The 2014 AIHL season was the 15th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). It ran from 12 April 2014 until 24 August 2014, with the Goodall Cup finals following on 30 and 31 August. The Melbourne Mustangs won both the H Newman Reid Trophy for finishing first in the regular season, and the Goodall Cup after defeating the Melbourne Ice in the final.
Teams In 2014 the AIHL had 8 teams competing in the league.
2014 AIHL teamsTeam City Arena Head Coach Captain Adelaide Adrenaline Adelaide IceArenA Ryan O'Handley Greg Oddy CBR Brave Canberra Phillip Ice Skating Centre Matti Louma Mark Rummukainen Melbourne Ice Melbourne Medibank Icehouse Brent Laver Lliam Webster Melbourne Mustangs Melbourne Medibank Icehouse Brad Vigon Sean Jones Newcastle North Stars Newcastle Hunter Ice Skating Stadium Garry Doré Robert Starke Perth Thunder Perth Perth Ice Arena Dylan Forsythe Samuel Wilson Sydney Bears Sydney Sydney Ice Arena Vladimir Rubes Michael Schlamp Sydney Ice Dogs Sydney Liverpool Catholic Club Ice Rink Andrew Petrie Robert Malloy
League business In October 2013 it was confirmed that the Gold Coast Blue Tongues would remain suspended for the 2014 season. The team have until the 2015 season before their licence is reviewed. On 26 February 2014 Canberra Knights owner John Raut announced that the team had folded operations effective immediately and would not be competing in the upcoming 2014 season. Raut cited financial costs, lack of local players and poor performance as the reasons behind the move. The following day it was announced that the player group headed by captain Mark Rummukainen had approached the league with plans on taking on the club's licence. The following month the league announced that they had granted a provisional licence to a Canberra consortium, which involved the player group, to take on the licence and replace the Knights in the 2014 season. The new team was announced as the CBR Brave. The Melbourne Mustangs announced in March 2014 that they had signed a deal with MOAT: Mental Health Services who will become the teams naming sponsors for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The team's name will change to MOAT: Melbourne Mustangs Ice Hockey Club. Air Canada expanded their sponsorship of the AIHL to the entire 2014 season after last year sponsoring the 2013 finals series. They also announced they will continue to show a highlights package of the 2013 finals series as part of their in-flight entertainment until the end of June. They will then replace it with the 2014 Canada Day Classic between the Sydney Bears and Melbourne Mustangs and the 2014 AIHL finals series.
Exhibition games The first exhibition game was held in November 2013 with the Sydney Bears playing a match against former AIHL team, the Central Coast Rhinos. The Rhinos who previously played in the AIHL from 2005 to 2008 went on to win the game 8–4. A second game involving the Bears and Rhinos was held in March 2014 with the Bears winning 8–2. In February 2014 it was announced that the pre season tournament, the Wilson Cup, would be revived. The tournament was last played in 2009 and was won by the Rhinos. The 2014 edition features the Newcastle North Stars, Sydney Bears and the Sydney Ice Dogs. The tournament features a round robin of the three teams and finishes with a final between the top two placed teams. In started on 16 March and finished on 5 April. In the opening game of the Wilson Cup the North Stars defeated the Bears 4–3 in a shootout. The North Stars however lost game two to the Ice Dogs 5–4 in a shootout. In the last game of the round robin the Ice Dogs defeated the Sydney Bears 8–1 and they finished first in the standings. The Ice Dogs were drawn against the North Stars in the final who finished the round robin in second place. The Ice Dogs defeated the North Stars 4–2, winning their first Wilson Cup title. On 27 March the Melbourne Ice and Melbourne Mustangs held an exhibition game at the Medibank Icehouse with the Ice defeating the Mustangs 8–3. On 3 and 5 April the Australian national team held two exhibition games against the Mustangs and Ice. The two games were played at the Medibank Icehouse and were held as part of the team's preparation for the 2014 IIHF World Championship Division II Group A tournament being held in Serbia from 9 to 15 April. Australia won both of the games, defeating the Mustangs 9–3 and the Ice 4–1.
