The Australian Ice Hockey League opening round delivered just about everything across Friday, Saturday and Sunday: dominant attacking displays, a couple of shootouts that refused to separate teams, and a Newcastle Northstars side that quietly moved to the top of the table.

The Melbourne Ice have reclaimed their spot at the top of Australian ice hockey and claimed their first Championship since 2017, defeating the Canberra Brave 7–3 in Sunday’s AIHL Championship Final. The result not only avenged last year’s loss to the Brave but also confirmed the Ice’s status as the league’s most consistent side after finishing the regular season as the top seed.

The Australian Ice Hockey League finals will once again come down to the Melbourne Ice and Canberra Brave, after both sides punched their tickets to Sunday’s decider with semi-final victories in Melbourne on Saturday.