Chilling bets: Betting on the Australian Ice Hockey League
The Australian Ice Hockey League is one of the best competitions if you are looking for a unique but intense hockey action. Punters are keen to see the most of this league as it brings them a lot of betting opportunities that can lead to big wins.
Ice hockey is one of the prominent sports in Australia, so it is easy to expect that the AIHL is one of the leading leagues to bet on for most punters. With intense competition all around the league, betting will be a huge experience that punters can enjoy with bigger prizes at stake.
The AIHL was formed in 2000 and was made to replace the former national league after its collapse. The league only had three teams to begin with, and they played with round robins before the two top teams played in a single final. Over the years, Australian ice hockey has expanded and added more teams into the fray.
With a lot of fans looking for hockey action from the elite teams in the competition, it is also a good option for most punters as the AIHL offers a unique chance for them to get a lot of big wins in their wagers.
Ice hockey matches in the AIHL are not that different from prominent leagues around the world, which means that you can find a good groove in betting just like any other competition.
How does the AIHL work
The AIHL has seen a lot of format changes over the years since the number of teams competing have increased. These changes were designed to bring out the best of each team — making the league more competitive just like its counterparts such as the National Hockey League in the United States.
Three points are awarded for a win. Overtime wins are counted as two points for a winning team and 1 point for the losing side. There is even a rule where teams play a five minute three on three overtime period and the first team to score a goal wins the game. This is where the first concept of the 3ICE league was first seen as well, where it featured a three on three full hockey game.
How many periods in an ice hockey match
Most ice hockey rules Australia has are different from other leagues, including the match length. For starters, there have been a lot of changes in the match length, with most matches being 45 minutes long from 2000 to 2012.
It wasn’t until 2013 when the league saw the need to change the match length to 50 minutes, which was divided into two periods with 15 minutes each and a third period played for 20 minutes. This was implemented all the way to 2019.
The year 2020 saw another change in the match length for Australian Ice Hockey League matches. The league said that they are now going to adopt the standard length of 60 minutes just like most popular ice hockey competitions around the world. It was supposed to take effect in the 2020 season but had to be held until the 2022 season due to the pandemic.
When does the Australian ice hockey season start
Ice hockey in Australia begins in the second or third week of April and will last all the way to the final weekend of August or the first weekend of September. Games are also played during Saturdays and Sundays with most games tipping off at 2:00pm and 5:30pm.
Teams are set to face each of their seven opponents in 28 games. These games were played for double points prior to 2011 and were even counted as two in one games to keep down their travel costs across Australia.
The AIHL is seen as a semi-professional league as players usually receive a lot of benefits in a single ice hockey season. These include a weekly stipend, travel expenses, motor vehicles and accommodation. Some even say that these games are costly for most teams with Australia being a huge country.
Playoffs
Just like any other format in the league, the playoffs have changed over the years, with the initial season starting out with round robins before playing a single match final. That was expanded in the later seasons with semis now being added in the playoffs.
In 2022, the league opted to add a final and a third day to the schedule. The top two teams in the season play-off in the major semi-final earns a sure spot in the Goodall Cup final. The teams that were placed third and fourth will play in an elimination game in the minor semi-final.
The winner will face the loser of the major semi-final for one last shot in the grand final where they will face the victor of the major semi-final. The prestigious Goodall Cup is awarded to the champion of the AIHL.
Does Australia have an ice hockey team
Each Australia ice hockey team in the league plays with a lot of grit and this has been the trend for the league as they are all known to be top contenders. Each of the teams are unpredictable over the years, but there are also certain changes with teams expiring contracts or going defunct due to financial issues.
Here are the ice hockey teams to watch in the AIHL:
Newcastle Northstars
The Newcastle Northstars is one of the oldest teams in the AIHL. They played from 1977 to 1981 as the Newcastle Red Wings and were changed to the North Stars until 2017, where they removed the space to make it the Newcastle Northstars.
The Northstars are the best team in the AIHL, winning six of the Goodall Cups and five of the H. Newman Reid Trophies. This just shows why they are one of the best squads in the league that you should consider betting on since they have a good reputation of being successful in the AIHL.
Melbourne Ice
The Melbourne Ice is one of the leading teams in the Australian Ice Hockey League and is considered a part of the original clubs in the league. It was founded in 2000 when the league needed a team in Melbourne. The Ice went on to win four Goodall Cups and H. Newman Reid Trophies over the years.
The Ice went on a three-peat from 2010 to 2012, which was seen as the golden years of the team. They later came back with a bang and won the 2017 league title and have remained a top contender.
Sydney Bears
The Sydney Bears formerly played as the Macquarie Bears before they joined the AIHL. The team is the only remaining founding team of the league with the others now defunct or no longer a part of the competition. The team was founded in 1982 and play their league games in the Macquarie Ice Rink.
The Bears have won three Goodall Cups and three H. Newman Reid Trophies. The last time they won the Goodall Cup was in 2019 where they managed to close out the Perth Thunder in the Final with a 5-2 win. The Bears pulled off a comeback from an 0-2 deficit and scored five goals in a row all the way to the finish.
Adelaide Adrenaline
The Adelaide Avalanche is one of the founding teams in the AIHL and played eight years in a row before their league licence was revoked with financial issues around them. The team was replaced by the Adelaide Adrenaline in the middle of the 2008 season.
The A’s went on to win the 2009 Goodall Cup, where they came up with a surprise finish as no one in the league ever expected them to pull off an early win in the Australian Ice Hockey League. They defeated the Newcastle North Stars in a 3-2 showdown at overtime, which was one of the most intense finals played in the past few years.
