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Air Canada Centre it's not, but the Phillip Ice Arena is a lot of fun! Photo by Mark Bradford
Early shakeups are par for course in the Aussie ice hockey season. The Australian Ice Hockey League is only three rounds in, but already the equality between the seven teams this season has provided some surprises.
2008 Minor Premiers, the Bears, are off to a poor start, without a point after their first three games. In contrast, last year’s fifth and sixth placed teams, the Canberra Knights and Adelaide Adrenaline, are both in the black, undefeated after their first games.
The change here is that the withdrawal of the Central Coast Rhinos has tightened up the teams and increased the level of import players, further evened out with the reduction in on-ice imports from five to four.
So in 2008, there were up to 40 imports on the ice across the league. In 2009, just 28.
The reduction in import numbers is working out nicely for the league as a whole as it seems after just two rounds that there is more equality than in any previous season between the teams. This brings the drama of an unknown result, and therefore more public interest, especially in teams that have struggled in past seasons.
Expect more uncertainty this weekend in the AIHL.
The Gold Coast bring their talent-stacked team to Newcastle for a double header of Blue Tongues versus North Stars, and Melbourne Ice set off on their first roadie for the season, a wild Saturday night rumble in the Phillip rink with chickenwire making it seem like The Thunderdome, and on Sunday against an increasingly desperate Bears side in Penrith.
There’s another ‘Battle of Sydney’ on Saturday, with the Bears and Ice Dogs swapping venues from last weekend’s battle. This one will be in Liverpool’s Dog House.
It’s early days in the season, but a team’s fortunes could hinge on any of these games this weekend. Another Bears loss or two Blue Tongues’ losses could put a season under a lot of pressure, while wins will be huge morale boosters.
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