2022 AIHL season

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.
==Exhibition games==
The Brisbane Lightning, Central Coast Rhinos and Perth Thunder all announced in pre-season that they would be perusing to play exhibition games during the AIHL 2022 regular season. In total 29 exhibition games were scheduled in 2022, consisting of pre-season warm-ups, games with new teams and games with the Thunder during the regular season. Most games were announced with the release of the revised AIHL 2022 season schedule on 8 April 2022, however, the first exhibition series between the Sydney Bears and Newcastle Northstars was made public on 17 March 2022 and consisted of two pre-season match ups at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium in Newcastle and Macquarie Ice Rink in North Sydney. The team breakup of exhibition games for 2022 see the Lightning scheduled for 16 games, Bears 9 games, Rhinos 8 games, Northstars 6 games, Thunder, Mustangs and Ice Dogs 4 games, Ice 3 games and Brave 2 games. On 24 July 2022, the exhibition game between the Brisbane Lightning and Sydney Bears held as Iceworld Boondall in Brisbane was abandoned near the end of the second period follow an ugly high sticking incident. Subsequently, the AIHL Player Safety Committee concluded its investigation into the incident that led to the abandoned game and made the following ruling. The Brisbane Lightning player involved was suspended for 2+5 AIHL games (7 in total) and suspended from all Ice Hockey Australia national events until the suspension is completed in 2023. The Sydney Bears organisation was fined $3,500 for intentionally forfeiting the game.
Exhibition fixtures and results	Exhibition fixtures and results	Exhibition fixtures and results	Exhibition fixtures and results	Exhibition fixtures and results	Exhibition fixtures and results	Exhibition fixtures and results
Date 	Time 	Away 	Score 	Home 	Location 	Recap
9 APR 	17:30 	Sydney Bears 	6–7 	Newcastle Northstars 	Hunter Ice Skating Stadium 	Ref
23 APR 	16:30 	Newcastle Northstars 	4–1 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	Ref
23 APR 	17:00 	Melbourne Mustangs 	1–6 	Brisbane Lightning 	Iceworld Boondall 	Ref
24 APR 	19:30 	Sydney Bears 	5–3 	Central Coast Rhinos 	Erina Ice Arena 	Ref
1 MAY 	15:30 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	5–4 (SO) 	Central Coast Rhinos 	Erina Ice Arena 	Ref
14 MAY 	17:00 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	1–4 	Brisbane Lightning 	Iceworld Boondall 	Ref
15 MAY 	17:00 	Central Coast Rhinos 	11–14 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	Ref
28 MAY 	17:00 	Brisbane Lightning 	4–5 (OT) 	Melbourne Mustangs 	O’Brien Icehouse 	Ref
29 MAY 	14:00 	Brisbane Lightning 	5–7 	Melbourne Mustangs 	O’Brien Icehouse 	Ref
4 JUN 	15:30 	Brisbane Lightning 	8–4 	Central Coast Rhinos 	Erina Ice Arena 	Ref
5 JUN 	16:00 	Brisbane Lightning 	5–7 	Newcastle Northstars 	Hunter Ice Skating Stadium 	Ref
25 JUN 	17:00 	Newcastle Northstars 	5–4 	Brisbane Lightning 	Iceworld Boondall 	Ref
26 JUN 	16:30 	Newcastle Northstars 	7–5 	Brisbane Lightning 	Iceworld Boondall 	Ref
9 JUL 	– 	Melbourne Mustangs 	Cancelled 	Perth Thunder 	Perth Ice Arena 	–
10 JUL 	– 	Melbourne Mustangs 	Cancelled 	Perth Thunder 	Perth Ice Arena 	–
16 JUL 	16:30 	Brisbane Lightning 	7–0 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	Ref
17 JUL 	16:30 	Brisbane Lightning 	2–7 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	Ref
23 JUL 	17:00 	Sydney Bears 	3–7 	Brisbane Lightning 	Iceworld Boondall 	Ref
24 JUL 	15:30 	Sydney Bears 	1–6 	Brisbane Lightning 	Iceworld Boondall 	Ref
30 JUL 	16:30 	Brisbane Lightning 	3–4 (OT) 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	Ref
30 JUL 	17:00 	Perth Thunder 	1–6 	Melbourne Mustangs 	O’Brien Icehouse 	Ref
31 JUL 	14:00 	Perth Thunder 	5–3 	Melbourne Ice 	O’Brien Icehouse 	Ref
31 JUL 	17:00 	Central Coast Rhinos 	8–4 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	Ref
7 AUG 	15:30 	Central Coast Rhinos 	2–12 	CBR Brave 	Phillip Ice Skating Centre 	Ref
13 AUG 	15:30 	Brisbane Lightning 	12–9 	Central Coast Rhinos 	Erina Ice Arena 	Ref
13 AUG 	18:30 	Melbourne Ice 	1–8 	Perth Thunder 	Perth Ice Arena 	Ref
14 AUG 	18:30 	Melbourne Ice 	1–3 	Perth Thunder 	Perth Ice Arena 	Ref
14 AUG 	16:00 	Brisbane Lightning 	3–4 	Newcastle Northstars 	Hunter Ice Skating Stadium 	Ref
27 AUG 	17:00 	CBR Brave 	Cancelled 	Brisbane Lightning 	Iceworld Boondall 	–
28 AUG 	TBA 	Central Coast Rhinos 	X–X 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
==Regular season==
===Fixtures===
The 2022 regular season of 60 games, is scheduled to run from 30 April 2022 through to 28 August 2022, with each team playing 20 games. The top four teams qualify and advance to compete in the Goodall Cup finals weekend. The original schedule for 2022, consisting of 112 games had to be amended following the withdrawal of the Adrenaline and Thunder from the 2022 season, resulting in a reduction in the total number regular season games.
