The Australian Ice Hockey League All-Star Weekend is an annual event showcasing the best talent from the AIHL in skills tests and an exhibition ‘All-Stars’ match.

History

4 August 2015, the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) announced the formation of a new event in the Australian ice hockey calendar, the AIHL All-Star Weekend.

The second annual Australian Ice Hockey League All-Star Weekend, took place between June 11 and 12, 2016 at Penrith Ice Palace in Penrith, NSW.

Cash prizes are on offer for players for the breakaway challenge during the skills tests, the winner of the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the All-Stars match and the team the MVP comes from. In 2015 the winner of the Breakaway Challenge received $1000, the winner of the MVP received $5000 and the MVP club received $4000.

Rosters ??? of the ??? and Ron Kuprowsky of the Sydney Bears were named as the coaches for the game.

+ Team Schlamp # Pos. Player Team Nat.1 GSydney Bears20 GNewcastle North Stars2 DNewcastle North Stars3 DNewcastle North Stars4 DSydney Bears5 FSydney Bears7 DAdelaide Adrenaline8 DMelbourne Mustangs9 FCBR Brave11 FSydney Bears13 FNewcastle North Stars14 FSydney Bears15 DMelbourne Ice17 FPerth Thunder

+ Team Armstrong # Pos. Player Team Nat.1 GCBR Brave20 GSydney Bears3 DPerth Thunder4 DMelbourne Mustangs5 DNewcastle North Stars6 DSydney Bears7 DCBR Brave9 FCBR Brave10 FMelbourne Ice11 FPerth Thunder16 FMelbourne Ice19 FSydney Ice Dogs29 FPerth Thunder43 DSydney Bears89 FMelbourne Mustangs

* Denotes a player not originally selected in either All-Star team but played in the All-Stars match.

Skills Competition The skills competitions selected for presentation by the respective coaches include a number of skills events the National Hockey League showcases at their All-Stars Weekend event. Each event is sponsored by one of the league's major sponsors and are performed on the Saturday afternoon.

Air Canada Fastest Skater Competition In this event, pairs of skaters raced each other simultaneously on parallel courses on the rink. The fastest two skaters then had a final race.

HeatTeam BalesVersesTeam Schlamp 1 Kieren Webster vs Daniel Pataky 2 Mitch Humphries vs Tommy Powell 3 Rob Haselhurst vs Matt Wetini 4 Brian Bales vs Matt Armstrong 5 John Kennedy vs Tomas Landa Final vs Matt Wetini Event score: 3–3 TiedOverall score: 3–3 Tied bold = Heat winner = Event winner

APA Group Breakaway Challenge The breakaway challenge saw three shooters and one goalie from each team take to the ice. Each skater was given 3 shots, with full access to the offensive zone, to play out their routine and take a shot. The winner was judged on their presentation as well as scoring by a fan shout off. In goals for Team Bales was Kamil Jarina (SB) and for Team Schlamp Dayne Davis (NNS).

Team BalesTeam Schlamp Brian Funes Stephen Blunden Michael Schlamp Andrew Cox James Byers Event score: 1–0 Team Bales Overall score: 4–3 Team Bales = Event winner

Haigh & Hastings Shooting Accuracy Competition In this event, competitors were positioned in front of the net, and were passed the puck from two teammates situated behind the goal line. The players had to hit targets at the four corners of the net in the fastest time.

HeatTeam BalesTime (sec)Time (sec)Team Schlamp 1 Mitch Humphries 43.6 21.5 Matt Armstrong 2 Josef Rezek 17.1 34.8 Robert Malloy 3 Luc Daigneault 51.4 34.8 Adrian Esposito 4 Stephen Blunden 19.5 30.2 Michael Schlamp Final 20.37 29.97 Matt Armstrong Event score: 3–2 Team Bales Overall score: 7–5 Team Bales bold = Heat winner = Event winner

Rifle Media Stickhandling Competition The stickhandling competition saw two skaters positioned in a head on head contest on identical obstacle courses that would test different styles of stick handling, first one to the finish line wins. There are four skaters in total selected by each team to compete.

