also impacts the performance. Typically, a less flexible stick is meant for a stronger player since
9472-404: The governing rules. On-ice officials are assisted by off-ice officials who act as goal judges, time keepers, and official scorers. The most widespread system is the "three-man system", which uses one referee and two linesmen. A less commonly used system is the two referee and one linesman system. This system is close to the regular three-man system except for a few procedure changes. Beginning with
9600-591: 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. 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
9728-484: The grand final. 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. Thus confirming
9856-445: The grand final. It was the first time the Ice Dogs had won either the H Newman Reid Trophy or Goodall Cup since 2004 . 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. A Canberra player and community led consortium
9984-465: The head and most types of forceful stick-on-body contact are illegal. A delayed penalty call occurs when an offence is committed by the team that does not have possession of the puck. In this circumstance the team with possession of the puck is allowed to complete the play; that is, play continues until a goal is scored, a player on the opposing team gains control of the puck, or the team in possession commits an infraction or penalty of their own. Because
10112-568: The heads, as well as checks to unsuspecting players. Studies show that ice hockey causes 44.3% of all sports-related traumatic brain injuries among Canadian children. Some teams in the Swiss National League are testing out systems that combine helmet-integrated sensors and analysis software to reveal a player's ongoing brain injury risk during a game. These sensors provide players and coaches with real-time data on head impact strength, frequency, and severity. Furthermore, if
10240-446: 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
10368-458: The ice per side, one of them being the goaltender. The objective of the game is to score goals by shooting a hard vulcanized rubber disc, the puck , into the opponent's goal net at the opposite end of the rink. The players use their sticks to pass or shoot the puck. With certain restrictions, players may redirect the puck with any part of their body. Players may not hold the puck in their hand and are prohibited from using their hands to pass
10496-456: The ice. Loafing , also known as cherry-picking , is when a player, usually a forward, skates behind an attacking team, instead of playing defence, in an attempt to create an easy scoring chance. 2011 AIHL season The 2011 AIHL season is the 12th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). 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
10624-417: The illegal actions of another player stop a clear scoring opportunity, most commonly when the player is on a breakaway . A penalty shot allows the obstructed player to pick up the puck on the centre red-line and attempt to score on the goalie with no other players on the ice, to compensate for the earlier missed scoring opportunity. A penalty shot is also awarded for a defender other than the goaltender covering
10752-624: 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. 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. In August 2011,
10880-422: The knob of the stick), "spearing" (jabbing an opponent with the blade of the stick), or cross-checking . As of the 2005–2006 season, a minor penalty is also assessed for diving , where a player embellishes or simulates an offence. More egregious fouls may be penalized by a four-minute double-minor penalty, particularly those that injure the victimized player. These penalties end either when the time runs out or when
11008-476: 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
11136-482: The leading causes of head injury is body checking from behind. Due to the danger of delivering a check from behind, many leagues – including the NHL – have made this a major and game misconduct penalty. Another type of check that accounts for many of the player-to-player contact concussions is a check to the head resulting in a misconduct penalty (called "head contact"). In recent years, the NHL has implemented new rules which penalize and suspend players for illegal checks to
11264-492: The league they work for. Amateur hockey leagues use guidelines established by national organizing bodies as a basis for choosing their officiating staffs. In North America, the national organizing bodies Hockey Canada and USA Hockey approve officials according to their experience level as well as their ability to pass rules knowledge and skating ability tests. Hockey Canada has officiating levels I through VI. USA Hockey has officiating levels 1 through 4. Since men's ice hockey
11392-436: The league was suspended but it was later cancelled. In 2021, exhibition series were run instead of the league, but they were interrupted due to the ongoing outbreak. In 2021, AIHL Commissioner, David Turik, resigned from the role by “mutual agreement”, no reasons for his departure were disclosed. In 2022, the AIHL announced it would be returning to a regular season for the first time since 2019. The league released information of
11520-406: The length of the ice rink and the use of a puck, have been retained to this day. Amateur ice hockey leagues began in the 1880s, and professional ice hockey originated around 1900. The Stanley Cup , emblematic of ice hockey club supremacy, was initially commissioned in 1892 as the "Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup" and was first awarded in 1893 to recognise the Canadian amateur champion and later became
11648-562: The locations for the faceoff and guide the positioning of players. Three major rules of play in ice hockey limit the movement of the puck: offside , icing , and the puck going out of play. Under IIHF rules, each team may carry a maximum of 20 players and two goaltenders on their roster. NHL rules restrict the total number of players per game to 18, plus two goaltenders. In the NHL, the players are usually divided into four lines of three forwards, and into three pairs of defencemen. On occasion, teams may elect to substitute an extra defenceman for
11776-435: The misconduct (a two-and-ten or five-and-ten ). In this case, the team designates another player to serve the minor or major; both players go to the penalty box, but only the designee may not be replaced, and he is released upon the expiration of the two or five minutes, at which point the ten-minute misconduct begins. In addition, game misconducts are assessed for deliberate intent to inflict severe injury on an opponent (at
