AIHL Round 1 Wrap: Northstars surge to top as shootouts and late drama define the weekend

James Lane

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.

Sydney Ice Dogs 4 – 2 Sydney Bears

The weekend opened on Friday with a derby that felt tighter than the scoreboard suggests. The Ice Dogs took control early and held off the Bears 4–2, banking an important win in a game that never really fully opened up.

Melbourne Mustangs 8 – 2 Central Coast Rhinos

Saturday began with a statement from the Mustangs, who ran riot in an 8–2 demolition of the Rhinos. Philippe Caron was at the centre of everything, finishing with a goal and four assists in a dominant offensive performance that Central Coast simply couldn’t contain.

Sydney Bears 6 – 4 Brisbane Lightning

The Bears responded later in the day with a 6–4 win over Brisbane, though it wasn’t straightforward. Brisbane actually won the third period 3–2, but the damage had already been done.

Tomas Landa led the way for Sydney with a strong four-point night - two goals and two assists - as the Bears did just enough early to hold off a late Lightning surge.

Newcastle Northstars 6 – 3 Adelaide Adrenaline

Newcastle continued their strong form with a 6–3 win over Adelaide, built on a 2–0 opening period that set the tone early.

Wehebe Darge (2G, 2A), Francis Drolet (1G, 3A), and Santeri Haarala (2G, 1A) all played key roles in a balanced attacking effort. For Adelaide, Joey MacDougall did what he could with a two-goal performance, but the Adrenaline never recovered from the early deficit.

Perth Thunder 5 – 4 Canberra Brave (SO)

Saturday night produced the first shootout thriller of the weekend, with Perth edging Canberra 5–4 after a deadlocked contest through regulation and overtime.

After five missed attempts in the shootout, Felix Plouffe ultimately separated the sides by converting the only successful penalty, sealing the Thunder victory.

Melbourne Ice 5 – 6 Newcastle Northstars (OT)

If Saturday belonged to Newcastle, Sunday underlined why they’re sitting at the top of the standings. In a chaotic overtime win over the Ice, the Northstars again found a way when it mattered most.

Newcastle led 3–1 entering the third before the game exploded into life with six goals in the final period to reach 5–5. Francis Drolet again delivered in overtime to seal it.

Santeri Haarala was the standout of the round overall with a remarkable 3 goals and 3 assists, while Joakim Erdugan quietly controlled the Ice offence with four assists in defeat.

Central Coast Rhinos 7 – 1 Brisbane Lightning

Central Coast bounced back from their Saturday loss with a convincing 7–1 win over Brisbane. The game was still in the balance at 2–1 heading into the third before the Rhinos blew it open with a five-goal final period.

Danick Bouchard was the architect, finishing with a goal and five assists in a dominant all-round performance.

Perth Thunder 3 – 4 Canberra Brave (SO)

Incredibly, Sunday’s late game mirrored Saturday’s result — another shootout between Perth and Canberra, but this time the Brave flipped the outcome.

Canberra led 2–0 at the break before Perth forced their way back into it, eventually tying the game 3–3 in the third. Overtime produced nothing again, but the Brave held their nerve in the shootout, winning 3–2 in a higher-scoring penalty finish than the night before.

Standings

The Northstars sit alone at the top after another perfect weekend, sitting on 5 points. A tightly packed middle tier follows, with the Mustangs, Ice Dogs, Brave, Thunder, Bears and Rhinos all on 3 points. The Ice and Lightning remain stuck on 1, while Adelaide are yet to register a point.