Adelaide_Avalanche
Adelaide Avalanche
Ice hockey team in Adelaide, South Australia
The Adelaide Avalanche was a semi-professional ice hockey club based in the Adelaide suburb of Thebarton, South Australia. The Avalanche, founded in 1999, was a founding member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The team's home venue was the Snowdome Adelaide (now known as IceArenA). The Avalanche competed in the AIHL for eight years, from its inaugural season in 2000 until 17 June 2008, when the club was replaced with the Snowdome's own team, Adelaide A's (later rebranded Adelaide Adrenaline), after its AIHL licence was revoked due to financial issues. During the club's lifetime, the Avalanche won four AIHL premierships and two AIHL championships.
| Adelaide Avalanche | |
|---|---|
| City | Thebarton, Adelaide, South Australia |
| League | Australian Ice Hockey League |
| Founded | 15 May 1999 (24 years ago) (15 May 1999) |
| Operated | 2000–2008 |
| Dissolved | 17 June 2008 (15 years ago) (17 June 2008) |
| Home arena | Snowdome Adelaide |
| Colours | Blue, bronze, black and white |
| General manager |  Alan Yarrow |
| Head coach | Corey Smith |
| Captain | Greg Oddy |
| Championships | |
| Premierships | 4 (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007) |
| AIHL Championships | 2 (2000, 2001) |
Foundation and ECSL (1999–00)
The Adelaide Avalanche was founded in May 1999 by the Oddy and Thilthorpe families to secure national ice hockey competition for South Australia and their sons. Steve Oddy and James Thilthorpe headed the fledgling club as owners and directors, Steve Oddy taking on the role of club chairman.[1]
The Avalanche appointed John Botterill as inaugural head coach. He would be assisted by Neil Boyle.[2] Australian international defenceman, Pavel Bohacik, was appointed the club's maiden captain.[3]
Adelaide quickly joined the de facto national league, East Coast Super League (ECSL) in 1999, in what would prove to be the NSW administered ECSL's last season.[4] The Avalanche's first ever competitive game was on the road in Sydney against the Canterbury Eagles. Adelaide defeated the Eagles 7-5 to register the club's inaugural victory. Steve's son Greg Oddy led the South Australian outfit's opening performance, registering two goals. Oddy and Thilthorpe personally arranged and paid for the travel of east coast teams to Adelaide in 1999. On 15 May 1999, Adelaide hosted its first competitive home game at the Snowdome in Thebarton.[1]
AIHL era (2000–08)
Along with the Sydney Bears and Canberra Knights, the Avalanche were one of the founding members of the AIHL in 2000. They finished first out of the three teams that year and claimed the inaugural AIHL championship. In 2001, the club enjoyed the same success in winning their second consecutive title.
In 2002, the Melbourne Ice, Western Sydney Ice Dogs, and Newcastle North Stars joined the AIHL, expanding it to six teams. The Goodall Cup, Australia's top prize in ice hockey, also became part of the AIHL that year. Adelaide again finished second in the overall standings and lost to the Bears in the Goodall Cup final.
The Avalanche finished the 2003 season with their fourth straight minor premiership but lost to the Ice Dogs in the first round of a newly introduced four-team playoff system. They would lose in the semifinals again in 2004 to the North Stars in double overtime.
As two more teams—the Brisbane Blue Tongues and Central Coast Rhinos—entered the league in 2005, the Avalanche returned to dominance by finishing first overall in the regular season standings. The "curse of the minor premiers" again haunted the team. Despite winning through to the Goodall Cup final for the first time in three years, they were defeated 3–1 by the North Stars in that game.
The Avalanche have retooled for 2006 in the quest for their first-ever Goodall Cup, with their current roster boasting Mighty Roos players Greg Oddy and brothers Ben & Luke Thilthorpe. They finished second after the regular season and hosted the finals series, beating the Ice Dogs 5–2 to reach the final but losing the final 0-4 to the North Stars.
