The Ice Hockey ACT Board are seeking expressions of interest from suitable Head Coach and Manager candidates to take the Ice Hockey ACT team to the IHA Brown Tournament for males 17+. The ACT looks to return to the tournament after several years due to COVID and intends on playing with a squad that can now include AIHL players with citizenship or permanent residency. To date a strong interest has been shown by prospective players that is still open to additional players.
Both roles are detailed below and applications close at midnight on Wednesday 20th September. To apply, email both President (Adrian Miller) and Player Development Director (Tim Cox) on president@ihact.org.au and player.development@ihact.org.au respectively stating the role you are interested in and relevant experience you have for the role requirements below.
If you have any questions before committing, please feel free to email or directly message either Adrian or Tim.
When 9th – 12th November 2023
Where Newcastle – Hunter Ice Sports Stadium
Cost Minimal. Contribution to team meals, travel and accommodation will be covered by Association. Some personal meals required when travelling.
Head Coach
Pre-Tournament:
Selection of team roster and execution of training sessions as arranged in conjunction with Player Development Director to elicit most economical and successful performance of the team. Selection of any assistant coaches as desired. Setting of expectations with players in regards to likely ice time in conjunction with development aspirations for each player. Communicating with Player Development Director for anticipated performance of the team with players available.
During Tournament:
Running of the ACT team to be as competitive as possible whilst remaining consistent with player expectations. Manage any player conflicts or ambitions professionally to produce a realistic and positive outcome. Ability to sit or send players home for disciplinary reasons. Foster a positive and competitive attitude to performance but not at a win at all costs mentality.
Post Tournament:
Participation in post tournament debrief with Player Development Director to further progress IHACT’s long term participation and performance at the Brown Tournament and by extension all other younger age tournament teams.
Team Manager
Pre-Tournament:
Organise and liaise with the IHACT Board to organise and manage:
Travel
Accommodation
Meals
Uniforms
During Tournament:
Assist coach in preparations for games
Organise any shopping and arrangements for food preparation
Attend any required tournament meetings
Post Tournament:
Same as per the Head Coach, to provide a debrief of improvements that could be made to the tournament preparation for future years.
The Senior D Regular Season came to a close with the Bison confidently clinching the 1st place playoffs spot after winning 17 of their 20 games. The remaining 3 playoff spots were more tightly contested with the Shamrocks edging ahead thanks to 3 additional points from tied games to clinch the 2nd spot; and the Ice Bears and Bombers tying on points to claim 3rd and 4th.
Game 1 – Shamrocks vs Bison This first game of the Finals Series saw an intial surpise upset with the Shamrocks establishing an early 2-1 lead thanks to goals from Sikman and Murray. The Bison however were able to rally in the second period, with goals from Watts, Hood and Slattery pushing the Bison ahead to a 4-2 lead. An early goal in the 3rd period from the Shamrocks captain Davis inspired a renewed effort from his team, however the Bison remained strong and the game 4-3 sending them to the Grand Final game.
Game 2 – Bears vs Bombers The Ice Bears were quick off the mark with a goal by Mexon on the first shot of the game. The Bombers were able to rally their defense and hold the rest of the first period to the 1-0 scoreline. The second period saw a renewed effort with Bomber goals by Throop and Casey pushing their team in front, however with two seconds left on the clock Leskovar was able to tie up the score. The third period saw the Bombers edge ahead with goals from Fitzpatrick Hermolin securing a 4-2 win.
Game 3 – Shamrocks vs Bombers Fresh off their first round games both teams came out to win, and after a tough back and forth first period Ingham was able to sneak one past the tendy to put the Shamrocks up 1-0. The second period saw a trading of goals with Bowden from the Shamrocks and Hermolin from Bombers both slipping the puck past the tendies. It was only after an early 3rd period goal by Shamrocks Gallagher and a stellar performance in his net by Ray that the Shamrocks were able to redeem their first round loss and secure a place in the Grand Final with a 3-1 win.
Game 4 – Bears vs Bombers (Bronze) With the extra game in their pocket, the Bombers came out too strong against the Ice Bears with a pair of goals from Fitzpatrick and a stellar shutout in net from Throop propelling the Bombers to a 2-0 win.
