# 2024 AIHL season

The 2024 AIHL season was the 23nd season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The season consisted of 155 total games, split between 150 regular season games and a five game Goodall Cup Finals post-season. The regular season ran from 6 April to 11 August 2024. The Finals ran from 23–25 August 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. The Sydney Bears claimed a conference-Premiership double by winning the Hellyer conference trophy and H Newman Reid Trophy. The Newcastle Northstars claimed the Rurak conference trophy, while the Canberra Brave were crowned AIHL Champions and hoisted the Goodall Cup after defeating the Melbourne Ice in the grand final. The much-improved Central Coast Rhinos picked up the wooden spoon for a second year running.

## Teams

In 2024 the AIHL had 10 teams split into two conferences, Rurak and Hellyer, competing in the league.

## League business

The 2024 regular season fixture list was released publicly by the AIHL on 21 October, confirming all 10 teams from 2023 would be returning to compete in 2024. 2024 AIHL Finals information was released by the league in February 2024, confirming dates and location. The Goodall Cup, H Newman Reid Trophy, Rurak and Hellyer conference trophies would continue to the be prizes AIHL teams would compete for in 2024. The league held its official season launch event at Bondi Icebergs Club on 20 march 2024. Mick McCormack was appointed as the first patron of the AIHL at the event.
The AIHL accepted an invitation by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to open up an additional import slot for the 2024 season to Ukrainian players seeking respite from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Each AIHL would be allowed to sign one Ukrainian player from Ukraine at no cost to their player points-cap.
The AIHL confirmed AIHL.TV would return in 2024 on 4 March. The paid service would provide live and on-demand online streaming of all AIHL regular season and finals games, 155 games in total. With the sudden collapse of 2023 service provided Clutch in late 2023, the service provider for AIHL.TV in 2024 moved to Swedish company StayLive AB. Thought fox Media Group, ATC Productions, Spacequake Sports and Front Row Screens (FRS Sport) continue as the four local production companies associated with the service. 2023 season streams would also be made available on the service. On 8 June 2024, the AIHL.TV service was expanded to include the release of an app on Apple iOS and Andriod Play.
In July 2024, the AIHL announced a new Finals major sponsorship deal with Hungry Jack's. This was the league’s first major Finals sponsorship since Air Canada’s deal that ended at the conclusion of 2018. The Hungry Jack's deal will include branding at the Melbourne Icehouse, special activities and promotions during the Finals weekend.

### Exhibition games

In 2024, the Newcastle Northstars and Central Coast Rhinos were the only two teams to schedule exhibitions games. The pair faced off over two games in Newcastle and Erina, Central Coast in March 2024. Apart from these two exhibition games, the Sydney Ice Dogs, Brisbane Lightning and Adelaide Adrenaline arranged intraclub pre-season exhibition games. This included an early March men’s and women’s showcase in Brisbane and a alumni vs current team match-up in Adelaide in early April.

### Personnel changes

Ron Kuprowsky ended his five-year stint with the Sydney Bears as their head coach in October 2023. During this time, Ron guided the Bears to two consecutive grand finals appearances, one Hellyer conference trophy and one championship title. Kuprowsky was later unveiled as the new head coach of the Central Coast Rhinos in December 2023, replacing Ashley Marsh. Marsh moved into a new coaching role with the Rhinos. In February 2024, the Brisbane Lightning announced the hiring of the vastly experienced Canadian Mike Sirant as an associate coach. Sirant joined the Queenslanders after stepping down from his 30-year position as head coach of the University of Manitoba hockey program. In April 2024, Both the Sydney Bears and Melbourne Mustangs appointed new head coaches. American Tyler Huberty took over the vacant head coaching role at the Bears. Huberty moved to Sydney after spending four years as the assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma hockey program. Scott Timmins takes over head coaching responsibilities for the Mustangs but remains on the playing roster too. Timmins links up for the Mustangs for the third season in a row but his first as a player/coach. Timmins replaces Jon Moses, who was acting interim coach for the second half of last season following the departure of Patrick McMahon.
In June 2024, the Adelaide Adrenaline released Stu Henly from his head coaching duties and appointed Canadian forward Kaden Elder has player/coach for the remainder of the 2024 season. In July 2024, the Sydney Bears parted ways with American head coach Tyler Huberty. Huberty's removal shocked the AIHL community with the Bears sitting top of the league standings at the time. Former Sydney Bears player and team icon Vlad Rubes was appointed Huberty's replacement.

