Photo by Mark Bradford: Jassi Sangha and Matt Price go toe-to-toe last weekend in the Australian Ice Hockey League
What’s in a record? Well, if you’re Greg Bird, a new job, and a tough time getting a visa to play overseas. But if you mean a record like winning the Minor Premiership in the Australian Ice Hockey league, not much.
In the first and second year of the AIHL, 2000 and 2001, the Adelaide Avalanche, one of three original teams, won the Minor Premiership and then a single game final versus second placed Sydney Bears.
At that stage the Goodall Cup was still a separate competition, and Adelaide was so comfortable on top, there was little contest.
In 2002 the Goodall Cup was included as a post-season icon for the AIHL (now six teams), but the once-again dominant Avalanche were in for a shock as the Bears knocked off the nearly unbeatable Adelaide side in a one-game final held in Sydney.
The landscape changed further in 2003 when for the first time there was a tournament-type finals weekend organised for the top four finishing teams.
Once again, Adelaide were dominant but were KO’d in the Semi Final by the Ice Dogs, continuing the pattern that has persisted since the Goodall Cup and the AIHL joined together in 2002.
Every year since, the team that finishes in first place always loses the finals. Newcastle in 2004, Adelaide in 2005, Melbourne in 2006, Adelaide in 2007 and the Bears in 2008, have all failed to carry their regular-season successes into the grand prize, the 100 year-old Goodall Cup.
The tearaway success of 2009 are the Newcastle North Stars. The Novocastrians have lost just the one game so far this season, and that was to second placed Adelaide Adrenaline.
This weekend the top two clash for the second time this season, and both teams are wondering if they’re better off winning or losing this game.
Who will break the Minor Premiers curse?
Ultimately, it’s got to happen some time and both teams are ready to give it another go.
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