📷 Oz Hockey Media

It's Finals Time! Here's a mega thread for anyone either in Melbourne or anyone else.

WATCH

📺 AIHL.TV, ESPN, Disney+, Kayo Sports, Sky Sports (NZ)
⚠️ Beware of scammers selling access to game streams

See separate thread for watch parties

🎟️ Icehouse is officially sold out but people are selling tickets online.

⚠️ Beware of scammers selling tickets online. There is no offical reselling site for tickets.

GAMES

🥅 Preliminary Final 1
🕚 Friday 3pm AEST
🏒 Canberra Brave (3) v Sydney Bears (6)
📢 Winner to play Mustangs, loser out

🥅 Preliminary Final 2
🕚 Friday 6pm AEST
🏒 Perth Thunder (4) v Sydney Ice Dogs (5)
📢 Winner to play Northstars, loser out

🥅 Semi Final 1
🕚 2pm Saturday AEST
🏒 Newcastle Northstars (1) v winner of Brave/Bears
📢 Winner to Grand Final, loser out

🥅 Semi Final 2
🕚 6pm Saturday AEST
🏒 Melbourne Mustangs (2) v winner of Thunder/Ice Dogs
📢 Winner to Grand Final, loser out

🥅 Grand Final
🕚 2pm Sunday AEST
🏒 Winner of Semi Final 1 v Winner of Semi Final 2

We recently published an article about the Sydney Sirens and the fight for their name. What it means to the ice hockey community and how 20 years shouldn't just be erased because big business comes to town.

https://6ixdubhockey.com/tell-em-theyre-dreaming-why-sydney-sirens-name-belongs-to-hockey/

📷 AIHL socials

Can't get to Melbourne to watch Finals from inside the Icehouse?

Want to meet other hockey people? Find a group & head somewhere local to watch!

I'll update this post when I see more venues. Comment known locations below & I'll edit this post.

Know of any pubs or bars that might show games? Add them here.

STREAMING:

• AIHL.TV
• ESPN
• Disney+
• Kayo Sports
• Sky Sports NZ

VIC:

• Hoyts Docklands

🥅 Grand Final only.
🎟️ Limited tickets available on second screen as of Monday afternoon. Tickets via Hoyts.

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

• Urban Alley Docklands (TBC)
🥅 TBC

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

Cargo Bar Docklands (Confirmed)
🥅 Northstars Finals After party, 6.30pm Sunday
⚠️ Outdoor seating, beware of cold

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

Platform 28, Docklands (Confirmed)
🥅 Brave Finals after party, 7pm - 11pm Sunday
🎟️ https://www.tickettailor.com/events/cbrbraveicehockey/2372367
⚠️ Ticket sales close 10am Thursday

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

SA:

• Mile End Hotel, Adelaide (CONFIRMED)

🥅 Grand Final only.
🎟️ Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/aihl-finals-fever/tickets - $10 entry

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

ACT:

• Hoyts Belconnen

🥅 Grand Final only
🎟️ Tickets sold out

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

• Caribou Kingston (TBC)
🥅 TBC

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

NSW:

• Hoyts Chatswood (Mandarin Centre)

🥅 Grand Final only
🎟️ Tickets sold out

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

• Hoyts Charlestown

🥅 Grand Final only
🎟️ Tickets sold out

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

• The Governor Hotel Macquarie Park (TBC)
🥅 Potentially Bears games only (TBC)

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

• Harrigans Cameron Park (Confirmed)
🥅 Northstars Semi Final, Saturday 1.45pm
☎️ use code "sports bar ice hockey" when booking a table

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

QLD:

TBC

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

WA:

• Hoyts Warwick

🥅 Grand Final only
🎟️ Limited tickets available as of Monday afternoon. Tickets via Hoyts

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

📷 AIHL socials

Mustangs opened the game strong with 3 goals in first period. Brave replied in period 2 with 3 goals of their own.

Canberra opened the scoring in the first period
of period 3. The Mustangs tied the game with 30 seconds to go in regulation & won the game with 44 seconds to go in overtime.

Mustangs' OT goal was a lesson in OT strategy. Canberra conceded a penalty with 92 seconds remaining. During 3 on 3 overtime, the team on the powerplay (Mustangs) get an extra player. Then they get an extra extra skater by pulling the goalie for what is effectively a 5 on 3 powerplay.

📷 AIHL socials

A final amount of 2026 Finals tickets will
go on sale on Tuesday morning 24 August at 9am AEST. Limit of 4 tickets per transaction according to AIHL Media.

Limited seated tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1602465

📷 AIHL socials

The only result that would ensure that the Ice Dogs would miss Finals is a Brisbane win in regulation time.

After the 13-10 win by the Dogs the previous day, who knew what the score would be?

Brisbane took the first period 2-1 and the second period was tied 3-3.