HeatTeam BalesVersesTeam Schlamp 1 Brian Bales vs Jamie Woodman 2 Shannon McGregor vs Tommy Powell 3 Kai Miettinen vs Daniel Pataky 4 Mitch Humphries vs Adrian Esposito Final Kai Miettinen vs Event score: 1–4 Team Schlamp Overall score: 8–9 Team Schlamp bold = Heat winner = Event winner

Skaters Network Hardest Shot Competition In this competition, four players from each team skate in from the blue line one at a time, and slap a puck as hard as possible into the net with a speed camera positioned behind the net to register the impact speed. Each player gets two attempts in the heats and the top two players face off in the final and get one attempt to win the event.

HeatTeam BalesSpeed (mph)Speed (mph)Team Schlamp 1 Stephen Blunden 83 & 83 79 & 83 Brian Funes 2 John Kennedy 85 & 85 96 & 85 Matt Armstrong 3 Shannon McGregor 85 & 74 84 & 81 Robert Malloy 4 Rob Haselhurst 83 & 79 83 & 76 Michael Schlamp Final John Kennedy 81 88 Event score: 3–2 Team Bales Overall score: 11–11 Tied bold = Heat winner = Event winner

Ryzer Elimination Shootout In this competition, players attempt to score on the opposing team's goalie. Players who score earn a point for their team for each goal they score. Players are eliminated from the competition if they fail to score.

Team BalesResultResultTeam Schlamp Round 1 Brian Bales Save Goal Adrian Esposito Andrew Cox Save Save Jamie Woodman Kai Miettinen Save Save Brian Funes Stephen Blunden Save Goal Daniel Pataky John Kennedy Save Goal James Byers Josef Rezek Goal Save Matt Armstrong Luc Daigneault Goal Save Tommy Powell Robert Haselhurst Save Save Michael Schlamp Mitch Humphries Save Goal Matt Wetini Kieren Webster Save Save Robert Malloy Round 2 Josef Rezek Save Save Adrian Esposito Luc Daigneault Save Save Daniel Pataky Save James Byers Goal Event score: 2–5 Team SchlampFinal overall score: 13–16 Team Schlamp bold = Goal scorer = Event winner

Final Individual Winners OverviewEventWinnerTeamAir Canada Fastest Skater Competition Pat O'Kane (Melbourne Mustangs) Team ArmstrongAPA Group Breakaway Challenge Geordie Wudrick (CBR Brave) Team SchlampHaigh & Hastings Shooting Accuracy Competition Stephen Blunden (CBR Brave) Team ArmstrongRifle Media Stickhandling Competition Casey Kubara (CBR Brave) Team SchlampSkaters Network Fastest Shot Competition James Issacs (Melbourne Mustangs) Team ArmstrongRyzer Elimination Shootout Brian Funes (Sydney Bears) Team Armstrong

Game Summary The All-Star game sees a selection of the best players from the AIHL pitted against each other under than banner of two captains. The match is played on the Sunday afternoon. Team Schlamp 10 – 9 (3-1, 2-4, 5-4) Team ArmstrongPenrith Ice Palace (att)Penrith First period Virjassov (Schlamp, Pataky) 11:21 Referees: 4:49 Blunden (Bales, Humphries) Joe Mayer Funes (Schlamp) 3:24 Linesmen: O'Kane (Powell, Armstrong) 1:55 Tim Ladelle O'Kane (2) (unassisted) 1:25 Official scorer: Second period Debra McGregor 10:14 Bales (Humphries, Nadin) MVP: O'Kane (MM) O'Kane (3) (Armstrong, Powell) 2:13 O'Kane (4) (Pataky) 1:49 Third period Powell (O'Kane) 10:57 10:09 Nadin (Rezek, Webster) Shots on Goal: Team Schlamp: 13 - 11 - 10 - Total: 34 Team Bales: 7 - 11 - 17 - Total: 35

Source: AIHL

Broadcasting Television: Fox Sports (part of the entire AIHL TV deal with Fox Sports). The AIHL released information that Fox Sports would broadcast the All-Stars Weekend event on their pay-television platform the following Thursday (17 September 2015).

References

External links AIHL official site Ice Hockey Australia Hewitt Sports - AIHL