By Logan Swinkels
While the NHL season is soon to wrap up with a big Stanley Cup party, that doesn’t mean hockey is over for another year.
The 2016 NZIHL season starts today, featuring the best local talent plus import players from all over the world including Canada and USA. Every weekend from now until the end of August, there’s an exciting matchup of intense hockey to be enjoyed.
Last season I flew around the country filming the games and getting a feel for how much hockey has grown in this country. As an avid watcher of NHL games for the past twenty years, it’s great to see the game I grew up loving being well represented in my own backyard.
Here are a few quick thoughts on each team and why you should support your local hockey club.
West Auckland Admirals
The Admirals showed great promise last season with American import Tom Tracy lighting up the league, scoring six goals in one game alone. Despite showing vast improvement on previous seasons, they still finished last in the league.
But don’t let that put you off. These are not the NZ Warriors on ice.
(Photo credit: Mike Froger)
Lead by Justin Daigle and Ice Blacks veteran goalie Rick Parry, the Admirals will be one to watch as they look to prove that last place is not where they belong. They'll also be looking to defend the Toa Kauhanga Riri Tio trophy, which translates to 'Champions of the Ice Battlefield', essentially the Ranfurly Shield of NZ ice hockey.
The Auckland derby games between the Admirals and Swarm are a must-see. The rivalry between these two make for fantastic hockey and the fans at the game get right into it as well. They’ll face-off in round 2 next weekend and then again in round seven.
Botany Swarm
The cross-town rival to the Admirals, the Botany Swarm finished in the middle of the pack last season, clearly frustrating head coach Andreas Kaisser who expected much better of his team.
The Swarm’s roster sees top Ice Blacks defensive pairing Jamie Lawrence and Andrew Hay reunited and despite an impressive performance for New Zealand at the recent IIHF tournament in Mexico, Oliver Hay will face limited minutes after coming back from playing in the US – the coaching staff will want to use his talents sparingly and not burn him out before he heads back to America.
(Photo credit: Rachel van Luyt)
The return of Estonian import Alex Polozov does bring some much-needed attack, but the question remains whether they can string together enough consistent performances and bring a title back to Auckland.
Botany was once a dynasty, winning four championships in five years before Canterbury began their own impressive title run. 2016 will be an interesting season for Swarm fans.
Southern Stampede
(Photo credit: Kate Harrison)
The defending champions, who now have a major corporate sponsor on board in Harrah's Skycity. That in itself shows how far the NZIHL has come in recent years.
The Stampede have a new captain, Matt Schneider, who towers over everyone else on the ice and yet has the skilled hands and agility to pull off some spectacular goals. Canadian import Jade Portwood is also back for another season - expect high scoring games and plenty of great goal celebrations to go with it.
I’ve seen hockey games across the US and Canada, but taking in a game at the Queenstown Ice Arena has to be one of my favourite experiences as a sports fan. The atmosphere is electrifying and the local crowd will dress up and go wild. The sound is almost deafening in the small barn, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This season, owners Ted and Daniel Graham have made big improvements to the Queenstown rink by installing new glass and boards. Of course it’s for safety, but what fan doesn’t love banging on the glass and cheering on their team, or perhaps giving the ref some stick? You get the feeling of an NHL game in good ole New Zealand.
If you’re in Queenstown for a weekend away, include a Stampede game in your plans. Just be quick on those tickets, home games sell out frequently.
Canterbury Red Devils
(Photo credit: Everard Petrie)
If you exclude 2015, the Red Devils have been dominating the NZIHL for years. Accomplishing the championship three-peat in 2014, this team has a culture of winning and will be looking to take back the Birgel Cup from the Stampede.
Canterbury’s roster again features the talents of forward Chris Eaden. Consistently one of the top goal scorers in the league, Eaden has put in the hard work at the gym this off-season and held strength and conditioning sessions for his fellow teammates. Along with Dean Tonks, look for the pair to terrorise opponents every round with a relentless attack.
Games at the Alpine Ice Sports Centre are a party worth going to if you’re in Christchurch. The lines for hot dogs during intermission get long and the PA announcer goes a little crazy, but Cantabs love backing a winner and they’ll pack out the games. They cheer loud and proud as the Red Devils skate out onto the ice through a giant inflatable devil head - it’s an awesome sight to behold.
Dunedin Thunder
Injury trouble and controversy just seems to be attracted to the Dunedin Thunder. This week import goalie Villem-Henrik Koitmaa was deported back to Estonia because Immigration New Zealand denied him entry over visa issues, leaving head coach Janos Kaszala scrambling to find another import goalie to fill that roster spot.
(Photo credit: Jemma Wells)
US import Brandon Contratto has been brought in, looking to provide some added firepower. If things settle down on the injury front, it would be great to see what this Thunder team are capable of.
This season the Dunedin Ice Hockey Association have introduced tailgate parties in an attempt to get more locals to their home games. If you’re in Dunedin, head down to St Kilda Beach for some BBQ and ball hockey before the game. Their first home game of the season comes in round three.
All games are streamed live on www.nzihl.tv but I would encourage you to get down to the games and see it first-hand. Wrap up warm and go support your local hockey club. Tickets are cheap and it’s a fun night out for all.
Newshub.