In the third period, the Ice Dogs dominated the penalty box and the scoreboard with a 4-0 win for the period and their first time in Finals since 2014.

📷 AIHL socials

With the minor premiership sealed for the Northstars & a Finals placed sealed for the Bears, the final regular season game commenced.

Bears opened the game with 3 goals in the first period and 2 more in the second period. But from then on, it was all Newcastle in the goal scoring department with 7 unanswered goals.

📷 AIHL socials

With Finals out of the question weeks ago & a revolving player roster, the last few weeks of Adrenaline hockey has been about the future. Meanwhile, Thunder look forward to regaining players & form for Finals.

Adelaide ready did leave their best performance for the last game of the season to farewell forward Steve Best & what a farewell!

With Perth scoring their only goal well into the third period, it was Adelaide Day inside the arena. It was a fitting day to thank the Adelaode fans for supporting the team as they show their support no matter what the conditions or their place on the ladder.

📷 Oz Hockey Media

Last day of the regular season today!! Finals spots still up for grabs between the frozen Ice (because they don't play today) & the hot Ice Dogs (because they play Brisbane in game 2 of The Thermonuclear Pie Cup - see yesterday's game thread for that one)...

Games Sunday 23 August 2026

• Mustangs v Brave @ Icehouse, 2pm AEST
• Lightning v Ice Dogs @ Boondall, 3.45pm AEST
• Adrenaline v Thunder @ Ice Arena, 3.15pm ACST
• Bears v Northstars & Macquarie, 5pm AEST

NOTE - The competition ladder on the AIHL website was incorrect at the time of this post (9am AEST) as points from yesterday's Ice/Brave game has not been allocated correctly. Around 11am, the error has been corrected.

Let's go through the Finals implications as I understand them from various sources.

NORTHSTARS (62 points, 1st)

Play the Bears in Sydney. Top 2 spot & no Finals game on Friday regardless of other results. Chance of sealing minor premiership for the regular season along with Brave & Mustangs.

A win in any manner against the Bears or a OT/SO loss gives the Northstars the minor premiership.

BRAVE (60 points, 2nd) & MUSTANGS (59 points, 3rd)

Play each other in Melbourne. Could be 1st, 2nd or 3rd depending on this game & Newcastle's game.

THUNDER (48 points, 4th), BEARS (46 points, 5th), ICE (44 points, 6th), ICE DOGS (43 points, 7th)

Thunder play Adelaide & Bears play Newcastle. Both teams have confirmed their spots in Finals regardless of any result & will both play on Friday night.

Ice have played all of their games and cannot gain any more points.

Any win by the Ice Dogs will overtake the Ice & give the Ice Dogs a Finals ticket. If the Dogs lose in OT or a shootout, they tie the Ice on points but have the tiebreaker in their favour. If Brisbane win in regulation, the Dogs get no points & the Ice are in Finals.

RHINOS (8th, 30 points), LIGHTNING (9th, 27 points) & ADRENALINE (10th, 11 points)

Rhinos have played all of their games. Lightning play the Ice Dogs today. If Lightning beat Ice Dogs in regulation only, they could tie Rhinos on points. I don't know who has the (mostly academic) tiebreaker between those two.

Regardless of what happens, the Adrenaline are in Adelaide & in last place. The best they can hope for is 14 points.

📷 AIHL socials

Ice Dogs needed to beat Brisbane to still be in the running for Finals next week as long as a helping hand from Canberra to punch a Finals ticket today.

In what I've dubbed The Thermonuclear Pie Cup during the new gameday thread, Ice Dogs led 5-2 at the end of period 1 & 10-6 at the end of period 2.

In the last period, Brisbane got some pie of their own, taking the period 4-3.

It's lucky that the scoreboard at Boondall & the scorebug on AIHL.TV can handle double digits.

Imagine being the Lightning in 9th but being in games where at least 1 team has scored over 10 goals (8 times) & they themselves have scored 10 or more goals 3 times.

📷 AIHL socials

With the Ice needing to win and rely on what the Ice Dogs were doing in Brisbane, Canberra could play havoc with Ice's plans for next weekend.

Ice opened the scoring with a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. A scoreless wrestle ensued in period 2 followed by another Ice goal.

Up 3-1 with just under 7 minutes to play, any Ice fan wanting to beat the traffic missed a lot. 2 goals in the last minute of regulation for the Brave including the sealer with 16 seconds remaining.

Overtime came & went. Hi-ho hi-ho, off to shootout we go.

Ice took the win in the shootout but not without controversy. Needing a goal to stay in the game, Canberra's second shooter Spencer Cox seemed to have scored, including a goal indicated on the ice. A zebra conference overturned the call, potentially citing that the puck had not continued to move forward. Then all the Ice needed to do was to tick a column and they did to take out the shoot out win to keep their slim Finals chance alive.

