The 2013 AIHL season was the 14th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). It ran from 20 April 2013 until 1 September 2013, with the Goodall Cup finals following on the 7 and 8 September. The Sydney Ice Dogs won both the H Newman Ried Trophy for finishing first in the regular season, and the Goodall Cup after defeating the Newcastle North Stars in the final.
Teams In 2013 the AIHL had 8 teams competing in the league.
2013 AIHL teamsTeam City Arena Head coach Captain Adelaide Adrenaline Adelaide IceArenA Ryan O'Handley Greg Oddy Canberra Knights Canberra Phillip Ice Skating Centre Matti Louma Mark Rummukainen Melbourne Ice Melbourne Medibank Icehouse Sandy Gardner Jason Baclig Melbourne Mustangs Melbourne Medibank Icehouse Brad Vigon Sean Jones Newcastle North Stars Newcastle Hunter Ice Skating Stadium Garry Doré Ray Sheffield Perth Thunder Perth Perth Ice Arena Stan Scott Samuel Wilson Sydney Bears Sydney Sydney Ice Arena Vladimir Rubes Michael Schlamp Sydney Ice Dogs Sydney Liverpool Catholic Club Ice Rink Ron Kuprowsky Robert Malloy
League business In October 2012 it was announced that the 2013 season would be played with eight teams as the Gold Coast Blue Tongues' licence was suspended due to the team being unable to secure a home venue for 2013. The Blue Tongues were forced out of their arena during the 2012 season when the AIHL deemed it to not be up to specifications for the league forcing the team to temporarily relocate to Brisbane for the remainder of the season. It was also announced that the suspension on the Sydney Ice Dogs had been lifted allowing the team to ice four imports again. The Ice Dogs were restricted to three for the 2012 season by the league due to breaches of the league's code of conduct. Following the Annual General Meeting (AGM) it was announced that the third period of play has been increased from 15 minutes to 20 minutes, while the first two remain 15 minutes in length. The change was in response to fans calling for the league to align itself with international hockey which plays three 20 minute periods. The Melbourne Mustangs revealed their new logo and jerseys for the start of the season featuring a redesigned mustang horse, holding an ice hockey stick. The new jerseys include a white home jersey, a black away jersey and an orange third jersey which is being released as off-ice apparel only. The Sydney Ice Dogs also revealed their new jerseys with an aqua green away jersey and a white home jersey. The change in colours was made as part of a deal with corporate naming sponsor Reach Crane Trucks and will be in place for three years, the duration of their deal with Reach Crane Trucks. Their previous colours of maroon, yellow, blue, black and white will remain as the team's corporate colours.
On 17 February the AIHL announced that it had entered into a partnership with Fox Sports in which a game of the week will be aired on the network as part of a 60-minute program which also includes league and state federation news and AIHL highlights. The Canberra Knights held an exhibition game on 23 March 2013 with the team competing against a team of former Knights' players for the Soldier On charity. The Knights won the game 6–5.
Personnel changes Following the AGM the AIHL announced that Tyler Lovering had been re-elected to the commission as Assistant Commissioner until 2014. Ben Kiely and Alexandra Lata had both received a one-year extension to their terms on the commission, with Lata being appointed Deputy Commissioner. The AIHL have also elected Robert Bannerman and Joshua Chye to the commission to serve as Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner respectively. In December 2012 the Melbourne Mustangs announced that they had appointed Brad Vigon as head coach, replacing Steve Laforet who had been fired at the end of the 2012 season. Following the end of the 2012 season the Melbourne Ice announced that both president Andy Lamrock and head coach Paul Watson had stepped down from their positions. In November 2012 the Ice announced that former Ice Hockey Victoria president Emma Poynton as successor to Lamrock as the club's president. In February 2013 the Ice appointed assistant coach Sandy Gardner to the head coach position.
