After 12 seasons and four Goodall Cups, 2015 Newcastle North Stars Captain Rob Starke has announced his retirement from the AIHL.
After moving 15,000km from his home town of Montreal to Newcastle to first join the league in 2004, Starke has proved to be a very valuable member of both the Newcastle and Australian Ice Hockey communities.
Starke originally decided to come to Australia as he was “looking for adventure and planning to travel”, he told the Newcastle North Stars website (
Read the full story here).
Starke decided to stay after meeting his now wife, became an Australian citizen and had a glittering career with the North Stars.
His accolades include playing on a AIHL Championship team four times, representing Australia at the IIHF World Championships, and being involved with coaching at both a local and National Level.
After such a storied career, it's difficult to sum up the impact he has had on the game and on the local community.
Over the past 12 years, Starke has racked up countless achievements, including:
- 266 regular season games (5th most of all time)
- 21 AIHL Finals games (=1st of all-time)
- 301 career points (58 goals, 243 assists) in twelve seasons (average 1.1 points per game)
- 5th overall in AIHL all-time points (first in defensemen)
- Leads the North Stars in franchise points and assists
- 10 years as an alternate captain on the Newcastle North Stars
- 2 seasons as the Captain of the Newcastle North Stars (2010, 2015)
- 11 AIHL playoff runs
- 10 AIHL Grand Finals
- 4-Time Goodall Cup Champion (2005, 2006, 2008, 2015)
- 3 IIHF World Championships with Australia - in 2008 (Gold in Div II Group B), 2009 as Captain (Div I Group A) and 2010 (Silver in Div II Group A)
- Head Coach of the Australian U18 Team at 2007 U18 Div II World Championships
When speaking with North Stars media about his time playing in league, Starke was thankful for the opportunities he’s been given.
“It has been a privilege to play and captain the North Stars,” Starke said. “I have enjoyed the ride and cherished every moment of my playing career. Thank you to my family, friends, team owners, general managers, coaches, team staff members, teammates, opponents, sponsors and of course the fans for all the memories.”
The same to you Mr. Starke - and the best of luck in the future.