Game 5 – Bison vs Shamrocks (Grand Final) When the puck dropped it was clear that both teams wanted that trophy. A long first period saw the teams only trading penalties but otherwise the game remained scoreless at 0-0. Entering the second period, and having had the extra time off between games, the rested Bison were able to show the same consistent dominance that had won them so many games during the regular season, with goals by Bahr and Slattery putting the Bison up 2-0. A mid third period goal by Hood was enough to seal the victory for the Bison 3-0.
Well done to all of the players in D grade this year, it was again another DHL for the ages, and we look forward to seeing you kitted up ready to go for Summer 2023/24.
Goaltending & Defensive player → Dedicated sessions
USA ADM Recommendations
The below screenshot has four main rows, Ice Touches per week, Season for how many in a calendar season, Training sessions in the year, and Games in the year. Training and Games add up to the Season amounts. These are guidelines and not to be taken as mandatory, they suggest what a good minimum and maximum amount is for the USA, which may not precisely apply to Australia. That said, the aspiration and desire to be on the ice 6 times a week for u18’s may not exist and we completely accept that.
Half Dozen Stations – 48 juniors per session
In reviewing the experience of players in the Ice Hockey ACT Junior Program, in particular the u10’s, one training planning method which increases the amount of touches and time that a player gets with the puck is through station based training. Stations can be run in up to 1/6th of the ice, which divides neatly into “half thirds” on the sheet and gives each player a chance to focus on one particular skill for a sixth of the hour. This isolation but variety of skills is recommended by USA Hockey through their ADM Kids Program.
The cost to each participant for a 30 player session, as was in 2022, without any inducement for coaching is at a cost recovery amount, $15 each per hour. Ice time costs us $450 which divided over 30 participants is on a cost recovery model, $15. The other factor in running a quality training session is the quality of coaching, which for us is principally attracting and retaining coaches, the coaching knowledge is excellent, it is the ask to have someone volunteer every single week for two days per week that becomes hard to deliver on.
Option #1
First format staying at 60 minutes with the same player numbers. First option is to do nothing and accept the issues as detailed above. Cost still factors out to approximately $15 per hour.
Option #2
Moving to a “CBR Optimal” that takes recommendations from USA Hockey for kids per training based on rink size.
Head Coach would be tasked with planning and overseeing the whole program
Minimum level 1 for 2 years or international equivalent. Level 2 prioritised for role.
Working With Vulnerable People Card
Child Protection Training education from Sport Integrity Australia
Instructor Coach tasked to run stations and coach in line with attributes of that age and skill bracket
Level 1 coaching accreditation or planning to attend next session
Working With Vulnerable People Card
Child Protection Training education from Sport Integrity Australia
To attract the same coaches each week, one solution is to attach some form of value to the task of coaching. For a six station program that requires six coaches, attaching value of $20 per instructor coach and $50 to the head coach and adding on the ice time comes to a grand total of $600. $600 / 48 = $12.50 per hour. The outcome of this is a slightly cheaper session for a better experience, there are no losses here. The other governance aspect to attaching value to a coaching role is the expectation of performance, the ability to remove for poor performance is much easier to do.
Option #3
Or, if sticking with $15 per session over 48 juniors, the session could be dragged out to 1:15hr. This may not work for younger ages but may be more productive for older ages who have more focus and endurance.
Coaching contra
The money directed to coaches would not be able to be taken out as cash, but would be used to contra off ice fees for either the coach or their child. The money stays within the four walls of Ice Hockey ACT and is used to lessen the cost of something else for someone willing to put forward hours of coaching.
Junior A / Junior B / Junior C / Junior D
Ice Hockey ACT has only 109 Juniors. This poses a problem for games when played along age based divisions only exacerbates the problem of lopsided games and kids who dominate in particular age brackets. It is suggested to reform the Sunday junior leagues into Junior A / B / C etc so that juniors are assigned a grade and are then selected out into teams. This format has been proven to work at IceHQ in Melbourne.
Checking Junior A/B/C would be for the most part non-checking hockey as this is another factor that turns kids away, getting hurt. To introduce checking hockey would require a complete overhaul from the youngest age brackets to introduce the style of play at an early age to avoid injuries and make it another part of the game that players grow up with. That, or we run checking intensives to skill up players to be prepared for the skill in in-house games and also for any future national tournaments. It would be negligent to send kids into a checking game without any form of proper instruction on how to play to that format.