Player transfers
Players signed Player Previous team New team No team Melbourne Mustangs Gold Coast Blue Tongues Sydney Bears Cardiff Devils NL Canberra Knights No team Sydney Ice Dogs ECSL Sting Sydney Bears Marian University Perth Thunder University of Ottawa Adelaide Adrenaline ECSL Raptors Sydney Bears No team Melbourne Mustangs Adelaide Blackhawks Adelaide Adrenaline Columbus Cottonmouths Canberra Knights No team Adelaide Adrenaline No team Sydney Ice Dogs Sydney Maple Leafs Sydney Ice Dogs Melbourne Mustangs Melbourne Ice ECSL Vipers Newcastle North Stars No team Melbourne Mustangs ECSL Vipers Newcastle North Stars Tulsa Oilers Perth Thunder Norwich University Newcastle North Stars West Coast Lightning Perth Thunder No team Melbourne Mustangs Marian University Perth Thunder Adelaide Falcons Adelaide Adrenaline Adelaide Blackhawks Canberra Knights Adelaide Tigers B2 Perth Thunder Colorado Eagles Perth Thunder No team Melbourne Mustangs Sheffield Steelers Melbourne Ice No team Canberra Knights No team Canberra Knights Gold Coast Blue Tongues Newcastle North Stars No team Melbourne Mustangs EV Füssen Melbourne Ice Gold Coast Blue Tongues Melbourne Mustangs No team Perth Thunder Braehead Clan Adelaide Adrenaline No team Melbourne Mustangs No team Perth Thunder Northern Vikings Perth Thunder No team Canberra Knights Botany Swarm Sydney Bears Adelaide Falcons B Adelaide Adrenaline ECSL Vipers Newcastle North Stars HC Keski-Uusimaa Canberra Knights SMScredit.lv Sydney Bears Canberra Knights Newcastle North Stars Gold Coast Blue Tongues Sydney Ice Dogs ECSL Sting Sydney Bears HC Kobra Praha Sydney Bears Orlando Solar Bears Canberra Knights No team Canberra Knights No team Sydney Bears No team Sydney Bears Friesland Flyers Newcastle North Stars No team Melbourne Ice No team Melbourne Mustangs No team Sydney Ice Dogs Wilfrid Laurier University Perth Thunder No team Melbourne Mustangs Sydney Bears Sydney Ice Dogs Gold Coast Blue Tongues Sydney Bears Mälarö HF Melbourne Mustangs ECSL Raptors Sydney Bears Idaho Steelheads Melbourne Mustangs Hull Stingrays Newcastle North Stars ECDC Memmingen Adelaide Adrenaline Ferris State University Adelaide Adrenaline Jokers de Cergy Adelaide Adrenaline No team Sydney Bears Braehead Clan Adelaide Adrenaline New Plymouth Melbourne Ice Danbury Whalers Sydney Ice Dogs No team Newcastle North Stars ECSL Sting Sydney Bears Adelaide Redwings Adelaide Adrenaline No team Canberra Knights No team Sydney Ice Dogs No team Sydney Bears No team Newcastle North Stars ECSL North Stars Newcastle North Stars Sydney Bears Canberra Knights Sydney Bears Perth Thunder Orangeville Americans Sydney Ice Dogs Colorado Eagles Perth Thunder Brûleurs de Loups Canberra Knights No team Canberra Knights Wheeling Nailers Perth Thunder No team Melbourne Mustangs Adelaide Redwings Adelaide Adrenaline No team Perth Thunder No team Sydney Ice Dogs No team Melbourne Mustangs