Sydney Ice Dogs
This team was formerly known as the Western Sydney Ice Dogs from their inception in the AIHL in 2002 until 2008. They have won a total of 2 Goodall Cups, with the 2013 title being the latest where they also finished with the H. Newman Reid Trophy.
The Ice Dogs are also the rivals of the Bears due to both teams being located in the same City. The team is one of the hopeful squads who are looking to come up with a title after missing out in the playoffs for five seasons in a row.
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Betting markets to try in AIHL
Betting on the AIHL is one of the best ways to get a huge chance at winning in the intense Australian hockey. Sportsbet.io gives you a good shot at enjoying your time in watching the games by giving you a shot at winning on big wagers as well.
Here are some of the best AIHL betting markets you can try at Sportsbet.io:
1x2
If you are looking for a shot at winning in the AIHL games, then you should try placing wagers on the 1x2 market. This is used to play it safe in your wagers by covering two out of three potential game results. You can select two between a win, loss or draw, and you have a much better chance of winning with two results covered in one bet.
The 1x2 market is a great pick if you want to make the most of your wagers. This is used well by punters when it comes to intense games where they cannot make out a guess between two teams.
Point spread
More known as handicaps, point spreads are used to even the odds in a given game between two teams that are not matched well. This can be teams that have a huge deficit in terms of season records or experience. It is easy to predict the actual winner if you can pick a team that has a high potential for scoring the puck.
Underdogs will be given a certain set of points as a head start in the game. They need to come up with a win more than the set handicap for the bet to win. The favourites, on the other hand, need to finish the game less than the point that was deducted from them to begin with.
Game totals
Game totals are the best way for punters to enjoy their betting session. This bet is easy since all you need to do is to bet on which team you think has a bigger chance of winning. It is plain and simple, and the score does not matter or how the game ends.
Most punters who bet on Australian ice hockey choose this market simply because there is no need to plan ahead or even think about it for a long time. Some even add the over/under bet as a combo wager since it is almost the same but with the punters setting the mark for the game’s overall score.
Split bets
Split bets are placed in a whole line between two prop bets. This is a one-roll wager where punters use it to bet on both ends, which is a tactic to ensure a winning bet at the end of the game regardless of the result.
Most punters use it as a way to go for higher stakes, especially if they have a good feeling about a game between two top teams in the AIHL. This is why split bets are considered a favourite among many bettors who hope to enjoy a bigger chance at winning.
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Why should you try crypto betting on the AIHL
Sportsbet.io provides a unique betting experience for punters with the option to use crypto. This means you can enjoy a bigger chance at winning in your bets when you use your coins and tokens.
If you are placing wagers in the home of Bitcoin betting, then you can be sure that your AIHL experience at Sportsbet.io is definitely worth the try. Here are some reasons why you should try crypto betting on the Australian Ice Hockey League games:
It is fast and convenient
Betting with crypto is a refined experience that a lot of punters would love to try. The biggest advantage of using crypto in sports betting is that it is fast, with most transactions processed in just a few moments. The convenience of using crypto is that some of these coins and tokens ask for a little to none when it comes to transaction fees as well. Sportsbet.io supports a lot of crypto, such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Ripple (XRP) among many others.
You can get more winnings with crypto betting
Crypto betting yields a lot of possible winnings for punters like you. With crypto, you have higher betting limits and you can also make bigger withdrawals. Perhaps the best part about this is that punters can also get larger bonuses, which is definitely a huge win.
There is also a little to no extra charge for transactions when it comes to crypto. This is why you can enjoy it better than going for bank transfers as well. With Sportsbet.io, you can be sure that ice hockey betting with Bitcoin is a good experience to make the most of.
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Frequently asked questions about the AIHL
The AIHL is one of the most-watched leagues in the world, and for good reason. This is why you should know more about the league itself and be familiar with the latest updates if you are going to bet on the games.
Here are some frequently asked questions about the AIHL:
What are the trophies in the AIHL?
Aside from the Goodall Cup in the final, there are various trophies and awards that can be given to teams and players. There is the Mick McCormack Cup, which is given to the most valuable player of the AIHL All-Star Game, and the H. Newman Reid Trophy, on the other hand, is given to the team with the best record in the season.
Are there new teams in the AIHL?
As of time of writing, there are two new teams joining in the Australian Ice Hockey League, which are the Brisbane Lightning - a joint venture between IHQ, Brisbane Buccaneers and the Southern Stars - and the Central Coast Rhinos, who are based in Erina and makes a comeback into the league after 14 years.
Why is the AIHL the ‘fastest team sport in Australia?’
The AIHL’s popular slogan is based on the game’s pace. Ice hockey is known to be a fast-paced game that is going back and forth on two goals on both ends of the ice rink. Players are dashing and sliding to get the puck and score, making it one of the fastest sports in the world as well.
Who is the best scorer in the AIHL?
As of time of writing, Greg Oddy leads the AHL in all-time goals scored with 268. He is also the all-time leader for assists with 347, and points with 615. Oddy is arguably the best to ever play in the AIHL, which is why he is seen as the icon of the league.
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Sportsbet.io offers you a fun, fast and fair betting experience like no other! Make the most of your chances at betting in the Australian Ice Hockey League with crypto and rack up bigger winnings that you have been waiting for.
Step up to the ice rink and put up those wagers for a shot at going home with a huge amount of winnings, only here ate Sportsbet.io.
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Words: Paul Daniel Flores
Image: Alamy
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