Expectation Management Communicating to juniors that they are in a particular grade is to assist in their development. The point is that we don’t want them to struggle so bad that they give up, or conversely, get so bored with being above average that they walk away from the sport. To place the positive incentive of playing in a high division should keep some of those kids in the sport much longer. We have so few juniors that we can’t afford to lose a single one. Some may even be more than happy to be an older kid in a grade they have fun in, not everybody has either the skill or desire to be the top of the tree.
Scheduling wise, to follow along the school terms of no more than 9 weeks of games in a block. With the chance of being upgraded/downgraded mid-season, any issues around being in the wrong grade can be remedied with a shift up or down mid-year. Perhaps even a trialling format of potential juniors to come up a grade when space allows is a good onboarding method. With 3 teams to a division, each team would play the other two teams each week making games relatively short and sharp.
Coaching / Officiating this offers a good opportunity for any of the older juniors who might have an interest in coaching. Also for older juniors who might be interested in officiating, this is a great chance to give them that opportunity.
Team Balancing within each grade would be done via the coaching panel when drafting teams for a league. A rough ordering of players skill into the top 3, next 3, next 3, etc Then allows for all of the teams to be as best balanced as possible with an even distribution of players skill.
Game Format to be changed based on the skill level and assumed skating pace of each bracket.
Cohorts Junior A = 33 players, 3 x (10 skaters + 1 goalie) on a full sheet. Junior B = 33 players, 3 x (10 skaters + 1 goalie) on a full sheet. Junior C = 21 players, 3 x (6 skaters + 1 rotating goalie) on either 1/3rd or 2/3rds. Junior D = 21 players, 3 x (6 skaters + 1 rotating goalie) on either 1/3rd or 2/3rds (alternates with Junior C for sheet)
Junior A → 3 Teams of ten players plus goaltender each. Played over 90 minutes each Sunday, 3 games so that each team plays the other two teams in their division once. Each game is 2 x 14min halves which over two games adds up to 56 minutes and with only 10 per team, each player should be on the ice for 28 minutes each.
Junior B → Same structure and layout as Junior A, but aimed at allowing late starters, early developers and kids in and about the u15 age bracket a place to play with a view to jumping up to the top division by the time they age out.
Junior C → First of the alternating sheets between cross ice and 2/3rds ice. The format of the sheets is to develop different skills. Junior C is positioned to be around the 9 to 12 age bracket traditionally, but will fluctuate based on grading.
Junior D → Second of the alternating sheet formats, aimed at entry level ages and focus is on participation and playing on different sheets of ice.
Maximum Age
A hard maximum of 18 years of age for playing in Junior grades should be reconsidered. Many other sports do not follow the strict cut off from age 18, instead raise the maximum age up to 23 to allow for that window of development. If this keeps juniors engaged in the sport and helps them gradually transfer out into senior grades then it should be taken as a serious consideration.
Golf has “Colts” and Cycling has “Espoirs” (particularly in Europe) that go up to under 23. As the Junior grades currently are non checking, there presents no real greater physical threat than any junior filling in to a Senior grade.
Goaltending + Defensive Player training
A dedicated hour each week to be allocated for a combination of goaltending specific training and defensive player intensive training. Aim is to give a competitive advantage to juniors who want to play representative for the ACT, or senior players who want to move up a grade. With a compression of Tuesday training, there is opportunity to put goaltending on in the third hour in conjunction with the Phoenix training. Goaltending is almost an entirely different game, thus for the best in development it requires dedicated skills training and not to have goalies used as target practice for skaters.
Weekly Scheduling
It is envisaged that there will be no changes to the rink schedule, which in winter last year was roughly:
Tuesday → Training. 1st hour u10’s, 2nd hour 12u and 15u, 3rd hour u18 and Phoenix.
Friday → Phoenix play in C grade as per grade schedule.
Sunday → Games from 3:45 till late providing there is no clash with a Brave sunday home game.
Options of playing away from Sunday are limited. Any extra training could potentially happen on Thursday morning, but this has issues around getting to school on time etc.
Dryland as an extra day?
Alternatively an option to run dryland inside a gymnasium offers a great halfway point for getting extra skills and games in without displacing other rink users. Notably the cost to run dryland is far less than on ice and it allows an almost complete focus on skating to occur at rink sessions, how to handle a stick can be taught in sandshoes. Dryland work also removes the complicating factor of skating ability and levels out in a ball hockey game (everybody can run) which brings advanced skaters back to the pack and encourages kids struggling on blades to get involved in a game. Many coaches have experimented with this format to great effect. The only issue is around the perception that it’s not “Ice Hockey” training, which in reality it’s some of the best training for skills available.