Members of the Adelaide Avalanche were featured on episode 11 of Network Ten's Cyber Shack TV on 10 October 2006. Both David Huxley and Brad Wanchulak played and reviewed the new NHL 2K6 on Xbox 360.
The Avalanche came into financial difficulties in 2008, and after being able to host several game at the start of the season, could not meet its road commitments, forcing the team to withdraw from the remainder of the season on 17 June. The team's players were transferred to the newly formed Adelaide A's, who in a deal with the AIHL was allowed to play the remainder of the Avalanche's season.
In 2022 the name of the Adelaide Avalanche was revived by a new team competing in the Pacific Hockey League.[5]
| Champions | Runners-up | Third Place |
| Season | Regular season | Finals weekend | Top points scorer | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | T | L | SW | SL | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Finish | P | W | L | GF | GA | Result | Semi-final | AIHL final | Name | Points | |
| 2000 | Information not available | 2nd | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5 | Champions | – | Won 6-5 (SO) (Bears) | John Oddy | 34 | |||||||||
| 2001 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 120 | 60 | +60 | 31 | 1st | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 7 | Champions | – | Won 10-7 (Bears) |  Paul Lawson | 38 |
| 2002 | 20 | 13 | 0 | 7 | – | – | 120 | 67 | +53 | 26 | 2nd | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | Runners-up | – | Lost 4-7 (Bears) | Greg Oddy | 39 |
| 2003[lower-alpha 1] | 18 | 15 | 0 | 3 | – | – | 98 | 52 | +46 | 30 | 1st[lower-alpha 2] | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 14 | Fourth[lower-alpha 3] | Lost 1-4 (Ice Dogs) | – | Greg Oddy | 47 |
| 2004 | 20 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 64 | 68 | -4 | 29 | 4th | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Semi-finalist | Lost 2-3 (2OT) (North Stars) | – | Greg Oddy | 30 |
| 2005 | 26 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 133 | 77 | +56 | 60 | 1st | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | Runners-up | Won 6-3 (Bears) | Lost 1-3 (North Stars) | Darcy Corcoran | 47 |
| 2006 | 28 | 19 | – | 9 | 0 | 0 | 134 | 84 | +50 | 57 | 2nd | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | Runners-up | Won 5-2 (Ice Dogs) | Lost 0-4 (North Stars) | Brad Wanchulak | 53 |
| 2007 | 28 | 17 | – | 7 | 1 | 3 | 124 | 99 | +25 | 56 | 1st | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Semi-finalist | Lost 1-4 (Bears) | – | Greg Oddy | 43 |
| 2008 | 15[lower-alpha 4] | 3 | – | 8 | 2 | 2 | 32 | 53 | -21 | 15 | DNF | – |  Peter Lindgren | 29[lower-alpha 5] | |||||||
Notes:
- 2003 was the one and only season where a third place play-off was contested as part of the finals format for the AIHL. The Sydney Bears defeated the Adelaide Avalanche 10-5 in the third place play-off so the Avalanche finished fourth.
- Only completed 15 of the 28 matches in the 2008 season before withdrawing and forfeiting two games. All points, players and fixtured were transferred to the Adelaide A's when the licence was transferred.
Championships
- AIHL Championships (2000–01)1
- V.I.P. Cup (2004–07)2
- 1 The first two season's of the AIHL did not have the Goodall Cup as the Championship prize. The Adelaide Avalanche is the only AIHL team to win the AIHL and not be crowned Goodall Cup Champions.
- 2 This list also includes Premierships won prior to the first trophy (VIP Cup) for Premiers came into existence in 2004.
