Geoff Thorne Joins IHA’S Life Membership Family

Geoff Thorne, a long standing member and participant in New South Wales ice hockey since 1938, was recently bestowed IHA Life Membership at Ice Hockey New South Wale’s Wilson Cup in Sydney, NSW.

Geoff began playing ice hockey at age 14 in 1938 at the Ice Palais which was located at the Sydney Show Grounds. The Ice Palais later closed to make way for an Australian army training camp.
In 1939, the Ice Palais owner Mr Jim C. Benbrodt, a well know restaurateur and horse owner, formed a team called the Ice Palais Bears (at times referred to as the Jim Bendrodt Bears), who invited four players from Canada’s “Kenora Thistles” to play on his team under a two year contract in a break-away league. The Canadians noticed Geoff’s skating and playing skills and asked him to train with the team. For two years Geoff got up at 05:30am to train and play with the team. Since the Bears Team and the four Thistle players, who were considered professionals, played in a break-away league, the New South Wales Hockey Association disqualified Geoff and the Bears Team from the Association for three years.

Later in the season Jim Brown, a respected member in the NSW ice hockey organisation, rescued young Geoff from the suspension by getting the Association to agree to suspend the disqualification, providing Geoff played for St. George out of the Glaciarium rink for a required ten years. Geoff remained with the Saints for the required ten years and in 1949 left the Saints and moved to the Western Suburbs Tigers as Captain. The Tigers won two out of the three seasons under his Captaincy.

Due to WW II, the Goodall Cup was not played from 1940 – 1945. Instead Sydney teams competed for the Hoban Cup which the Saints won three out of five times. When the Goodall Cup recommenced in 1946, Geoff and his NSW team represented NSW until 1951 when he joined a touring ice show. They won three out of five times against arch rivals Victoria.

Geoff was also a proficient skater and from 1951 – 1957. He toured with a touring ice show and did not play organised ice hockey during this period.

In 1958 he took the year off and began playing again as player/coach with the Eastern Suburbs Monarchs at Prince Alfred Park. A puck to the eye in 1963 ended his playing career where upon he took up the trade of sharpening and repairing ice hockey, speed and figure skates.

Together with his long time friend, Syd Tange, Geoff collected old trophies and historical ice hockey items for eventual display in an Australian Hockey Hall of Fame to ensure our ice hockey history is preserved.

Geoff remains an ardent fan of the game and is regularly seen around the NSW ice venues.