The Ice Hockey ACT board has begun work on looking into updating the design and colours of the uniforms to be worn by representative teams in national tournaments. Two aspects should be looked at when re-designing the ACT uniform, those of colour pallette and iconography. Ice Hockey ACT teams have closely used the same colour scheme as the official ACT Government recommended colours. With an update of the colours, design and emblem it is aimed to reinvigorate the Territory identity at national events.
Colours
Efficiently, the colour scheme that IHACT should consider adopting as their own is that of the NHL team St Louis Blues if a cheaper method to have ice hockey apparel produced were available. Comparatively the colours are very similar with the trio of Yellow-White-Blue being within a few values in the RGB scheme. The Blues also make use of a Navy Blue which approximately lines up with generic navy blue ice hockey pants. Option of cover pants to handle different pant colours will produce a more coherent image for state teams.
ACT Colours
St Louis Blues
Australian Capital Territory flag for colour reference.
Emblem
Currently Ice Hockey ACT representative teams bear no distinct motif, of animal, plant, or noun. Many other states have an emblem on their jerseys, such as Western Australia and South Australia, giving a more unique association to their home state. Iconography on the front of jerseys doesn’t have to exclusively be an animal motif, with the Victorian “Big V” an iconic image in majority of sports which Victoria compete in nationally.
The current ACT flag has two Swans and a heraldic castle alongside the Southern Cross. As Western Australia already uses the Black Swan for their state jerseys, using this animal as a motif would appear to be a copycat and unoriginal, plus also the Swan is not the official animal of the ACT. The ACT Government in November 2018 elected to have the Southern Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby as the official mammal emblem and in 1997 elected the Gang-gang Cockatoo to be the bird emblem of the Territory. The floral emblem for the ACT is the Royal Bluebell. The ACT also has no known castles with a drawbridge so the inclusion of a castle seems odd.
Suggestions below are for inducing discussion and are not to be a limited set of choices for the uniform design refresh but are to provide a starting point. The only real requirement for an emblem and iconography is to have something which is at least related to the Australian Capital Territory and also preferably as a unique item to the ACT. If possible, not replicating something as a clear copy of another entity, which if done shows more of a subservient identity than an own identity.
Official Emblems
Gang-Gang Cockatoo
Although the ACT emblem, the bird itself is not peculiar or strongly related to the ACT for it’s habitat. The species lives from around Newcastle in the mid north coast down to Victoria, so other than an official status, the bird really isn’t strongly unique to the ACT. https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=10975
Official flower emblem of the ACT which has a habitat closely
Unofficial Emblems
Broad Toothed Rat
An endangered species in the ACT and Kosciuszko region is the Broad Toothed Rat. The idea of using the name “Rats” would have mixed feelings, some kids might find it hilarious and a great name, others might think of introduced black rats which are associated with negative images. The Broad Toothed Rat however is an Australian native animal which lives in higher altitudes along the ACT / Kosciuszko region.
Another animal with significance to the ACT are Bettongs which are affectionately known as the “rat kangaroo”. These animals are also endangered and have a breeding program in the ACT out at Mulligan’s Flat. The Bettongs are small, agile and highly important to the ecosystem. https://www.mulligansflat.org.au/eastern-bettong
Nouns
ACT Capitals
Not to be confused with the Canberra Capitals WNBL team, the use of “Capitals” is something unique to the ACT being the capital state of Australia, and has been used previously with the Washington Capitals in the NHL. To be perfectly correct the title would have to be “Canberra Capitals” as Canberra is the capital of Australia, not the Territory itself. Including these to the uniform needs the name to be used in conjunction, whereas the use of an animal or plant can be left as a logo on the front of the jersey.
Another possibility is the use of Senators, in reference to the upper house. This is also an identifiable noun in ice hockey as the Ottawa Senators have a notoriety amongst fans. Cryptically the name of “Territory Senators” refers to a 1975 High Court case where the ACT and NT were challenged on constitutional validity to be represented in parliament. The case is representative of small states being given an equal right of representation in parliament and is a good metaphor for the small geography but equality arguments around the ACT. The obvious clash here is with the OiHAN team “Senators” who play in over age events nationally and currently in C grade. This one should be dismissed on being a replica of a team already operating from the ACT.