### Player transfers

All player transfers by the ten AIHL teams for season 2024.

## Regular season
### Fixtures and results

The 2024 regular season consists of 150 games that are scheduled to run from 6 April to 11 August 2024. Teams are split into two five-team conferences named Rurak and Hellyer. Each team plays a total of 30 regular season games, playing each other team in their conference four times (two at home and two away) and playing teams outside their conference two to three times.

#### August

Key:

### Standings
#### Overall

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Sydney Bears | 30 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 166 | 103 | +63 | 72 | 2024 Goodall Cup Finals |
| 2 | Melbourne Ice | 30 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 154 | 99 | +55 | 58 | 2024 Goodall Cup Finals |
| 3 | Perth Thunder | 30 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 124 | 98 | +26 | 53 | 2024 Goodall Cup Finals |
| 4 | Newcastle Northstars | 30 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 124 | 108 | +16 | 52 | 2024 Goodall Cup Finals |
| 5 | Canberra Brave | 30 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 128 | 105 | +23 | 50 | 2024 Goodall Cup Finals |
| 6 | Melbourne Mustangs | 30 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 136 | 120 | +16 | 44 | |
| 7 | Brisbane Lightning | 30 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 85 | 124 | −39 | 36 | 2024 Goodall Cup Finals |
| 8 | Sydney Ice Dogs | 30 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 112 | 145 | −33 | 34 | |
| 9 | Adelaide Adrenaline | 30 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 70 | 108 | −38 | 25 | |
| 10 | Central Coast Rhinos | 30 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 81 | 170 | −89 | 20 | |

#### Hellyer Conference

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Sydney Bears | 30 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 166 | 103 | +63 | 72 | 2024 Goodall Cup Finals |
| 2 | Melbourne Ice | 30 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 154 | 99 | +55 | 58 | 2024 Goodall Cup Finals |
| 3 | Perth Thunder | 30 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 124 | 98 | +26 | 53 | 2024 Goodall Cup Finals |
| 4 | Melbourne Mustangs | 30 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 136 | 120 | +16 | 44 | |
| 5 | Sydney Ice Dogs | 30 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 112 | 145 | −33 | 34 | |

#### Rurak Conference

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Newcastle Northstars | 30 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 124 | 108 | +16 | 52 | 2024 Goodall Cup Finals |
| 2 | Canberra Brave | 30 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 128 | 105 | +23 | 50 | 2024 Goodall Cup Finals |
| 3 | Brisbane Lightning | 30 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 85 | 124 | −39 | 36 | 2024 Goodall Cup Finals |
| 4 | Adelaide Adrenaline | 30 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 70 | 108 | −38 | 25 | |
| 5 | Central Coast Rhinos | 30 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 81 | 170 | −89 | 20 | |

### Statistics
#### Skater statistics

2024 AIHL season top-ten skater statistics for points, goals, assists and penalty minutes.
| Points # Name Team Pos Pts 1 Adam KadlecSBF70 2 Austin AlbrechtMIF68 3 Lucas HerrmannSBF66 4 Francis DroletNNF62 5 Scott TimminsMMF61 6 Alex MacdonaldSDF58 7 Mackenzie CaruanaMIF56 8 Austin CangelosiCBF53 9 Grant ToulminSDF52 10 Daniel BernoNNF46 | Goals # Name Team Pos G 1 Adam KadlecSBF32 2 Alex MacdonaldSDF29 3 Austin AlbrechtMIF26 4 Francis DroletNNF24 5 Scott TimminsMMF24 6 Austin CangelosiCBF24 7 Kaden ElderAAF24 8 Brody LindalSBF23 9 Lucas HerrmannSBF22 10 Mackenzie CaruanaMIF22 | Assists # Name Team Pos A 1 Lucas HerrmannSBF44 2 Austin AlbrechtMIF42 3 Adam KadlecSBF38 4 Francis DroletNNF38 5 Scott TimminsMMF37 6 Grant ToulminSDF37 7 Mackenzie CaruanaMIF34 8 Josh AdkinsAAF34 9 Ryan AnnesleySBD33 10 Alex MacdonaldSDF29 | Penalty minutes # Name Team Pos PIM 1 Alastair PunlerPTD145 2 Hamish PowellNNF80 3 Johnny AonsoMID71 4 Patrik PopovicsBLF68 5 Mike DalhuisenSDD65 6 Sacha RapchukBLF63 7 Bradley AppsMMF61 8 Daniel BernoNNF55 9 Mackenzie BolgerCRF55 10 Lliam WebsterMID53 |