Personnel changes In November 2013 Melbourne Ice announced that assistant coach Brent Laver has been promoted to the head coach position, replacing Sandy Gardner who had been in the job for only the 2013 season. The team also announced that former player, Glen Mayer had signed on as an assistant coach, along with former Swedish First Division player, Johan Steenberg, who was appointed back in June 2013. Just prior to the start of the season Perth Thunder Coach Stan Scott announced that he had stepped down as head coach in order to focus on the General Manager operations of the club. Scott was replaced by Dylan Forsythe as head coach and but remained on the coaching panel as an assistant. After eight games into the season it was announced that Forsythe had stepped down as head coach effective immediately for unknown reasons. He was replaced by Stan Scott who agreed to take over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. On 24 April 2014 the Sydney Ice Dogs head coach Ron Kuprowsky and his assistants Colin Downie and Brad Andrlon had resigned from their positions. The club appointed Dion Dunwoodie as interim head coach with Mark Page and Anthony Wilson as his assistants. On 9 May 2014 the Ice Dogs signed Andrew Petrie as their new head coach.
Player transfers
Players signed Player Previous team New team No team Melbourne Mustangs No team Melbourne Ice Newcastle North Stars ECSL Newcastle North Stars No team Sydney Bears No team Sydney Bears No team Melbourne Ice No team Newcastle North Stars Canberra Knights CBR Brave University of Ottawa CBR Brave Adelaide Blackhawks Adelaide Adrenaline Sherbrooke Cougars Melbourne Ice No team Sydney Ice Dogs Canberra Knights CBR Brave Canberra Knights CBR Brave Canberra Knights CBR Brave No team Adelaide Adrenaline Gander Flyers Adelaide Adrenaline No team Melbourne Ice No team CBR Brave ECSL Vipers Sydney Bears Fayetteville FireAntz Sydney Ice Dogs No team CBR Brave No team Melbourne Ice Melbourne Whalers Melbourne Mustangs Shellbrook Elks Newcastle North Stars Vikingar Sydney Bears Canberra Knights CBR Brave Adelaide Tigers Adelaide Adrenaline Quad City Mallards Perth Thunder Canberra Knights CBR Brave Cockburn Hawks Perth Thunder Louisiana IceGators Melbourne Mustangs Perth Pelicans Perth Thunder Perth Thunder Melbourne Ice Sydney Sabres Newcastle North Stars Okotoks Drillers CBR Brave Melbourne Glaciers Melbourne Ice No team Melbourne Ice Melbourne Ice Melbourne Mustangs Melbourne Ice Melbourne Mustangs Canberra Knights CBR Brave Lidingö Vikings Melbourne Ice No team Perth Thunder No team Melbourne Ice Sydney Heat Sydney Bears TuTo CBR Brave No team Melbourne Mustangs Sydney Sabres Newcastle North Stars No team CBR Brave Canberra Knights CBR Brave Canberra Knights CBR Brave Piteå HC J20 Adelaide Adrenaline Fayetteville FireAntz Adelaide Adrenaline Park City Pioneers Sydney Bears Sydney Sabres Sydney Bears University of Ottawa Newcastle North Stars No team Adelaide Adrenaline No team Sydney Bears Perth Sharks Adelaide Adrenaline No team CBR Brave Canberra Knights CBR Brave No team Sydney Ice Dogs No team Sydney Ice Dogs Sydney Wolf Pack Newcastle North Stars Massachusetts Junior Mariners Sydney Bears No team Perth Thunder Rimbo IF Sydney Ice Dogs University of Ottawa CBR Brave Nittorps IK Sydney Bears No team Adelaide Adrenaline No team Adelaide Adrenaline KeuPa HT CBR Brave No team Newcastle North Stars Sydney Wolf Pack Newcastle North Stars Newcastle North Stars CBR Brave No