Logistics
To reduce costs to players, the purchasing a full uniform each year would not be required. An ACT representative jersey will be required to be purchased, however the socks and cover pants can be kept in stock by Ice Hockey ACT. Therefore to play without minimal cost to representative players, a pool of uniform spares (socks and coverpants) should be held by the association the same as how the Ice Caps uniforms are kept together for the juniors attending non national tournaments. Prior to a tournament the players are only required to purchase a jersey.
Service Life
To assist with a consistent image at national tournaments, the IHACT jersey design should be kept for around 5 years at minimum. For the cost of investment on the socks and cover pants along with the fact a timeless design is, timeless, it would be advisable to have one uniform design in service for ten plus years. The current uniform design has been in service for at least 15 years so this is not a new concept. Also from year to year a player can keep their jersey and borrow socks + cover pants for a tournament. There is also the option to purchase helmets in a specific colour for the state representative teams, this is optimistic though.
Design
Invariably the best designed uniforms can be found where the big money leagues are, namely the NHL or KHL. The NHL and KHL are a good source of inspiration due to no large advertisements on the uniforms and a consistent modern style between teams with features respecting the history and geography of the place they represent. Some suggestions for colour similar to the ACT are again St Louis Blues.
Please forward your thoughts through to anyone on the board.
Last weekend was a big weekend for players and coaches from the ACT on the national stage. Ice Hockey ACT was represented by present and past members in both Sydney and Melbourne.
In Sydney the Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League kicked off with a Saturday match between the Sydney Sirens Ice Hockey Team taking on the Brisbane Lightning out at Macquarie. Ebony Brunt, Lucy York, and Eiland Kenyon suited up for the Sirens in their strong win over the Lightning. Saturday was a milestone day for Lucy when she scored her first goal in the AWIHL. Well done and the more ACT females in the AWIHL the better.
Down south in Melbourne at the O’Brien Group Arena saw the resumption of the Trans Tasman series post COVID. Organised by Ice Hockey Australia, the matches are against our mates from across the ditch, Ice Hockey New Zealand, and this year’s edition had many present and past ACT people on deck. Jordon Brunt and Mike Giorgi played at least two games each over the long weekend for the Roos with Jordon scoring his first goal as a men’s Mighty Roo player. Mike scored his first goal as well but no photographic evidence exists.
Ice Hockey ACT was also represented on the bench with the majority of coaching and management staff being current or past IHACT coaches. Matti Luoma (Head Coach), Mark Rummukainen (Assistant Coach), Donald McDonald (Goaltending Coach), and Darryl Day (Gear Manager) on the bench. The ACT has had and continues to have exposure to excellent coaches which we are looking to utilise more in our junior program to produce more Jordon’s and Lucy’s et al.
IHACT is proud as punch for all of you and looks forward to seeing you all more on the national and international stage.
Photos Credits: Sydney Sirens & Ice Hockey Australia
Welcome to the October 2022 newsletter for Ice Hockey ACT, we have a lot of good news to cover. The last month has been a busy time for the board with the commencement of summer leagues and administrative transitions since the AGM. Although Winter season has finished, games and training rolls on with the commencement of our D grade league and Women’s league. Please enjoy the below and if you can think of someone who would be good as Treasurer, tap them on the shoulder and let us know.
Contents: Winter Grand Finals – Injured Stripes – Portfolio Director EOI’s – Treasurer Position available – Lineys Course – Level 2 Coaching Course – Juniors @ Coffs – Summer League – Community Page – Goodall Cup visits Junior Training.
Regards, Adrian Miller Ice Hockey ACT President
Next Board Meeting
7pm – 27th October @ Olims Corner of Ainslie &, Limestone Ave, Braddon
Our first fully uninterrupted seasons since 2019 culminated in two hard fought Grand Finals in B grade and C grade. To put in perspective that is over 1,000 days since we last saw a Grand Final day in Canberra for our local players. Simply having a Grand Final vibe in the rink was a welcome event and the hockey played was definitely worth the effort to come out.