====April====
April fixtures	April fixtures	April fixtures 	April fixtures	April fixtures 	April fixtures 	April fixtures
Date 	Time 	Away 	Score 	Home 	Location 	Recap
30 APR 	17:00 	CBR Brave 	10–3 	Melbourne Ice 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
30 APR 	17:30 	Melbourne Mustangs	4–7 	Newcastle Northstars	Hunter Ice Skating Stadium	
====May====
May fixtures	May fixtures	May fixtures 	May fixtures	May fixtures 	May fixtures 	May fixtures
Date 	Time 	Away 	Score 	Home 	Location 	Recap
1 MAY 	14:00 	CBR Brave 	6–4 	Melbourne Ice 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
1 MAY 	16:30 	Melbourne Mustangs 	9–4 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
7 MAY 	17:00 	Newcastle Northstars	3–1 	Melbourne Mustangs 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
7 MAY 	17:30 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	5–9 	CBR Brave 	Phillip Ice Skating Centre	
8 MAY 	14:00 	Newcastle Northstars	9–2 	Melbourne Ice 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
8 MAY 	16:30 	CBR Brave 	14–1 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
14 MAY 	17:30 	Sydney Bears 	1–7 	Newcastle Northstars	Hunter Ice Skating Stadium	
14 MAY 	17:30 	Melbourne Ice 	1–9 	CBR Brave 	Phillip Ice Skating Centre	
15 MAY 	17:00 	Melbourne Ice 	3–7 	CBR Brave 	Phillip Ice Skating Centre	
20 MAY 	19:30 	Melbourne Mustangs 	7–2 	Melbourne Ice 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
21 MAY 	16:30 	Newcastle Northstars	8–2 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
21 MAY 	17:00 	Sydney Bears 	7–4 	Melbourne Mustangs 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
22 MAY 	14:00 	Sydney Bears 	2–5 	Melbourne Ice 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
22 MAY 	16:00 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	4–5 	Newcastle Northstars	Hunter Ice Skating Stadium	
28 MAY 	16:30 	Melbourne Ice 	0–4 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
29 MAY 	16:30 	Melbourne Ice 	1–6 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
29 MAY 	17:00 	Sydney Bears 	8–7 (SO) 	CBR Brave 	Phillip Ice Skating Centre	
====June====
June fixtures	June fixtures	June fixtures 	June fixtures	June fixtures 	June fixtures 	June fixtures
Date 	Time 	Away 	Score 	Home 	Location 	Recap
3 JUN 	19:30 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	2–12 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
4 JUN 	16:30 	CBR Brave 	7–3 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
4 JUN 	17:00 	Melbourne Mustangs	6–4 	Melbourne Ice 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
5 JUN 	16:30 	CBR Brave 	4–5 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
11 JUN 	16:30 	Melbourne Ice 	5–4 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
11 JUN 	17:30 	Melbourne Mustangs	3–6 	Newcastle Northstars	Hunter Ice Skating Stadium	
11 JUN 	17:30 	Sydney Bears 	4–11 	CBR Brave 	Phillip Ice Skating Centre	
12 JUN 	15:30 	Melbourne Ice 	2–8 	Newcastle Northstars	Hunter Ice Skating Stadium	
12 JUN 	16:30 	Melbourne Mustangs	3–6 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
17 JUN 	19:30 	Melbourne Ice 	0–4 	Melbourne Mustangs 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
18 JUN 	16:30 	Sydney Bears 	3–2 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
18 JUN 	16:30 	CBR Brave 	6–1 	Newcastle Northstars	Hunter Ice Skating Stadium	
19 JUN 	16:00 	CBR Brave 	2–3 	Newcastle Northstars	Hunter Ice Skating Stadium	
25 JUN 	17:00 	Sydney Bears 	6–3 	Melbourne Ice 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
26 JUN 	14:00 	Sydney Bears 	4–3 	Melbourne Mustangs 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
====July====
July fixtures	July fixtures	July fixtures 	July fixtures	July fixtures 	July fixtures 	July fixtures
Date 	Time 	Away 	Score 	Home 	Location 	Recap
2 JUL 	16:30 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	3–10 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
2 JUL 	17:00 	CBR Brave 	Cancelled 	Melbourne Mustangs 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
2 JUL 	17:30 	Melbourne Ice 	3–9 	Newcastle Northstars	Hunter Ice Skating Stadium	
3 JUL 	14:00 	CBR Brave 	Cancelled 	Melbourne Mustangs 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
3 JUL 	16:30 	Melbourne Ice 	2–7 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
9 JUL 	16:30 	Newcastle Northstars	6–3 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
