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 clinching a finals spot, a big weekend split, an away weekend to remember, and a team struggling at the foot of the standings.
All In the Blue Paint articles can be found at andrewkmacdougall.com.au
Ice first to clinch finals spot
Melbourne Ice clinched a finals berth for the 2025 AIHL Finals in August with a perfect weekend, 5-2 derby win and 8-6 victory over the Northstars.
Still yet to lose in regulation the Ice are becoming hard to stop this AIHL season, despite a late scare from the Northstars who tied it up 6-6 in the third period.
Injuries, penalties and game misconducts weren’t going to stop the Ice, who now have 16 wins from 21 games played and sit 22 points clear of second place Lightning.
Their top six forwards are doing heavy work, four players have 40+ points and two with 30+, with a drop off to the seventh best on 14 points.
However, the Ice are showing a more well-rounded game and roster this season which is showing on the standings.
Clinching a finals place so early will make the rest of the season interesting, do they rest players or try different things?
Kerry Goulet has his chargers humming and there are no signs of them slowing down.
Lightning get two big wins
Brisbane Lightning grabbed two important wins across their weekend trip to Adelaide to face the Adrenaline.
With teams second to sixth so jammed up and the Adrenaline pushing for a spot in the top six, the Lightning need wins. They got two sweeping the weekend.
Matus Trnka was superb returning to the old stomping ground, playing back-to-back games for the first time since May.
Trnka stopped 67 of 73 shots faced, finishing with a .918 save percentage across the two games played.
Tanner Hopps was outstanding, grabbing a hattrick on Saturday and finishing with six points (four goals, two assists).
Lightning moves back into second place on the AIHL standings 22 points behind the Melbourne Ice.
Northstars up to the Melbourne test
When you are travelling on the road in the AIHL splitting the weekend is the first thing to check off, Newcastle Northstars did exactly that.
I have written about the Northstars previously, I rate their roster, come AIHL Finals time they will be in the mix.
Northstars would outshoot the Ice by 21 in a 8-6 loss, Sunday it was an 8-5 win after four unanswered goals to start the game.
Furthermore, Evgenii Skachkov finished the weekend with eight points (one goal, seven assists), becoming the top points leader for the Northstars.
Casey Kubara picked up Skaters Network Australian Player of the Week with a seven-point (two goals, five assists) performance.
Newcastle welcomes the Lightning for a double header weekend at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium next, two big games that could see the Northstars move as high has third place.
Celebrating NAIDOC week
Melbourne Mustangs hold special themed rounds each season in the AIHL, 2025 it was a NAIDOC round first for the club.
Congratulations to the Mustangs, Alaska Green (Wurundjeri) and Elli Downing (Yorta Yorta) in what was a beautifully designed jersey.
Green and Downing were tasked with creating the special NAIDOC jerseys celebrating culture, identity and history.
With support from Clothing the Gaps, and Indigenous run football and netball club Fitzroy Stars among others, it was a terrific day of celebration.
It was a tick of approval for an important day of recognition and honouring those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background that have played important roles in ice hockey.
NAIDOC jerseys will be available to purchase via online auction with details to be announced.
Rhinos have home stand to finish strong
It’s been a tough season for the Central Coast Rhinos, and a 13-2 loss against the Canberra Brave added salt into the wound.
Despite flashes of brilliance and solid form, the Rhinos haven’t been able to get going and sit at the foot of the AIHL standings.
Two Sydney Bears and one Ice Dog – Alexander Gauthier (29), Dmitri Kuleshov (21) and Tomas Landa (20), lead the team for points, who will be returning to their clubs in 2026.
However, the Rhinos haven’t got one player to reach the 10-goal mark, sitting second last in goals for (68), they just haven’t been able to find the back of the net often enough.
With six of their last nine remaining games on home ice, it is an opportunity for the Rhinos to finish strong.
If the Rhinos can get four wins from their final six home games, it would be a perfect way to finish off a difficult 2025.
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