New Zealand Ice Blacks to Host Team Australia At Winter Games

The New Zealand Ice Blacks will host Team Australia in a two game contest during New Zealand’s Winter Games on Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd August 2009 in Dunedin.

After final negotiations with the New Zealand Winter Games Committee, New Zealand Ice Hockey Federation (NZIHF), Ice Hockey Australia (IHA) and the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL), agreement was reached for the AIHL’s Newcastle Northstars and Sydney Bears teams to form an Australian representative team. Without the agreement of the Northstars and Bears to move the Northstars final scheduled home league game to the weekend prior, the event was in jeopardy of taking place as all the remaining AIHL teams are involved in their final weekend of games prior to the AIHL Finals the following weekend.

Don Rurak, IHA President, stated:- “This has been a long ongoing decision for Australia, as IHA is keenly aware of the importance of the final weekend of games for the AIHL teams and the inclusion of ice hockey in New Zealand’s Winter Games. I also extend my thanks to Graeme Glass, Grant Hay and the Winter Games Committee for their patience in this decision. I am confident the Winter Games Committee and fans are in for two exciting and action packed contests, which will surely be the platform for many future contests at all levels between our two great Trans Tasman rival ice hockey organisations in future.”

The New Zealand Winter games is an, elite winter sports competition that will be held every two years, starting in 2009. The events feature alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, cross country skiing, snowboarding, figure skating, curling and ice hockey, including the Winter Triathlon and Natural Luge as a demonstration sport.

All of the events run over a 10-day period at various locations throughout Otago and the Southern Lakes District in New Zealand’s South Island. All events will be fully televised by Sky TV and local live telecasts.