2002 AIHL season#Final
{{Infobox sports season
| title = 2002 AIHL season
| league = Australian Ice Hockey League
| sport = Ice hockey
| color = black
| color_text = white
| duration =
| season = Regular season
| season_champ_name = Premiers
| season_champs = Sydney Bears (1st title)
| MVP =
| MVP_link =
| top_scorer = Greg Oddy (39 points)
(Avalanche)
| top_scorer_link =
| finals = Goodall Cup
| finals_link = Goodall Cup
| finals_champ = Sydney Bears
| finals_runner-up = Adelaide Avalanche
| playoffs_MVP =
| playoffs_MVP_link =
| nextseason_year = 2003
| prevseason_year = 2001
| seasonslistnames =AIHL
}}
The 2002 AIHL season was the third season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The Sydney Bears completed the double by winning the league premiership by finishing top of the league standings and claiming the Goodall Cup after defeating Adelaide Avalanche in the AIHL final.
League business
The 2002 season saw the league expand from three teams to six with the introduction of the Melbourne Ice, Newcastle North Stars, and the West Sydney Ice Dogs.{{cite web | url=https://theaihl.com/leagues/custom_page.cfm?clientid=3856&leagueid=11464&pageid=10074 | title=History of the Australian Ice Hockey League | publisher=Australian Ice Hockey League | first= | last= | date= | accessdate=9 February 2020 }} The league also secured the Goodall Cup as the trophy for the AIHL final victor for the first time (winners in 2000 and 2001 were backdated).{{cite web | url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/m_news.htm?id=371815 | title=Australia celebrates hockey centennial with gold | publisher=National Hockey League | first=Bill | last=Meltzer | date=28 May 2008 | accessdate=13 February 2020 }}
Regular season
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | |||||||||
| width=165|Team
!width=40|{{Tooltip|GP|Games played}} !width=40|{{Tooltip|W|Wins}} !width=40|{{Tooltip|T|Ties}} !width=40|{{Tooltip|RT|Regulation ties}} !width=40|{{Tooltip|L|Losses}} !width=40|{{Tooltip|GF|Goals for}} !width=40|{{Tooltip|GA|Goals against}} !width=40|{{Tooltip|GDF|Goal difference}} !width=40|{{Tooltip|PTS|Points}} | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background:#90EE90;"
|style="text-align:left;"| Sydney Bears | 16 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 90 | 54 | 36 | 25 |
| style="background:#ccffcc;"
|style="text-align:left;"| Adelaide Avalanche | 16 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 90 | 50 | 40 | 22 |
| style="text-align:left;"| West Sydney Ice Dogs | 16 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 54 | 48 | 6 | 17 |
| style="text-align:left;"| Newcastle North Stars | 16 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 56 | 95 | -39 | 13 |
| style="text-align:left;"| Canberra Knights | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 42 | 63 | -21 | 12 |
| style="text-align:left;"| Melbourne Ice | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 30 | 54 | -24 | 4 |
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#ccffcc;"|Qualified for the Goodall Cup final
|style="background:#90EE90;"|Premiership winners |
[https://www.eliteprospects.com/league/aihl/2001-2002 Source]
Goodall Cup playoffs
The playoffs were held at Sydney's Blacktown Ice Arena. The Sydney Bears defeated the Adelaide Avalanche in the final to win the Goodall Cup. The Bears were the first team to win the Goodall Cup in the AIHL after it was transferred from the inter-state tournament.
{{IceHockeybox
| date = 24 August 2002
| time = 16:15
| team1 = Sydney Bears
| team2 = Adelaide Avalanche
| score = 5 – 4 (SO)
| periods =
| reference = https://www.facebook.com/icelegendsaustralia/posts/2012067662244195
| stadium = Blacktown Ice Arena
}}
Statistics
=Scoring leaders=
List shows the ten top skaters sorted by points, then goals.{{cite web|url=http://www.iha.org.au/aihl_stats_2002.asp |title=Australian Ice Hockey League 2002 Championships: Statistics |publisher=Australian Ice Hockey League |date=2002-08-02 |accessdate=2010-04-08 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091124211710/http://www.iha.org.au/aihl_stats_2002.asp |archivedate=2009-11-24 |url-status=dead }}
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" | |||||||
| width="175px"| Player
!width="175px"| Team !width="50px" | {{Tooltip|GP|Games played}} !width="50px" | {{Tooltip|G|Goals}} !width="50px" | {{Tooltip|A|Assists}} !width="60px" | {{Tooltip|Pts|Points}} !width="50px" | {{Tooltip|PIM|Penalties in minutes}} !width="60px" | {{Tooltip|POS|Position}} | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:left;"|Greg Oddy | style="text-align:left;"| Adelaide Avalanche | 15 | 18 | 21 | 39 | 47 | F |
| style="text-align:left;"|Brett Hillier | style="text-align:left;"| Newcastle North Stars | 14 | 22 | 12 | 34 | 22 | F |
| style="text-align:left;"|Thomas Mikkelsen | style="text-align:left;"| Adelaide Avalanche | 12 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 26 | D |
| style="text-align:left;"|Murray Wand | style="text-align:left;"| Sydney Bears | 15 | 16 | 11 | 27 | 14 | F |
| style="text-align:left;"|Michael Schlamp | style="text-align:left;"| Newcastle North Stars | 14 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 40 | F |
| style="text-align:left;"|Branislav Kronika | style="text-align:left;"| West Sydney Ice Dogs | 12 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 10 | F |
| style="text-align:left;"|Ray Sheffield | style="text-align:left;"| Newcastle North Stars | 13 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 4 | F |
| style="text-align:left;"|Jarrko Turtainen | style="text-align:left;"| Sydney Bears | 15 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 20 | F |
| style="text-align:left;"|Martin Jesko | style="text-align:left;"| West Sydney Ice Dogs | 11 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 2 | F |
| style="text-align:left;"|Vladimir Rubes | style="text-align:left;"| Sydney Bears | 13 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 37 | F |
=Leading goaltenders=
Only the top five goaltenders, based on save percentage.
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" | |||||||
| width="170px" | Player
!width="175px"| Team !width="60px" | {{Tooltip|MIP|Minutes and seconds played}} !width="50px" | {{Tooltip|SOG|Shots on goal}} !width="50px" | {{Tooltip|GA|Goals against}} !width="60px" | {{Tooltip|GAA|Goals against average per 60 minutes}} !width="60px" | {{Tooltip|SVS%|Save percentage}} !width="50px" | {{Tooltip|SO|Shutouts}} | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:left;"|Bill Benedictson | style="text-align:left;"| Adelaide Avalanche | 180:00 | 114 | 10 | 2.50 | 91.23 | 0 |
| style="text-align:left;"|Harri Kohvakka | style="text-align:left;"| Sydney Bears | 315:00 | 185 | 22 | 3.14 | 88.11 | 0 |
| style="text-align:left;"|Allan Mitchell | style="text-align:left;"| West Sydney Ice Dogs | 483:14 | 322 | 40 | 3.73 | 87.58 | 1 |
| style="text-align:left;"|Brad Hunt | style="text-align:left;"| Canberra Knights | 240:00 | 176 | 23 | 4.31 | 86.93 | 0 |
| style="text-align:left;"|Eric Lien | style="text-align:left;"| Adelaide Avalanche | 450:00 | 282 | 40 | 4.00 | 85.82 | 1 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.theaihl.com Australian Ice Hockey League]
{{AIHL}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:2002 Aihl Season}}
Category:Australian Ice Hockey League seasons
{{Icehockey-league-stub}}