First Grand Final in over 1,000 days saw a battle of the ages in C grade. The u18 development team, the Phoenix take on the Devils in the first of two hotly contested finals on the day. Phoenix boasting a cache of IHACT developed Juniors who have also seen regular playing time in the higher division, notably Connor Binkin and Josh Mohr winning in both C and B grade grand finals this year. Devils powered on by some superb goaltending by Luke Fiveash took it to the juniors for three strong periods of hockey in a largely error free game which ultimately saw the juniors take home the silverware with a 3-1 victory. Goals to Ebony Brunt, Finn Matthews, and Henry York for the Phoenix got the job done over the sole goal from Matt Olivier for the Devils.
B grade was contested between Bulls and Blades with the Bulls coming off with a 5-3 victory. Fast, highly skilled end to end hockey was on display by both teams badly wanting to put their mitts on the Canweld Trophy. First two periods were an arm wrestle for control on the ice and scoreboard, with the third period seeing the Bulls edge ahead to get some breathing space then close it out with an empty netter with 3 seconds on the clock. The Blades did not back down one millimeter till the final siren showing the resolve that got them there in the first place. Blades with two goals to Matt Buskas and one to Matt Marasco wasn’t enough to outdo a Hayden Dawes hat trick and Jackson Gallagher racking up a double for the Bulls.
Well done to all teams in the Grand Finals.
Injured Stripes
An unfortunate injury occurred in the B grade game towards the final minutes when Linesman Kyle Binstead had his hand cut accidentally from a skate blade. Kyle received stitches to four digits soon after and is mending just fine, he has already commenced officiating and playing again.
We would all like to thank not just Kyle, but all officials who are regularly accidentally hit with pucks, tripped over and in this case, cut up so that we can all play. Thankyou for facilitating ice hockey in the ACT. Accidental harm is acceptable and mostly unavoidable, what’s not acceptable and will be penalised (and backed by the board) is any form of intentional physical or verbal abuse towards officials. If they make a mistake, get on with it, they aren’t going to change their mind. If you want to speak to them, get your C or A to approach them, or if you’re really bold, talk to them like an adult and you’ll get an adult answer. Retention of officials is a massive issue across many sports and we have no intention of it being an issue within IHACT.
To help out IHACT, and people like Kyle, consider signing up for the Lineys course in November to add officiating capacity to your association, even if it’s just a few games per year to see games go ahead, your service will be greatly appreciated. Further details on the course below.
EOI for Portfolio Director roles
The IHACT Board is now open to receiving emailed Expressions Of Interest (EOI) for the following Portfolio roles, an earlier email was sent out on 14th October. The list below contains brief descriptions for each role. If you would like to contribute to an existing role, or have a suggestion for a functional aspect we should be delivering on (ie. management and oversight of Territory Teams) then please contact any board member you feel appropriate or email secretary@ihact.org.au before the due date of 6pm 27th October 2022.
Roles we are seeking to fill:
Chief Medical Officer (CMO): Responsible for the coordination of first aid services and maintenance of first aid resources. The CMO will also provide advice to the IHACT Board on medical matters when required to do so.
Director of Player Development: Responsible for working with both Junior and Senior Coaching Directors to ensure that players across the association seeking to develop their skills are receiving appropriate opportunities and instruction to do so.
Women’s Director: Responsible for working with the Junior and Senior Delegates to manage the Women’s League, including developing, promoting and implementing effective programs that support the growth of women’s ice hockey.
Junior Coaching Director: Responsible for training and development of local Junior Coaches, making sure each team has a suitably qualified coach where required.
Senior Coaching Director: Responsible for training and development of local Senior Coaches, making sure each team has a suitably qualified coach where required.
Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO): Responsible as the first point of contact for any enquiries, concerns or complaints of harassment or abuse experienced during IHACT sanctioned events. The MPIO provides support to members and information on complaint resolution options.
Referee In Chief (RIC): Responsible for developing and managing qualified referees and linesmen as required for any IHACT sanctioned games; as well as managing any supplemental reports required for in-game penalties.
Equipment Manager: Responsible for the coordination and management and auditing of the Associations physical equipment as well as management of access to the Equipment Storeroom.
Registrar: Responsible for managing and assisting with registrations of players and members within ESportsDesk (ESD).
Tribunal Director: Responsible for leading the Tribunal to determine all reports and charges arising out of the conduct of members with the Association both on and off the ice. The Tribunal Director is a direct interface between tribunal members and the IHACT Board.
