Each week I will highlight things that have caught my attention, got me on the edge of my seat or shifted the needle in the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL).
This week we had a team sending off an arena in style, a long waited goal, one team getting a points deduction and another still hanging onto finals hopes.
All In the Blue Paint articles can be found at andrewkmacdougall.com.au
Brave send AIS off in style
The Canberra Brave just keep rolling on and now find themselves in second place with two weeks remaining.
It was back-to-back wins to see off AIS Arena in style as the Brave scored 11 goals across two games.
AIS Arena has been a complete success for the Brave since relocating from Phillip Ice Skating Centre.
Three thousand people packing into the arena every home game and bus loads of travelling supporters making the trip.
Brave have won three games in a row, with a 9-1 record in their past ten games and are hitting form at the right time as we near AIHL Finals weekend.
Adrenaline hold onto hope
Adelaide Adrenaline needed two big wins to really put the pressure on Brisbane Lightning for that sixth and last finals spot.
They did the next best thing, splitting the weekend and keeping that finals flame flickering.
A tight 6-4 loss to the Newcastle Northstars on Saturday, was backed up with a big 8-5 over the Central Coast Rhinos.
A weekend highlight for the Adrenaline was Marcel McGuiness, who wait until week 17 to grab his first goals of the season. Picking up two against the Northstars.
Adrenaline have four games remaining and sit seven points outside the top six, they need everything to go right from here.
Can Adelaide do the unthinkable and make finals?
The goal Hunt is over
It was four years in the making but finally Northstars defender Hunter Ellen hit the back of the net.
Into his fourth season in the AIHL, Ellen has played 84 games for Newcastle but was yet to trouble the scorers.
Trailing 4-1 with just under eight minutes remaining in the second period Ellen came up big for the Northstars.
Ellen would kick start a Northstars resurgence as they scored five unanswered goals to run away with a 6-4.
The final home game for Newcastle couldn’t have been scripted better, and shoutout to Eric Brook and Peter Lambert on a terrific call of the goal.
Rhinos can’t break the streak
It was another weekend where I really felt for the Central Coast Rhinos, who walked away winless.
Ruben Nalos gave the Rhinos an unlikely early lead against the Brave, and on home ice against the Adrenaline lead 4-3 after two periods.
Unfortunately, the Rhinos couldn’t capitalise on the leads they had falling 4-3 and 8-5 across the two games.
Nothing would please me more than seeing the Rhinos make a big jump in 2026, pushing for finals and rewarding their loyal fanbase.
However, one highlight from the weekend was young star Dmitri Kuleshov picking up point 100 in his third AIHL season.
Rhinos have lost nine games in a row but have three remaining games all at home.
Can they finish the season strong?
Three important points gone
Coming out of week 17 in the AIHL we had the news that Perth Thunder have been deducted three points.
With the Thunder not playing across the weekend and Brave winning both games, they now slip to third.
It was a big decision as the top six is super tight and Thunder eyeing off a top two spot and possible Friday off come finals.
Thunder still has four games to play, one more than the Brave (2nd) and two more than Northstars (3rd).
We won’t know the ramifications of the points deduction until the final weekend of the AIHL season.
However, with Thunder travelling to Adelaide and a home series against the Mustangs they will back themselves in to regain that second position.
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