The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered to be the top ranked professional ice hockey league in the world, with players from 18 countries as of the 2022–23 season. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) also views the Stanley Cup as one of the "most important championships available to the sport".
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. 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 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 2023, are the Melbourne Mustangs.
The Melbourne Ice is an Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Melbourne, Victoria, based at the Icehouse in the Docklands precinct of central Melbourne. Founded in 2000, the Ice have been a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) since 2002, and are four-time Goodall Cup champions and H Newman Reid Trophy premiers.
The Newcastle Northstars is an Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Newcastle, New South Wales. The Northstars are a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL), joining as an expansion team in 2002. The team is based at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium in Warners Bay, a suburb of Lake Macquarie, 15 kilometres south-west of Newcastle. The Northstars are affiliated with the ice hockey club of the same name. The team have won six Goodall Cups and five H Newman Reid Trophies, making them the most successful team in AIHL history.
The Goodall Cup is a perpetual trophy that is, currently, annually awarded to the playoff champions of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The trophy is named after Australian born player John Edwin Goodall who originally donated the cup.
The Adelaide Adrenaline is a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Adelaide, South Australia. The team is a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The team was founded in 2008 as the Adelaide A's to replace the defunct Adelaide Avalanche who folded mid-season. The team plays its home games at the IceArenA, located in the suburb of Thebarton. The Adrenaline are one time Goodall Cup champions from 2009.
The Sydney Bears is an Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Sydney, New South Wales. Established in 1982, the Bears are the only remaining founding member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) still operating. The Bears are based at Macquarie Ice Rink, within the Macquarie Centre, in the northern suburbs of Sydney. The Sydney Bears have claimed three Goodall Cups in 2002, 2003 and 2019.
The Ice Arena is an ice sports and public skate centre, opened on 17 September 1981 and located in Thebarton, Adelaide, South Australia. The Ice Arena is South Australia's premier ice skating facility located just minutes from the Adelaide CBD. The centre is the home of the Ice Factor Foundation Inc and the ice sports associations, and their respective clubs including Adelaide Adrenaline (AIHL), Adelaide Rush (AWIHL) and Adelaide Generals (AJIHL).
Sport plays an important role in the business, community, social and cultural life in South Australia.
The Adelaide Avalanche was a semi-professional ice hockey club based in the Adelaide suburb of Thebarton, South Australia. The Avalanche, founded in 1999, was a founding member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The team's home venue was the Snowdome Adelaide. The Avalanche competed in the AIHL for eight years, from its inaugural season in 2000 until 17 June 2008, when the club was replaced with the Snowdome's own team, Adelaide A's, after its AIHL licence was revoked due to financial issues. During the club's lifetime, the Avalanche won four AIHL premierships and two AIHL championships.
The 2009 AIHL season was the tenth season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). It ran from 25 April 2009 until 23 August 2009, with the AIHL finals following on 29 and 30 August 2009. The Newcastle North Stars won the H Newman Reid Trophy (backdated) after finishing the regular season first in the league standings. Adelaide Adrenaline won the Goodall Cup (backdated) for the first time by defeating the Newcastle North Stars in the final.
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 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.
The Perth Thunder is an Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Perth, Western Australia. Founded in 2010, the Thunder have been a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) since 2012. The Thunder are based at the Perth Ice Arena, located in the suburb of Malaga. Perth are one time Goodall Cup runners-up and two time H Newman Reid Trophy runners-up.
The Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) is Australia's top-tier women's ice hockey league. Established in 2005 as Australia's first women's national league, the AWIHL has amateur status and is sanctioned by Ice Hockey Australia. The AWIHL is currently contested by five teams from five Australian states, including South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria. The league champion is awarded the Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy and the premier is awarded the Stephanie Boxall Trophy. The most successful team in AWIHL history is Melbourne Ice, who have claimed seven championship titles. The current champion, from 2019–20, is the Sydney Sirens, who claimed their second title.
Ice hockey in Australia is a sport which had a relatively poor popularity, having low participation and spectator attendance figures when compared with many other sports played in the country.
The 2015 AIHL season was the 16th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). It ran from 25 April 2015, until 23 August 2015, with the Goodall Cup finals following on 29 and 30 August. The Newcastle North Stars 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.
The 2016 AIHL season was the 17th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). It ran from 23 April 2016 until 21 August 2016, with the Goodall Cup finals following on 27 and 28 August. The Melbourne Ice won the H Newman Reid Trophy after finishing the regular season with the most points. The Newcastle North Stars won the Goodall Cup for the second year in a row after defeating the CBR Brave in the final.
The 2017 AIHL season was the 18th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). It ran from 22 April 2017 until 27 August 2017, with the Goodall Cup finals following on 2 and 3 September. The Melbourne Ice won both the H Newman Reid Trophy for finishing first in the regular season, and the Goodall Cup after defeating the CBR Brave in the final.
The 2022 AIHL season is the delayed 21st season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL), following the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The season will consist of 60 regular season games and is scheduled to run from 30 April to 28 August 2022, with the Goodall Cup finals, consisting of 2 semi-finals, a preliminary final and a grand final, following the regular season on 2–4 September 2022. The CBR Brave won the double and claimed the H Newman Reid Trophy for a third time and Goodall Cup for a second time in 2022 by finishing top of the regular season standings and winning the AIHL grand final. The Newcastle Northstars were runner's up to both titles and the Sydney Ice Dogs claimed the wooden spoon.
2021-22
Australia 
