It will be the 12th season in the New Zealand Women’s Ice Hockey League (NZWIHL) when games kick off on Friday May 8, 2026, between Wakatipu Wild and Auckland Steel.
Four teams will compete to be crowned NZWIHL champions and lift the Goulding Cup, a trophy introduced in 2024 in honour of Jan Goulding.
Canterbury Inferno and Dunedin Thunder will join both the Wild and Steel, across a 24-game season culminating with the Grand Final on Sunday August 8.
Steel are the current defending champions winning the past three NZWIHL seasons and a league record seven titles.
With the Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) over focus now shifts towards NZ women’s hockey.
Uniquely, both countries share a close connection not only through rivalry, but players suiting up across teams in both leagues.
Two players that topped the scoring charts during the 2025 NZWIHL campaign are familiar faces to AWIHL fans.
Kellye Nelson (Melbourne Ducks) and Caitlin Heale (Melbourne Ice) had fantastic seasons for the Wild.
Nelson put up 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) from 16 games played, carrying that momentum into the 2025/26 AWIHL season for the Ducks.
Heale, who arrived late in the season for the Ice was just as dominant with 21 points (9 goals, 12 assists) in Wild colours.
Furthermore, Nelson will be representing the New Zealand women’s national team at the IIHF World Women’s Division II, Group B tournament on March 30 – April 5 2026, in Hong Kong, China.
Other AWIHL alumni joining Nelson on the Ice Fernz include – Caitlyn Hollyer (Ducks) and Anjali Mulari (Ice) both spending time in Australia.
Who to watch
Auckland Steel
Brooke Patron is a 30-year-old Canadian native who had a massive season for the Steel in their championship defence.
Putting up 17 points (10 goals, seven assists) from the blueline and was integral in the Steels playoff run.
Look for another huge 2026 season out of Patron who offers leadership both on and off the ice.
Canterbury Inferno
Arriving from the University of Michigan, Megan Matthews hit the ground running for the Inferno across both regular season and playoffs.
Grabbing 13 points (seven goals, six assists) from 12 games providing avenues to goal for the two-time NZWIHL Champions.
If the USA born Matthews returns for a second stint in the NZWIHL, it could be a bigger record-breaking season.
Dunedin Thunder
It’s always great to see young stars continue to rise and Thunder captain Kate Vernal’s stocks keep trending upwards.
Playing 11 games for eight points (five goals, three assists) the NZ international was strong again for a struggling Thunder team who finished bottom of the standings.
At 23-years-old prime hockey years are still ahead of Vernal, in 2026 points production should be well into the 10+ area.
Wakatipu Wild
Shifting across to the goaltender department Jordan Wichman has been a stalwart in the Wild system over the past five seasons.
Finishing with a save percentage of .936 and a goals against average of 1.76, Wichman was the best goaltender in the NZWIHL.
As a result, Wild had the lowest goals against in the league with 27 on their way to a bronze medal win.
How to watch
Just like every other season New Zealand blesses us with the ability to watch quality hockey.
Heading into the 2026 NZWIHL season hockey fans from across the world will once again have easy access to the product.
All games throughout the NZWIHL season will be broadcast and free across the leagues official YouTube channel.
With leagues throughout the world shifting into paywall access to games, the NZWIHL continuing to stay free is a positive move.
The league is continuing to grow, improve and attract strong talent each season and no doubt eyeballs on live streams helps in that area.
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