Treasurer role
IHACT is in need of someone to fill the role of Treasurer till the next Annual General Meeting. This position is a board voting role and is a statutory position under the Associations Incorporation Act 1991 (ACT). IHACT uses Xero and Westpac so if you have experience with Xero or access to Westpac, that would be at an onboarding advantage.
The Treasurer is responsible for the management of the Association’s accounts including budgeting, collecting and receipting of all monies and overseeing the financial direction of the Association. The Treasurer is required to report to the Board regularly on the Association‘s finances. Full position description can be found on page 8 of our position description document online https://ihact.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IHACT_Position_Decriptors_Jan_2015v1-0.pdf#page=8
Previous Treasurer experience is on the board in other official capacities so help and advice is available. If you are interested in the role, please write to secretary@ihact.org.au
Lineys Course
Have you ever thought of becoming an official? Are you interested in learning more about the rules of ice hockey?
Our on-ice officials, the referees and linespeople, play a critical role in our game that we love so much.
If you are interested in becoming an official, IHACT will be running a course for new lines persons. The details are as follows:
Date: Saturday 26 November 2022
Time: 1600-1800
Cost: FREE
Location: Phillip Ice Rink
What to bring: wear warm comfortable clothing, a water bottle, skates and a helmet.
Please send an email to ric@ihact.org.au with any questions you might have.
Level 2 Coaching Course – 2023
IHACT is looking to run a level 2 coaching course in first quarter 2023. If you would like to graduate from level 1 up to level 2, keep yours eyes and ears out. This should take one weekend to complete and level 2 is valid for four years from date of issue.
Minimum entry is for either one year of active coaching with level 1, or, a coaching history which has since lapsed (evidence of experience to be provided).
Further details will be forthcoming as we organise this.
Juniors @ Coffs Harbour skirmish
Three ACT Ice Caps teams travelled north to Coffs Harbour on 30th September to 3rd October for the Ice Skirmish Tournament hosted by Southern Stars Ice Hockey. Teams in the u9, u11, and u13 age brackets played against teams from South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland in a modified event with no offsides, powerplays, and penalty shots taken in lieu of sitting in the penalty box. First and foremost the kids had a great time with the chance to play a novel format against other clubs.
Each team won at least one game, with the u11 and u13’s winning their last games of the weekend to send them out on a high for the 9 hour drive home. The increase in game awareness was obvious with the u13 players learning the finer points from former national team player Mark Rummukainen, substantially improving as each game went on. Our u9’s and u11’s both coached by Adrian Miller had a great time, with the u9’s managing to snare a second place in a 6 team field. All the other u9 teams play winter leagues together.
Summer Leagues underway
Women’s League – We need to first apologise for the short timeframe between registrations opening and puck drop for round one, the inconvenience is noted. With some minor confusions and clarifications delaying us, we finally got the regos open just in time and thank you to everyone who registered in the short window. It is still possible to register for Women’s League, so head to the esportsdesk site (linked from our main site) to the registration page at https://www.esportsdesk.com/leagues/pick_league.cfm?clientID=6240&leagueID=0
A special thank you must go to Di Doornbos who managed to coordinate fixing our self inflicted issues whilst in America. Di is one of the many people who keep the ship afloat in the background and it is greatly appreciated by us all.
D Grade – After two rounds the competition looks strong. Each year the standard increases which makes for great fun for everyone lacing the skates up. D grade is meant to be the entry level grade in IHACT for men but the standard of play is clearly higher than what it was 10 years ago, which is excellent but it raises a future question for how to address incubating new players so they don’t feel intimidated by the pace and skill.
1,000 and ONE!
IHACT Community Group has just cracked the 1,000 members mark. 1,001 at the time of writing to be precise. 10 years, a thousand people later. This is a great forum to have any questions answered and to keep abreast of any other chatter amongst the community.
If you’re looking to sell any equipment, this is the best place to do it. Or if it’s not worth the effort to sell but is still serviceable, IHACT will happily accept it for any new players who may need equipment.
Goodall Cup visits Junior training
Thanks to the CBR Brave players who visited our last junior training session for the year, bringing along the Goodall Cup for some group and individual photos. Many of the Brave players came through the IHACT Junior program, maybe we can see a few current juniors hoisting the trophy one day as trophy winners. Thankyou to Paul Furness for the photography work.
