Trevor Hawkins, captain of the 2006-’07 Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team, has packed his bags and is heading to the other side of the world where he’ll suit up for the Newcastle Northstars of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL).
The AIHL brings together the best of Australian ice hockey talent to play alongside import players with the aim of developing the sport in Australia. Newcastle currently has a roster of eight Australians and 11 North Americans.
Eight teams compete for the Minor Premiership through the regular season, and the right to battle for the post-season Goodhall Cup, one of the oldest and most storied ice hockey trophies in the world.
The AIHL is represented in eight key markets in Australia: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Central Coast, Melbourne, Sydney, West Sydney and Newcastle.
Hawkins, a second team OUA all-star on defence, leaves Canada on Friday for Australia and a 26-game regular season that runs until Aug. 25.
The Northstars are located in Newcastle, 160 kilometres north of Sydney. The population is about 500,000 in the city that is well-known for both its coal mining industry and its abundance of beaches.
