Western Sydney Ice Dogs

Hockey team
team = Western Sydney Ice Dogs

logosize = 125px
city = Blacktown, New South Wales
league = AIHL
conference =
division =
founded = 2002
operated =
arena = Sydney Ice Arena
colours = Burgundy, blue, silver and white
coach = Anthony Wilson
GM = Doug Flynn
affiliates =
parentclub =
farmclub =

The Western Sydney Ice Dogs (sometimes the "Western" as well as "The Dogs") are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Sydney Ice Arena in Norwest, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales.

The Ice Dogs (along with the Melbourne Ice and Newcastle North Stars) were part of a three-team expansion to the AIHL in 2002 and rose to quick success, winning the Goodall Cup in 2004.

Ice hockey in Western Sydney goes back to 1981, when the Blacktown Flyers were a foundation member of the New South Wales Superleague. While lasting for thirteen seasons, this league struggled to gain stability and folded, to be reborn in 1994 as the ECSL, however it too would be disbanded in 2000 with Western Sydney having no representative in the newly-formed AIHL.

The region returned to the national ice hockey map in 2002 when the Ice Dogs joined the AIHL. Their first season was a success as they finished third out of six teams. It would not be enough to gain them a place in the finals, however, as a four-team playoff would not be introduced until the 2003 season.

The Ice Dogs defeated the Adelaide Avalanche to reach the Goodall Cup final in 2003, but lost the championship game 4-1 to Newcastle. They would have their revenge in 2004, as both teams again squared off for the Cup and the Ice Dogs won 3-1. A healthy rivalry between the Ice Dogs and the North Stars arose from these two championship games.

Championships

:Goodall Cup: 2004

Team Information

Current Squad

Club History

eason by Season Record

"Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTW = Overtime Win, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes, also note some games count as double points"

Previous Players

External links

* [http://www.icedogs.com.au Official website]
* [http://www.theaihl.com.au Australian Ice Hockey League]
* [http://www.blacktownicearena.com.au Blacktown Ice Arena]