#### Goaltender statistics

2023 AIHL season top-ten$^1$ goaltender statistics for goals against average and save percentage.
    $^1$ only goaltenders who have played 10 or more games qualify for these lists
| Goals against average # Name Team Pos GAA 1 Aleksi ToivonenCBG2.79 2 Tatsunoshin IshidaMIG2.81 3 Rylan TothAAG2.92 4 Léo BerteinPTG2.93 5 James DownieSBG3.09 6 Charles SmartNNG3.42 7 Logan FlodellMMG3.58 8 Alex TétreaultCBG3.66 9 Anthony KimlinSBG3.80 10 Curtis MegerBLG3.84 | Save percentage # Name Team Pos SV% 1 Tatsunoshin IshidaMIG.920 2 Léo BerteinPTG.914 3 Logan FlodellMMG.908 4 Rylan TothAAG.906 5 Aleksi ToivonenCBG.905 6 James DownieSBG.905 7 Anand OberoiCRG.897 8 Curtis MegerBLG.896 9 Arvid LjungSDG.893 10 Alex TétreaultCBG.892 |

### Awards
#### Skaters Network player of the week

Each week the AIHL, through sponsorship, names a player of the week.
The award is based on the following criteria:
* individual performance, including significant game statistics;
* contribution to the team's success through individual leadership abilities; and
* performance off the ice, including community engagement.

#### Season awards

Below lists the 2024 AIHL season award winners.

## Goodall Cup playoffs

For season 2024, the AIHL adopted another new Finals format not previously used by the league. Six teams will qualify, three from each conference, to play five games in three days. Winners of the two conferences will begin On Day 2 in the semi-finals, with the other four teams entering the preliminary-finals on Day 1. AIHL Finals uses single-game elimination with winning teams advancing to the next round and losing teams eliminated. Melbourne's O'Brien Icehouse will host Finals once again for the 11th time. Finals winners are crowned AIHL Champions and claim the historic Goodall Cup. Man of the match in the grand final is named AIHL Finals MVP.
The Sydney Bears and Newcastle Northstars topped the Hellyer and Rurak conferences to qualify straight to the semi-finals. Melbourne Ice, Perth Thunder, Canberra Brave and Brisbane Lightning qualified for the preliminary-finals by finishing second and third in their respective conferences. The Ice and Brave won on Day 1 to progress to the semi-finals, with Lightning and Thunder knocked-out. Japanese goaltender, Tatsunoshin Ishida, securing a shutout for the Ice. The Ice and Brave then both won on Day 2 to progress to the Grand Final to compete for the Goodall Cup. Knocking out the Bears and Northstars respectively. The Brave defeated the Ice in the grand final to claim the team's third Goodall Cup and AIHL Championship title. Alex Tétreault securing his first shutout of the season for the Brave. It was the second grand final in a row to have a shutout.
| Preliminary-finals | Preliminary-finals | Preliminary-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Grand final | Grand final | Grand final |
| | | | 24 August – Melbourne | 24 August – Melbourne | 24 August – Melbourne | | | |
| 23 August – Melbourne | 23 August – Melbourne | 23 August – Melbourne | 1 | Sydney Bears | 2 | | | |
| 3 | Melbourne Ice | 5 | | Canberra Brave | 5 | 25 August – Melbourne | 25 August – Melbourne | 25 August – Melbourne |
| 6 | Brisbane Lightning | 0 | | | | Canberra Brave | Canberra Brave | 5 |
| | | | 24 August – Melbourne | 24 August – Melbourne | 24 August – Melbourne | Melbourne Ice | Melbourne Ice | 0 |
| 23 August – Newcastle | 23 August – Newcastle | 23 August – Newcastle | 2 | Newcastle Northstars | 3 | | | |
| 4 | Perth Thunder | 1 | | Melbourne Ice | 4 | | | |
| 5 | Canberra Brave | 2 | | | | | | |
All times are UTC+10:00