Players lost Player Previous team New team Melbourne Mustangs No team Newcastle North Stars ECSL North Stars Newcastle North Stars No team Adelaide Adrenaline Knoxville Ice Bears Perth Thunder No team Sydney Bears ECSL Heat Canberra Knights No team Melbourne Mustangs No team Adelaide Adrenaline Adelaide Redwings Melbourne Mustangs No team Perth Thunder No team Newcastle North Stars Quad City Mallards Sydney Bears No team Canberra Knights Danbury Whalers Melbourne Mustangs Melbourne Ice Canberra Knights No team Canberra Knights No team Sydney Bears No team Sydney Bears ECSL Vipers Sydney Bears ECSL Sting Newcastle North Stars No team Adelaide Adrenaline Adelaide Tigers Melbourne Ice Retired Sydney Ice Dogs No team Melbourne Mustangs No team Melbourne Mustangs No team Canberra Knights No team Sydney Bears Osby IK Perth Thunder Bloomington Blaze Sydney Ice Dogs Cape Cod Bluefins Perth Thunder No team Sydney Bears ECSL Sting Sydney Ice Dogs No team Melbourne Mustangs No team Sydney Bears Hedemora SK Canberra Knights No team Canberra Knights Newcastle North Stars Melbourne Ice No team Newcastle North Stars Louisiana IceGators Melbourne Mustangs No team Adelaide Adrenaline Louisiana IceGators Melbourne Mustangs No team Melbourne Ice No team Adelaide Adrenaline Adelaide Redwings Sydney Bears No team Canberra Knights No team Sydney Ice Dogs Cape Cod Bluefins Sydney Bears No team Sydney Ice Dogs No team Melbourne Mustangs IF Sundsvall Hockey Adelaide Adrenaline HYC Herentals Sydney Bears Sydney Ice Dogs Adelaide Adrenaline No team Newcastle North Stars No team Adelaide Adrenaline No team Canberra Knights No team Melbourne Mustangs No team Sydney Ice Dogs No team Sydney Bears ECSL Raptors Canberra Knights Dayton Demonz Sydney Bears No team Sydney Bears Canberra Knights Sydney Bears Perth Thunder Perth Thunder Mississippi Surge Sydney Bears No team Adelaide Adrenaline No team Melbourne Mustangs Columbus Cottonmouths Newcastle North Stars No team Melbourne Mustangs No team Newcastle North Stars No team Adelaide Adrenaline No team Sydney Ice Dogs No team Perth Thunder No team Melbourne Ice No team Melbourne Mustangs No team
Regular season The regular season started on 20 April 2013 and ran through to 1 September 2013 before the top four teams compete in the Goodall Cup playoff series.
The Sydney Ice Dogs won the H Newman Reid Trophy after finishing the regular season with the most points, 61. Newcastle North Stars' Jeff Martens won the Most Valuable Player award, after finishing as the league's top scorer with 67 points. Anthony Kimlin of the Sydney Ice Dogs was named the Australian Player of the Year and Best Goaltender, finishing with a save percentage 0.919. The Sydney Bears' Cameron Todd won the award for Best Rookie and John Gordon of the Melbourne Ice was named Best Defenceman.
April Game Date Time Away Score Home Location Attendance Recap 1 20 April 17:45 Newcastle North Stars 6–2 Sydney Ice Dogs Baulkham Hills 500 2 20 April 17:00 Melbourne Ice 7–2 Melbourne Mustangs Melbourne 1300 3 20 April 17:30 Adelaide Adrenaline 2–3 Canberra Knights Canberra 750 4 21 April 15:30 Adelaide Adrenaline 9–2 Sydney Bears Baulkham Hills 5 27 April 16:30 Melbourne Ice 5–2 Perth Thunder Perth 6 27 April 17:30 Melbourne Mustangs 6–4 Canberra Knights Canberra 750 7 27 April 18:00 Sydney Ice Dogs 5–4 Sydney Bears Baulkham Hills 8 28 April 16:30 Melbourne Ice 9–3 Perth Thunder Perth 9 28 April 17:00 Melbourne Mustangs 4–5 Sydney Ice Dogs Liverpool 300 10 28 April 17:00 Sydney Bears 1–2 Newcastle North Stars Newcastle
May