11904-417: The number of stick-on-body occurrences, as well as other detrimental and illegal facets of the game ("zero tolerance"). In men's hockey, but not in women's, a player may use his hip or shoulder to hit another player if the player has the puck or is the last to have touched it. This use of the hip and shoulder is called body checking . Not all physical contact is legal—in particular, hits from behind, hits to
12032-442: The officials' discretion), or for a major penalty for a stick infraction or repeated major penalties. The offending player is ejected from the game and must immediately leave the playing surface (he does not sit in the penalty box); meanwhile, if an additional minor or major penalty is assessed, a designated player must serve out of that segment of the penalty in the box (similar to the above-mentioned "two-and-ten"). In some rare cases,
12160-540: The other team scores during the power play. In the case of a goal scored during the first two minutes of a double-minor, the penalty clock is set down to two minutes upon a score, effectively expiring the first minor penalty. Five-minute major penalties are called for especially violent instances of most minor infractions that result in intentional injury to an opponent, or when a minor penalty results in visible injury (such as bleeding), as well as for fighting. Major penalties are always served in full; they do not terminate on
12288-413: The other, the opposing team gets a power play for the remainder of the time); this applies regardless of current pending penalties. In the NHL, a team always has at least three skaters on the ice. Thus, ten-minute misconduct penalties are served in full by the penalized player, but his team may immediately substitute another player on the ice unless a minor or major penalty is assessed in conjunction with
12416-468: The penalty is still assessed to the offending player, but not served. In 2012, this rule was changed by the United States' National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for college level hockey . In college games, the penalty is still enforced even if the team in possession scores. A typical game of hockey is governed by two to four officials on the ice, charged with enforcing the rules of
12544-470: The period lengths to twenty minutes each. The change was scheduled to come into effect for the 2020 season until the season was cancelled. It was finally introduced in the 2022 season . 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. 3 points
12672-499: The play is restarted at a faceoff. Some infractions result in a penalty on a player or team. In the simplest case, the offending player is sent to the penalty box and their team must play with one less player on the ice for a designated time. Minor penalties last for two minutes, major penalties last for five minutes, and a double minor penalty is two consecutive penalties of two minutes duration. A single minor penalty may be extended by two minutes for causing visible injury to
12800-411: The player is looking for the right balanced flex that allows the stick to flex easily while still having a strong "whip-back" which sends the puck flying at high speeds. It is quite distinct from sticks in other sports games and most suited to hitting and controlling the flat puck. Its unique shape contributed to the early development of the game. The goaltender carries a stick of a different design, with
12928-461: The players serve five minutes without their team incurring a loss of player (both teams still have a full complement of players on the ice). This differs with two players from opposing sides getting minor penalties, at the same time or at any intersecting moment, resulting from more common infractions. In this case, both teams will have only four skating players (not counting the goaltender) until one or both penalties expire (if one penalty expires before
13056-437: The playoff series. Melbourne Ice who finished first in the standings was drawn against the Adelaide Adrenaline who finished fourth in the first semi-final match, while the second semi-final was played between the second and third ranked teams, Newcastle North Stars and Sydney Ice Dogs . The series was a single game elimination with the two winning semi-finalists advancing to the Goodall Cup final. All three games were held at
13184-439: The puck carrier and the other two forwards cover the oppositions' wingers, with the two defencemen staying at the blueline. The 1–4 is the most defensive forecheck system, referred to as the neutral zone trap, where one forward applies pressure to the puck carrier around the oppositions' blueline and the other four players stand basically in a line by their blueline in hopes the opposition will skate into one of them. Another strategy
13312-406: The puck carrier in the neutral zone preventing him from entering the offensive zone. Body checking is using one's shoulder or hip to strike an opponent who has the puck or who is the last to have touched it (the last person to have touched the puck is still legally "in possession" of it, although a penalty is generally called if he is checked more than two seconds after his last touch). Body checking
13440-405: The puck in the goal crease, a goaltender intentionally displacing his own goal posts during a breakaway to avoid a goal, a defender intentionally displacing his own goal posts when there is less than two minutes to play in regulation time or at any point during overtime, or a player or coach intentionally throwing a stick or other object at the puck or the puck carrier and the throwing action disrupts
13568-443: The puck to their teammates unless they are in the defensive zone. Players can knock a puck out of the air with their hands to themselves. Players are prohibited from kicking the puck into the opponent's goal, though unintentional redirections off the skate are permitted. Players may not intentionally bat the puck into the net with their hands. Hockey is an off-side game, meaning that forward passes are allowed, unlike in rugby. Before
13696-409: The puck. A deflection is a shot that redirects a shot or a pass towards the goal from another player, by allowing the puck to strike the stick and carom towards the goal. A one-timer is a shot struck directly off a pass, without receiving the pass and shooting in two separate actions. Headmanning the puck , also known as breaking out , is the tactic of rapidly passing to the player farthest down
