Brisbane Lightning

The Brisbane Lightning is a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Brisbane, Queensland. The team is a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The team was founded in 2022 as an expansion AIHL team and are the first team based in Queensland since the Blue Tongues last competed in 2012. The Lightning's home venue is Iceworld Boondall and the team will formally enter the AIHL regular season in 2023. 
==History==
===Establishment===
The Brisbane Lightning was founded on 13 February 2022. The Lightning was born out of a joint venture between Ice Hockey Queensland (IHQ) and the Brisbane Buccaneers and Southern Stars, following IHQ pulling support from the Brisbane Rampage. The joint venture's goal was to establish a top-level ice hockey team in Brisbane and obtain an Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) licence. On 28 February 2022, the Lightning secured an AIHL licence, and would enter the league in the 2023 season. In 2022, Brisbane would setup the organisation, hire back and front office staff, form a playing roster and play a number of exhibition games against AIHL teams. 
After securing their AIHL licence in February 2022, Brisbane announced the appointment of their inaugural head coach on 9 March 2022. Terry Kiliwnik was named along with his assistant coach Ivan Rapchuk. Kiliwnik joined the new team with a wealth of junior coaching experience with Queensland and had most recently been the head coach of the Brisbane Goannas in the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL). Rapchuk also joined with a wealth of Queensland junior hockey coaching experience. The following day the yet unnamed team officially launched their new name, Brisbane Lightning and confirmed exhibition matches would be held in 2022 with AIHL opposition. On 14 March 2022, the team unveiled its logo and colours that had been designed by P27 Motion Design. The logo features the team name Brisbane Lightning and a stylised Story Bridge in front of a background of the Brisbane CBD and a bolt of lightning. The teams colours would be black, grey and white, similar to the LA Kings. In April 2022, the Lightning announced their maiden playing roster. The roster included two players, Damian Bright and Thomas Kiliwnik, moving from rival AIHL teams, Melbourne Mustangs and Newcastle Northstars respectively. Five players named had already been announced for the Rampage for 2022 and Matthew Johnson was the only selected player to have played for the previous AIHL Queensland team Gold Coast Blue Tongues. On 9 April 2022, the AIHL released its updated season schedule and the Lightning confirmed it would participate in 15 exhibition games in 2022. Beginning late April and running through to late August, Brisbane would face-off home and away against six teams, including: Northstars, Ice Dogs, Bears, Mustangs, Rhinos and Brave.
The Lightning announced its inaugural on-ice leadership team on 23 April 2022. Experienced AIHL defenceman, Damian Bright, was named lightning's first captain with Dylan Kendrick and Eric Speedie will serving as alternate captains.
===Exhibition season (2022)===
Boondall was the setting for the Lightning's first ever game on 23 April 2022. Brisbane played the visiting Melbourne Mustangs in front of a sell out crowd. The home team controlled the game and led at every interval. In the first period the Lightning finished 3-0 ahead. Eric Speedie scored the first ever Brisbane Lightning goal. In the second period Brisbane added to their tally with another goal to lead 4-0. The third period proved a closer encounter with the Mustangs registering a goal but the Lightning did not let up and posted two goals themselves to win the game 6-1.
==Season-by-season results==
Champions	Runners-up	Third Place
 Brisbane Lightning all-time record
Season	Regular season 	Regular season 	Regular season 	Regular season 	Regular season 	Regular season 	Regular season 	Regular season 	Regular season 	Regular season 	Finals weekend 	Finals weekend 	Finals weekend 	Finals weekend 	Finals weekend 	Finals weekend 	Finals weekend 	Finals weekend 	Finals weekend 	Top points scorer 	Top points scorer
Season	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Name 	Points
2022 	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023	Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023
2023 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
==Players==
===Current roster===
Team roster for the 2022 AIHL season
 2022 Exhibition Lightning Roster
#	Nat	Name	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
 	 	 	F 	L 	 	2022 	Canada
 	 	(C) 	D 	L 	 	2022 	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
 	 	 	W 	 	 	2022 	Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
 	 	 	F 	 	 	2022 	Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
 	 	 	D 	 	 	2022 	Australia
 	 	 	W 	L 	 	2022 	Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
 	 	 	W 	L 	 	2022 	Vernon, British Columbia, Canada
 	 	 	F 	R 	 	2022 	Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada
 	 	 	F 	R 	 	2022 	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
 	 	 	G 	 	 	2022 	
 	 	 	F 	 	 	2022 	
 	 	 	D 	 	 	2022 	Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
 	 	 	D 	 	 	2022 	
 	 	 	F 	R 	 	2022 	Australia
 	 	(A) 	F 	L 	 	2022 	Okotoks, Alberta, Canada
 	 	 	D 	R 	 	2022 	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
 	 	 	F 	 	 	2022 	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
 	 	 	F 	L 	44 	2022 	Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
 	 	 	G 	 	 	2022 	Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
 	 	 	D 	 	 	2022 	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
 	 	 	W 	L 	 	2022 	Australia
 	 	 	F 	 	 	2022 	Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
 	 	 	D 	 	 	2022 	
 	 	 	F 	 	 	2022 	Turku, Finland
 	 	 	F 	 	 	2022 	
 	 	(A) 	F 	 	 	2022 	Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
 	 	 	F 	R 	 	2022 	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
==Team staff==
Current as of 2022 AIHL season. 
Role 	Name
Head coach 	Terry Kiliwnik
Assistant coach 	Ivan Rapchuk
Game Day Ops Manager	Julie Haidley-Fixter
==Leaders==
===Team captains===
The Lightning have had a total of one captain in the team's history.
No.	Name 	Term
1 	Damian Bright	2022–Present
References:
===Head coaches===
Brisbane have had a total of one head coach in the team's history.
No.	Name 	Term
1 	Terry Kiliwnik	2022–Present
References:
==Broadcasting==
TV and SVOD: 
Kayo Sports (2022-present) – Domestic SVOD broadcasting in Australia as part of the league wide deal struck in the lead up to the 2022 AIHL season.
Sportradar (2022-present) – International SVOD broadcasting in North America and Europe as part of a league-wide 3-year deal signed in March 2022 in the lead up to the 2022 AIHL season.
Fox Sports (2022–present) – Domestic TV broadcasting deal that has been in place since 2013 with Fox Sports to show one game a round, normally on Thursday's at 4:30 pm or after NHL games during NHL season.
==References==
==External links==
* AIHL official website
* Brisbane Lightning Official Facebook
* Brisbane Lightning News
* IceWorld Boondall official website
Category:Australian Ice Hockey League teams
Category:Ice hockey teams in Australia
Category:Established in 2022