10 JUL 	16:30 	CBR Brave 	9–1 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
16 JUL 	17:30 	Sydney Bears 	4–7 	Newcastle Northstars	Hunter Ice Skating Stadium	
16 JUL 	17:30 	Melbourne Mustangs 	4–9 	CBR Brave 	Phillip Ice Skating Centre	
17 JUL 	17:00 	Melbourne Mustangs 	4–6 	CBR Brave 	Phillip Ice Skating Centre	
23 JUL 	17:00 	Melbourne Ice 	4–3 (OT) 	Melbourne Mustangs 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
23 JUL 	17:30 	Newcastle Northstars	3–9 	CBR Brave 	Phillip Ice Skating Centre	
24 JUL 	17:00 	Newcastle Northstars	2–8 	CBR Brave 	Phillip Ice Skating Centre	
30 JUL 	17:30 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	4–8 	Newcastle Northstars	Hunter Ice Skating Stadium	
====August====
August fixtures	August fixtures	August fixtures 	August fixtures	August fixtures 	August fixtures 	August fixtures
Date 	Time 	Away 	Score 	Home 	Location 	Recap
6 AUG 	16:30 	Newcastle Northstars	8–5 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
6 AUG 	17:00 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	5–3 	Melbourne Ice 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
7 AUG 	14:00 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	4–6 	Melbourne Mustangs	O’Brien Icehouse 	
13 AUG 	16:30 	Melbourne Mustangs 	3–2 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
13 AUG 	17:30 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	1–8 	CBR Brave 	Phillip Ice Skating Centre	
14 AUG 	16:30 	Melbourne Mustangs 	9–6 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
19 AUG 	19:30 	Sydney Bears 	12–1 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
20 AUG 	17:00 	Newcastle Northstars	2–3 (OT) 	Melbourne Ice 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
21 AUG 	14:00 	Newcastle Northstars	7–4 	Melbourne Mustangs	O’Brien Icehouse 	
27 AUG 	16:30 	Newcastle Northstars	3–4 (OT) 	Sydney Bears 	Macquarie Ice Rink 	
27 AUG 	17:00 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	2–12 	Melbourne Mustangs	O’Brien Icehouse 	
28 AUG 	14:00 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	2–4 	Melbourne Ice 	O’Brien Icehouse 	
===Standings===
Pos	Team 	Pld	W 	OTW	OTL	L 	GF 	GA 	GD 	Pts
1 	CBR Brave 	18 	15	0 	1 	2 	141	56 	+85	49
2 	Newcastle Northstars	20 	15	0 	2 	3 	112	74 	+38	47
3 	Sydney Bears 	20 	10	2 	0 	8 	105	93 	+12	34
4 	Melbourne Mustangs 	18 	8 	0 	1 	9 	89 	83 	+6 	28
5 	Melbourne Ice 	20 	3 	2 	0 	15	54 	116	−62	13
6 	Sydney Ice Dogs 	20 	3 	0 	0 	17	66 	145	−79	9
==Goodall Cup playoffs==
The 2022 finals weekend will see the implementation of the new finals format, announced by AIHL in March 2022, for the first time. It is scheduled to begin on Friday 2 September with the major and minor semi-finals. On Saturday 3 September, the first ever AIHL preliminary final will take place, while the Goodall Cup final will be held on Sunday 4 September. Following the end of the regular season the top four teams advance to the finals weekend, which is to be held at O’Brien Icehouse in Docklands, Melbourne. This will be the ninth time the Icehouse has hosted the AIHL Finals. The series involves single game match-ups at all stages. The top two teams from the AIHL regular season play-off in the major semi-final for an automatic spot in the Goodall Cup final. The teams who finished third and fourth in the regular season play-off in an elimination game in the minor semi-final. The winner of the minor semi-final advances to the preliminary final to play the loser of the major semi-final. The winner of the preliminary final progresses to the Goodall Cup final and the loser is eliminated. The winner of the grand final is named AIHL Champion and lifts the historic Goodall Cup.
The Brave, Northstars, Bears and Mustangs qualified for the 2022 finals weekend. The Mustangs were the first team eliminated with the Brave progressing straight from the semi-finals to the Goodall Cup Final. The Northstars defeated the Bears with a golden goal in overtime in the first ever preliminary final to reach the Goodall Cup Final. The Brave won the grand final, defeating the Northstars, to lift the Goodall Cup for the second time in the team's history. Joey Hughes was named Finals MVP after the grand final. Hughes continued to extend his record as the most decorated player in AIHL history, winning his seventh Goodall Cup.
===Semi-finals===
===Preliminary final===
===Final===
==External links==
*The Australian Ice Hockey League
*Ice Hockey Australia
Category:2022 in ice hockey