13824-666: 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. 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
13952-506: 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
14080-418: The right side" (of the puck). Another popular concept in ice hockey defensive tactics is that of playing a 200-foot game . An important defensive tactic is checking—attempting to take the puck from an opponent or to remove the opponent from play. Stick checking , sweep checking , and poke checking are legal uses of the stick to obtain possession of the puck. The neutral zone trap is designed to isolate
14208-611: The risks of potentially damaging collisions. 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. In 2017, following the completion of renovations, the Sydney Bears and Sydney Ice Dogs relocated from Penrith and Liverpool to Macquarie Ice Rink . In 2018, AIHL Commissioner, Rob Bannerman, stepped down after six years in
14336-637: The role. Bannerman would be relocating to the United States to pursue a career change. 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. David Turik was subsequently appointed the new AIHL Commissioner. 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
14464-525: 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. 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. The AIHL signed its first broadcast deal with Australian-based pay-television service Fox Sports . The deal would see one game
14592-543: The semi-finals, rather than the traditional 1v4 and 2v3. Winners of the semi's would advance to the Goodall Cup Final as normal. 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. 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
14720-544: The skater's feet from contact with other skaters, sticks, pucks, the boards, and the ice itself. Rigidity also improves the overall manoeuvrability of the skate. Blade length, thickness (width), and curvature (rocker/radius) (front to back) and radius of hollow (across the blade width) are quite different from speed or figure skates. Hockey players usually adjust these parameters based on their skill level, position, and body type. The blade width of most skates are about 1 ⁄ 8 inch (3.2 mm) thick. Each player other than
14848-521: The table below: 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
14976-407: The team on which the penalty was called cannot control the puck without stopping play, it is impossible for them to score a goal. In these cases, the team in possession of the puck can pull the goalie for an extra attacker without fear of being scored on. It is possible for the controlling team to mishandle the puck into their own net. If a delayed penalty is signalled and the team in possession scores,
15104-580: The two semi finals advance to the final, held on the Sunday, to compete for the Goodall Cup and the AIHL Championship. 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
15232-399: The two. Defensive skills involve pass interception , shot blocking , and stick checking (in which an attempt to take away the puck or cut off the puck lane is initiated by the stick of the defensive player). Tactical points of emphasis in ice hockey defensive play are concepts like "managing gaps" (gap control), "boxing out"' (not letting the offensive team go on the inside), and "staying on
15360-498: The victimized player. This is usually when blood is drawn during high sticking. Players may be also assessed personal extended penalties or game expulsions for misconduct in addition to the penalty or penalties their team must serve. The team that has been given a penalty is said to be playing short-handed while the opposing team is on a power play . A two-minute minor penalty is often charged for lesser infractions such as tripping , elbowing , roughing , high-sticking , delay of
15488-424: 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. 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. Legend: Top-ten season totals for skaters and goaltender in four categories. For goaltenders, to qualify for lists, a player must have played
15616-483: 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 2008. 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
15744-640: Was established to keep an AIHL licence in Canberra following the Knight's collaps. 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 . 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
15872-403: Was forfeited due to poor ice conditions. Source List shows the ten top skaters sorted by points, then goals. Only the top five goaltenders, based on save percentage with a minimum of ten games played. The 2011 Finals weekend started on 3 September 2011, with the Goodall Cup final being held on 4 September 2011. Following the end of the regular season the top four teams advanced to
16000-601: Was held in 1990, and women's play was introduced into the Olympics in 1998 . Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere, primarily bandy , hurling , and shinty . The North American sport of lacrosse , derived from tribal Native American games, was also influential. The former games were brought to North America and several similar winter games using informal rules developed, such as shinny and ice polo, but later were absorbed into
16128-404: Was officially recognized as Canada's national winter sport. While women also played during the game's early formative years, it was not until organizers began to officially remove body checking from female ice hockey beginning in the mid-1980s that it began to gain greater popularity, which by then had spread to Europe and a variety of other countries. The first IIHF Women's World Championship
16256-482: Was proposed to increase the length of the games periods from 15 minutes to 20 minutes to be inline with International Ice Hockey Federation rules however the proposal was unsuccessful due to reasons such as costs to the teams and the ability to fill the four lines with AIHL-level players. On 10 July the game between the Gold Coast Blue Tongues and the Sydney Ice Dogs was cancelled due to an unsafe surface at
16384-686: Was struck with Kayo Sports that will increase the amount of AIHL content broadcast within Australia. Internationally, the league signed a three-year contract with Swiss-based multi-national Sportradar to distribute AIHL broadcasting in North America and Europe . 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. However, in February 2022,
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