Brisbane Lightning

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Brisbane Lightning
File:Brisbane Lightning logo (2022).png
CityBrisbane, QLD
LeagueAustralian Ice Hockey League
Founded13 February 2022 (2 years ago) (13 February 2022)
Operated2022–present
Home arenaIceworld Boondall
ColoursBlack, grey and white
     
Owner(s)Ice Hockey Queensland
Head coachAustralia Terry Kiliwnik
CaptainAustralia Damian Bright
Affiliate(s)Brisbane Buccaneers
Southern Stars
WebsiteBrisbaneLightning.com.au
Franchise history
2022–presentBrisbane Lightning
Championships
H Newman Reid Trophies0
Goodall Cups0
Current season

The Brisbane Lightning is a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Brisbane, Queensland. The team is a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The team was founded in 2022 as an expansion AIHL team and are the first team based in Queensland since the Blue Tongues last competed in 2012. The Lightning's home venue is Iceworld Boondall and the team will formally enter the AIHL regular season in 2023.

History

Establishment

The Brisbane Lightning was founded on 13 February 2022.[1] The Lightning was born out of a joint venture between Ice Hockey Queensland (IHQ) and the Brisbane Buccaneers and Southern Stars, following IHQ pulling support from the Brisbane Rampage.[1] The joint venture's goal was to establish a top-level ice hockey team in Brisbane and obtain an Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) licence.[1] On 28 February 2022, the Lightning secured an AIHL licence, and would enter the league in the 2023 season.[2] In 2022, Brisbane would setup the organisation, hire back and front office staff, form a playing roster and play a number of exhibition games against AIHL teams.

After securing their AIHL licence in February 2022, Brisbane announced the appointment of their inaugural head coach on 9 March 2022. Terry Kiliwnik was named along with his assistant coach Ivan Rapchuk.[3] Kiliwnik joined the new team with a wealth of junior coaching experience with Queensland and had most recently been the head coach of the Brisbane Goannas in the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL).[4] Rapchuk also joined with a wealth of Queensland junior hockey coaching experience.[5] The following day the yet unnamed team officially launched their new name, Brisbane Lightning and confirmed exhibition matches would be held in 2022 with AIHL opposition.[6] On 14 March 2022, the team unveiled its logo and colours that had been designed by P27 Motion Design.[7] The logo features the team name Brisbane Lightning and a stylised Story Bridge in front of a background of the Brisbane CBD and a bolt of lightning. The teams colours would be black, grey and white, similar to the LA Kings.[8] In April 2022, the Lightning announced their maiden playing roster. The roster included two players, Damian Bright and Thomas Kiliwnik, moving from rival AIHL teams, Melbourne Mustangs and Newcastle Northstars respectively. Five players named had already been announced for the Rampage for 2022 and Matthew Johnson was the only selected player to have played for the previous AIHL Queensland team Gold Coast Blue Tongues.[9] On 9 April 2022, the AIHL released its updated season schedule and the Lightning confirmed it would participate in 15 exhibition games in 2022.[10] Beginning late April and running through to late August, Brisbane would face-off home and away against six teams, including: Northstars, Ice Dogs, Bears, Mustangs, Rhinos and Brave.[11]

The Lightning announced its inaugural on-ice leadership team on 23 April 2022. Experienced AIHL defenceman, Damian Bright, was named lightning's first captain with Dylan Kendrick and Eric Speedie will serving as alternate captains.[12]

Exhibition season (2022)

Boondall was the setting for the Lightning's first ever game on 23 April 2022. Brisbane played the visiting Melbourne Mustangs in front of a sell out crowd.[13] The home team controlled the game and led at every interval. In the first period the Lightning finished 3-0 ahead. Eric Speedie scored the first ever Brisbane Lightning goal. In the second period Brisbane added to their tally with another goal to lead 4-0. The third period proved a closer encounter with the Mustangs registering a goal but the Lightning did not let up and posted two goals themselves to win the game 6-1.[14]

Season-by-season results

Champions Runners-up Third Place
Brisbane Lightning all-time record
Season Regular season Finals weekend Top points scorer
P W L OW OL GF GA GD Pts Finish P W L GF GA Result Semi-final Prelim final Goodall Cup final Name Points
2022 Played in 15 exhibition games in the lead up to introduction to AIHL regular season in 2023
2023 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –


Players

Current roster

Team roster for the 2022 AIHL season[9]

2022 Exhibition Lightning Roster
# Nat Name Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
Canada Antoine Aubin F L 30 2022 Canada
Australia Damian Bright (C) D L 36 2022 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Australia Lachlan Clifford W 20 2022 Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Australia Will Clifford F R 22 2022 Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Australia Onrii Dalgity D 19 2022 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Canada Josh Derko W L 30 2022 Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
Canada James Dobrowolski W L 34 2022 Vernon, British Columbia, Canada
Australia Julian Fodor F R 23 2022 Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada
Australia Alexandre Gracia F R 23 2022 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Australia Steve Harris G 2022
Australia Geoff Hatch F 2022
Australia Alexander Higgins D R 2022 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Australia Jay Hodgson D 2022
Australia Matthew Johnson F R 32 2022 Australia
Canada Dylan Kendrick (A) F L 32 2022 Okotoks, Alberta, Canada
Australia Thomas Kiliwnik D R 23 2022 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Canada Josh Labrie F L 2022 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Australia Eamon McKay F L 44 2022 Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Australia Cameron Miller G 2022 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Australia Grady Perlin D 24 2022 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Australia Arum Rapchuk W L 21 2022 Australia
Australia Sacha Rapchuk F 19 2022 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Canada Sean Savage D R 32 2022 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Finland Vesa Silvennoinen F 2022 Turku, Finland
Australia Jordan Smith F 2022
Canada Eric Speedie (A) C L 38 2022 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Finland Reino Uusi-Hakimo F R 29 2022 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
United States Aaron Wanat F R 31 2022 Cheektowaga, New York, United States

Team staff

Current as of 2022 AIHL season.[3][15][16]

Lightning staff
Role Name
Head coach Australia Terry Kiliwnik
Assistant coach Australia Ivan Rapchuk
Game Day Ops Manager Australia Julie Haidley-Fixter
Trainer Australia Olivia Pickard

Leaders

Team captains

The Lightning have had a total of one captain in the team's history.

No. Name Term
1 Australia Damian Bright 2022–Present

References:[12]

Further information on team captains in ice hockey: Captain (ice hockey)

Head coaches

Brisbane have had a total of one head coach in the team's history.

No. Name Term
1 Australia Terry Kiliwnik 2022–Present

References:[3][4]

Further information on head coaches in ice hockey: Coach (ice hockey)

Broadcasting

TV and SVOD:
Kayo Sports (2022-present) – Domestic SVOD broadcasting in Australia as part of the league wide deal struck in the lead up to the 2022 AIHL season.[17]
Sportradar (2022-present) – International SVOD broadcasting in North America and Europe as part of a league-wide 3-year deal signed in March 2022 in the lead up to the 2022 AIHL season.[18]
Fox Sports (2022–present) – Domestic TV broadcasting deal that has been in place since 2013 with Fox Sports to show one game a round, normally on Thursday's at 4:30 pm or after NHL games during NHL season.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Ice Hockey Queensland in talks to enter a team into the AIHL". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. 13 February 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Ice Hockey Queensland secures AIHL license". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Ice Hockey Queensland name coaches for AIHL team". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Terry Kiliwnik". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Ivan Rapchuk". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Ice Hockey Queensland's AIHL team becomes the Brisbane Lightning". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  7. ^ "P27 Motion Design". Brisbane Lightning. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Brisbane Lightning unveil logo". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Brisbane Lightning 2022 roster". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Revised 2022 AIHL season schedule released". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Brisbane Lightning 2022 schedule". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Brisbane Lightning 2022 captains". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  13. ^ "Reserved Seating Sold Out". Brisbane Lightning. 23 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Brisbane Lightning defeat Melbourne Mustangs in exhibition game". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. 23 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  15. ^ "Game Day Operations Manager". Brisbane Lightning. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  16. ^ "Brisbane Lightning signs Olivia Pickard to their medical staff". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. 8 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  17. ^ "2022 season - locked, loaded and ready to play". Australian Ice Hockey League. 12 February 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  18. ^ "AIHL partners with Sportradar". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  19. ^ Brodie, Will (17 April 2013). "Ice hockey gets pay TV boost". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 April 2015.

External links

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