Ice hockey in Australia
| Ice hockey in Australia | |
|---|---|
The two teams who participated in the first ice hockey match in Australia, 17 July 1906 | |
| Country | Australia |
| Governing body | Ice Hockey Australia |
| National team(s) | Men's national team; Women's national team |
National competitions | |
International competitions | |
Ice hockey in Australia is a sport which had a relatively poor popularity, having low participation and spectator attendance figures when compared with many other sports played in the country.
However, the establishment of the semi-professional Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) in 2000 (in place of the collapsed former state-based national competition) has seen an increase in popularity for the sport, a trend which continued in 2012 with the successful expansion of the league into Western Australia with the inclusion of Perth-based side Perth Thunder and the introduction of a two-conference competition.
The AIHL is the top-level ice hockey league in Australia, and the largest league in the Southern Hemisphere. The Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) is the top-level women's competition and was formed in 2005.
Ice hockey in Australia is governed nationally by the Australian Ice Hockey Federation (currently trading as Ice Hockey Australia), formed in 1923 as the Australian Ice Hockey Association. Australia is an active full-member of the International Ice Hockey Federation having been admitted to the federation in 1938.
As of 2012 there were approximately 3,200 registered ice hockey players in Australia.