If you asked the average fan if hockey is played in Tasmania, chances are most would say no. Not even Ice Hockey Tasmania President Mika Pallari knew, initially. Pallari moved from Finland to the Apple Isle 11 years ago but he only discovered there was hockey in Hobart four years ago. “I happened to be driving down Main Road and saw ‘ice skating’ and I thought ‘what is this?’” Pallari said.

This past weekend on a cold and rainy Saturday night in Hobart, the Sharks and Falcons did battle for the 2014 Ice Hockey Tasmania Championship in Glenorchy.

Glenorchy Ice Arena opened 34 years ago and is the sole rink in the state. It is the smallest rink in Australia with a playing surface of just 30x15 metres (the Icehouse by comparison is approximately 60x30m). The Zamboni, affectionately known as the “Jimbini”, is a converted golf cart and similar to what was witnessed at the USA v Canada game in Melbourne in 2013, albeit a lot more sophisticated. This is due to the arena not being able to house a full size machine. Some call the facility tiny; others prefer the term ‘boutique’.

Hockey in the state of Tasmania has existed as long as the Glenorchy rink has been open and has seen its fair share of ebbs and flows, as Pallari points out.

“We currently only have four senior teams; we used to have a B division as well but not at the moment,” Pallari said. “However, we have also started an initiative this year called Ice Breakers, where we have purchased some equipment and are encouraging high school aged kids to come down and play.”

Nearly 95% of the players in Tasmania are local, with literally a handful of expats. Many have represented Tasmania, in both ice and inline where they have been able to field a team, or have represented other states in lieu of a state side or indeed Australia, a list which includes Brendan Rose, who represented the Australian junior side in 1992 and finish second in the Ice Hockey Tasmania competition’s goal scoring and point scoring in 2014 with 64 goals and 81 points for the Sharks.

Due to the size constraints of the rink, the rules in Tassie are a little different, Pallari explains. “We play 4 on 4 here (3 plus goalie). There is no body checking and no slapshots. We also have no blue lines, so offside is judged from the centre red line,” he said.

As a result the pace is fast, furious and exciting. “I was so used to playing on the big ice back in Finland. My most memorable moment is playing my first game here, it’s like being thrown into a blender,” Pallari said.

The small ice surface can also be a nightmare for goaltenders. Falcons’ goaltender Joel Richardson, who was awarded All-Star status this year as the league’s best goaltender attests to this. “It’s not unusual to face anywhere between 40 to 60 shots a game,” Richardson said. “It’s much different to playing on bigger ice and the traffic in front of the net.”

Understandably, shutouts are rare. “I’ve come close. I’ve conceded one goal in a game before and I was four minutes away from a shutout and got scored on,” Richardson said. It’s a sentiment echoed by his Sharks opposite number Jester Elliot.

Media coverage in the league has also grown thanks to the efforts of Ben Waterworth, host of The Brink on Edge Radio in Tasmania. Waterworth has called the last four grand finals and this year called all 53 regular season games for Edge Radio. He posts the results and game calls online for free. He religiously turns up every Tuesday night during the bitterly cold Hobart winter to bring the game to the locals.  Waterworth has also devoted a great deal of time producing the weekly AIHL and Mustangs reports for Edge Radio.

As for the Grand Final itself, the Falcons came out flying from the start. Two goals in under 90 seconds after the opening faceoff, from league-leading point scorer Rob Pike and captain Adam Parsel, had the Sharks on the back foot from the beginning where they would remain for the rest of the game. The supporting cast of Rob Mee, Luke Hyland and Brett Ploughman proved to be too much for the Sharks, despite the best efforts of Rose and Leighton Cockerell. Game MVP Joel Richardson had a superb game in goal, including a highway robbery sprawling save on Mika Pallari in the first period.

The game turned feisty at times and threatened to boil over. However, order was kept long enough to see the Falcons’ claim their second title in as many seasons and win the game 14-4. That kind of score line is not uncommon in a rink where goals can be (and were) scored from anywhere. The game was played in front of a full house, which included the Mayor of Glenorchy and media coverage from Southern Cross Television and The Mercury. I’d also have to say, the Stanley Cup has some tough competition in terms of aesthetically memorable trophies when compared to the map of Tasmania handed out to the champion Falcons, entirely hand-carved out of Huon Pine.

Interest in the AIHL from the Tasmanian hockey community is also strong. Sharks’ forward Leighton Cockerell’s sister, Christine, plays for the Melbourne Ice Women’s team. Pallari also has a keen interest in the AIHL.

“I watch all the streams online and I went to the Melbourne derby last season before the Masters tournament in Melbourne. It was amazing. Go Mustangs!” said Pallari.

Aside from generating more youth interest in the future, Pallari hopes to start an annual national three-on-three tournament in the Apple Isle each year.

“When you only have to bring 6 guys and a goalie, what is your ice time going to be compared to when you have to bring 15 and two goalies?” said Pallari, “I think it would be great as there is nothing quite like it anywhere else. It’s much different to the Icehouse.”

Stephen White is the play by play commentator for the AIHL on Fox Sports as well as the Melbourne Ice and Melbourne Mustangs. You can tweet him @StephenWhite83 and share your support for the Tasmanian League with #HockeytownHobart.