team Perth Thunder No team Adelaide Adrenaline Canberra Knights CBR Brave No team Melbourne Mustangs Massachusetts Junior Mariners Sydney Ice Dogs Canberra Knights CBR Brave Sydney Sabres Newcastle North Stars Ferencvárosi TC Melbourne Mustangs Sydney Wolf Pack Sydney Bears Hull Stingrays Melbourne Ice No team Sydney Ice Dogs Herlev Eagles Adelaide Adrenaline No team Melbourne Mustangs No team Sydney Bears Huntsville Havoc Perth Thunder Sydney Wolf Pack Sydney Bears Canberra Knights Newcastle North Stars Canberra Knights CBR Brave Perth Sharks Perth Thunder No team Sydney Ice Dogs Fayetteville FireAntz Perth Thunder St. James Canucks CBR Brave Perth Pelicans Perth Thunder St. James Canucks CBR Brave No team Sydney Bears Louisiana IceGators Newcastle North Stars Canberra Knights CBR Brave Palm Beach Hawks Perth Thunder
Players lost Player Previous team New team Melbourne Mustangs No team Sydney Bears ECSL Sting Sydney Bears No team Canberra Knights Haringey Racers Sydney Bears Sydney Heat Perth Thunder Marian University Adelaide Adrenaline Anglet Hormadi Élite Adelaide Adrenaline Adelaide Blackhawks Canberra Knights Columbus Cottonmouths Adelaide Adrenaline Adelaide Tigers Melbourne Ice No team Perth Thunder Mississippi Surge Sydney Bears Sydney Wolf Pack Newcastle North Stars TEV Miesbach Perth Thunder No team Melbourne Ice No team Melbourne Mustangs No team Perth Thunder University of Oklahoma Adelaide Adrenaline Adelaide Falcons Newcastle North Stars No team Melbourne Ice No team Canberra Knights No team Perth Thunder EC VSV Melbourne Mustangs No team Melbourne Ice Braehead Clan Canberra Knights No team Canberra Knights No team Melbourne Mustangs No team Melbourne Ice EV Füssen Perth Thunder Melbourne Ice Adelaide Adrenaline Braehead Clan Melbourne Mustangs No team Perth Thunder No team Melbourne Ice Melbourne Mustangs Melbourne Ice Melbourne Mustangs Perth Thunder West Auckland Admirals Sydney Bears No team Canberra Knights TuTo Sydney Bears HK Kurbads Newcastle North Stars No team Sydney Ice Dogs Whitby Dunlops Sydney Bears ECSL Sting Sydney Bears No team Sydney Bears HC Risuty Perth Thunder West Coast Flyers Canberra Knights St. Charles Chill Sydney Bears No team Canberra Knights Retired Sydney Bears ECSL Sting Sydney Ice Dogs No team Perth Thunder No team Perth Thunder No team Melbourne Ice No team Newcastle North Stars Brampton Beast Newcastle North Stars Retired Sydney Bears No team Sydney Bears No team Melbourne Mustangs No team Newcastle North Stars Huntsville Havoc Adelaide Adrenaline Watertown Privateers Adelaide Adrenaline Arizona Sundogs Adelaide Adrenaline West Auckland Admirals Melbourne Ice No team Adelaide Adrenaline Belfast Giants Canberra Knights No team Sydney Ice Dogs Bloomington Thunder Newcastle North Stars CBR Brave Sydney Ice Dogs No team Adelaide Adrenaline Adelaide Redwings Perth Thunder Elora Rocks Canberra Knights No team Sydney Bears No team Canberra Knights No team Sydney Bears ECSL Sting Adelaide Adrenaline No team Canberra Knights Töreboda HF Perth Thunder Ontario Hockey Academy U18 Sydney Bears No team Sydney Ice Dogs Sydney Wolf Pack Sydney Ice Dogs No team Perth Thunder No team Canberra Knights Anglet Hormadi Élite Melbourne Ice No team Perth Thunder Arizona Sundogs Newcastle North Stars No team Melbourne Mustangs Tallinn Viiking-Sport Sydney Ice Dogs No team Adelaide Adrenaline Adelaide Redwings Perth Thunder No team Sydney Ice Dogs Retired Adelaide Adrenaline Adelaide Falcons
Regular season