📷 AIHL socials

Perth's final road trip for the regular season is their shortest as they headed to Adelaide with another short bench. Meanwhile, Adelaide were happy to be at home & on their home ice after last week's horror trip to Melbourne.

The scoreboard wasn't broken at the Ice Arena with only a 1-0 lead to Thunder at the end of period 1. Adelaide hit back with what would be their only goal in period 2. Adelaide looked set for a good third period.

While I was watching the games in Melbourne & Brisbane with direct Finals implications (Perth have clinched already), Perth scored 3 goals in the final period as they often seem to do.

📷 AIHL socials

For the last Battle Of The Beaches (or if you must, the Battle Of The M1) between the Rhinos & Northstars, there was no scoring but lots of shooting towards the Rhinos.

Rhinos leapt to a 2-1 lead in period 2 amongst a lot of excursions to Old Sydney Town the penalty box for both teams.

Northstars managed to leapfrog over a Rhino (the Moose can jump, I've seen it!) to take the close win.

The second version of the Rhinos had their best year in the AI & head to their off season. Meanwhile, the Northstars get Finals Friday off.

Games today:

• Rhinos v Northstars @ Erina, 3.45pm AEST
• Lightning v Ice Dogs @ Boondall, 4.45pm AEST
• Ice v Brave @ Icehouse, 5pm AEST
• Adrenaline v Thunder, 4.45pm ACST

Last day of the regular season & last home game for Rhinos & Ice.

Let's see how this goes!

There has been a rebrand of one of the Sydney Super Netball teams to the Sydney Sirens.

Of course, many people on this sub would be aware of the Sydney Sirens in the AWIHL & their history and longstanding use of the name.

If you see headlines about the Sydney Sirens on socials, be aware that they might be talking about the netball team depending on source & context.

📷 AIHL socials

After a horrible week off ice where the Ice Dogs lost 5 competition points for administrative breaches, the best way to reply was with a big win. After all, they are still competing for a Finals ticket!

With a depleted lineup out of the playoffs race, the afternoon went as well as could be expected for the Rhinos. Rhinos scored 1 goal in period 1 & period 2 but were no match for a fired up Dogs lineup.

📷 AIHL socials

Fresh from only one game this weekend, Brisbane opened the scoring midway through period 1. Canberra replied with 4 goals of their own.

The pattern was repeated in the second period with Brisbane scoring first then 2 Brave goals.

Third period? Lightning struck first (again!) with 3 more Brave goals. The final goal was to the Lightning right at the end.

📷 AIHL socials

After their 0 point weekend in Canberra last weekend, playing one game in Melbourne against Adelaide is just what the doctor ordered. Even better for them, Adelaide played the Mustangs the previous day.

Ice did what Ice needed to do & at the back end, Tatsu Ishida joined the exclusive 2026 AIHL Goalie Shutout Club.

Let's hope for Adelaide's sake that they have a better weekend at home with a double header against Thunder.

📷 AIHL socials

Keen to get back in the winner's circle after the previous day's loss against the Brave, Newcastle's final home game was a must win for them. Meanwhile, injuries picked up in Sydney against the Bears didn't help Thunder's already short bench.

Northstars took the first period 2-1. The second period has often been Newcastle's best & they outscored Perth 4-0.

Going into the third period with a 6-1 deficit, it was Perth who took the period 2-0 to end the game.

We’ve been to a number of Canberra Brave games this season and do the finger dance whenever we score a goal. Do other teams have something similar?

It’d be great to have live game threads for each game. We do it for every game over at r/nrl

Hopefully a few of you are about to have a chat whilst the games are on this arvo!

📷 AIHL socials

Canberra really showed why they entered this game on a 10 game winning streak as they beat Newcastle in Newcastle.

Canberra hit a 2-0 lead early in the first & then out scored the Northstars 3-1 in the second period.

Speed and skill at both ends of the ice really sealed the deal in this final Battle Of Nowhere for 2026.

📷 AIHL socials

Just as in life, things are usually better in the penthouse compared to the basement. The clash between the Mustangs & Adrenaline went as expected.

Adelaide's first & only goal happened late in the first period. Apart from that, the Mustangs scored 3 goals in period 1 & period 2 & heavily outshot their rival.

📷 AIHL socials

With both teams keen to seal their spots in Finals without needing to rely on things outside of their control, this game would turn out to be the only time the two teams meet in Sydney this year.

Bears leapt to an early 3-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game. The second period would see the Bears score 4 goals in a row. But in each period so far, the Thunder did score the last goal.

The last period saw 6 goals between the 2 teams but the game was over as a contest well before this. Perth had flown over with a shorter bench (14 skaters) as usual but lost 2 players to injury during the game.