Count Down to 10th Anniversary Season

Four weeks to go!

The Australian Ice Hockey League will celebrate its 10th Anniversary season in 2010 after its beginnings in 2000 with just three teams.

Now with seven teams covering five states and territories, the AIHL has been refined into a quality and consistent entertainment product, that serves the dual purpose of giving local players a chance to improve themselves against the import players who provide prestige and a 'wow' factor.

Always eager to show their aces early, the Gold Coast Blue Tongues have released the names of all four of their import players for 2010. 2009 league MVP Brad Smulders returns to the Blue & Green along with two other players from the Netherland's elite hockey competition, Eredivisie.

Adam Gebara and Mike McRae have both played Eredivisie, while Dallas Costanzo brings a physical game that has taken him as high as the Central Hockey League in USA.

Brad Smulders, who top scored the AIHL with a record 76 points in 2009 is now a Dutch champion after winning the title with the Njimegen Devils against the Tilberg Trappers. Smulders scored an impressive 28 points from 28 games and 5 points from 6 playoff games in the 2009-2010 Eredivisie.

Along with the Blue Tongues, the Newcastle North Stars are the only other team to have released any player names.

2009 Minor Premiers the North Stars are already training with Team Canada defenceman Chris Belanger. Belanger is re-launching his playing career after his last season in Germany ended in 2006.

The North Stars have also announced their signing of Eredivisie scoring ace Peter Cartwright, who's 60 points from 28 games put him third in league scoring, two behind 2003 North Stars MVP Daryl Bat.

2010 will see two new rinks for the AIHL, with Brisbane's Acacia Ridge and Melbourne's shiny new Docklands twin-rink hosting the Blue Tongues and Ice respectively.

The 2010 season starts on the 24th of April with the Ice visiting the North Stars in Newcastle, and the Bears visiting the Knights in Canberra.