Franchise Awards
Each season, between 1999 and 2007, the Avalanche held an annual awards night where the team awarded a number of player awards.[9]
| Season | MVP | BR | FC | BD | LS | BDF | CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Glen Foll | Eric Lien | Trevor Walsh | Pavel Bohacik | John Oddy | – | – |
| 2000 | Greg Oddy | Shane Wouters | Greg Oddy | Pavel Bohacik | John Oddy | – | – |
| 2001 | Charlie Lawson | Charlie Lawson | Paul Lawson | Glen Foll | Paul Lawson | Chris Brlecic | – |
| 2002 | Eric Lien | Jamie Lever | Trevor Walsh | Glen Foll | Greg Oddy | Chris Brlecic | – |
| 2003 | Dylan Martini | Josh Harding | Trevor Walsh | Dylan Martini | Greg Oddy |  Duane Gera | – |
| 2004 | Trevor Walsh | Cass Delsar | Greg Oddy | Chris Chant | Greg Oddy | Luke Thilthorpe | – |
| 2005 | Greg Oddy | Olivier Martin | Steve McKenna | Steve McKenna | Darcy Corcoran | Tanner Shultz | – |
| 2006 | Greg Oddy | David Huxley | Brad Wanchulak | Kevin Clauson | Brad Wanchulak | Chris Brlecic | Nigel Ward |
| 2007 | Olivier Martin | Sean Greer | David Huxley | Josh Harding | Greg Oddy | Mike Van Den Bosch | Ryan Remillard |
Last roster
Team roster for the 2008 AIHL season [10][11]
| Active Roster | Coaching staff | |||
Goaltenders
Defencemen
|
Forwards
|
Head Coach
Coaches
Legend Statistics | ||
| Last updated on: 28 May 2022 | ||||
| Elite ProspectsAdelaide Avalanche Legends of Australian Ice | ||||
NHL players
A list of players that have played at least one game for the Avalanche and who have also played at least one game in the National Hockey League (NHL).
| Name | Year(s) | NHL team(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Steve McKenna | 2005 | Los Angeles Kings; Minnesota Wild; Pittsburgh Penguins; New York Rangers |
| Mel Angelstad | 2007 | Washington Capitals |
International players
A list of players that have played at least one game for the Avalanche and who have also played at least one game for an international team at the World Championships organised by the IIHF.
| Name | Caps | Points | PIM | Medals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glen Foll | 80 | 72 | 32 | 1  4  | Australian captain for 15 tournaments (1990 to 2006) |
| Greg Oddy | 72 | 118 | 131 | 2  3 3 | Australian captain for 4 tournaments (2010 to 2014) |
| Ben Thilthorpe | 32 | 20 | 51 | 1 1 3 | |
| Joshua Harding | 31 | 8 | 16 | 1 1 1 | Australian alternate captain for 1 tournament (2014–15) |
| David Huxley | 28 | 10 | 8 | 2 1 | Australian alternate captain for 1 tournament (2015–16) |
| Luke Thilthorpe | 24 | 17 | 10 | 1 1 2 | |
| Pavel Bohacik | 24 | 3 | 8 | ||
| Daniel George | 20 | 2 | 6 | 1 1 | |
| Andrew Brunt | 16 | 6 | 8 | ||
| Trevor Walsh | 15 | 26 | 93 | 1 2 | |
| Chris Brlecic | 14 | 10 | 20 | 2 1 | |
| John Oddy | 14 | 28 | 36 | ||
| Mitchell Villani | 10 | 5 | 8 | 1 | |
| Ross Howell | 10 | 5 | 2 | 1 | |
| Sean Greer | 10 | 0 | 4 | ||
| James Keane | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 1 | |
| Cass Delsar | 9 | 4 | 8 | 2 | |
| Matthew Wegener | 5 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Ari Pullinen | 5 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Dusan Ocenas | 4 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Olivier Martin | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Paul Cracknell | 1 | 0 | 0 |
References:[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]
Player records
Avalanche all-time, season and game player records.[36]
All-time
| No. | Appearances | Points | Penalty Minutes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | GP | Name | P | Name | PIM |
| 1 | Greg Oddy | 133 | Greg Oddy | 280 | Trevor Walsh | 505 |
| 2 | Ben Thilthorpe | 126 | Trevor Walsh | 201 | Greg Oddy | 426 |
| 3 | Luke Thilthorpe | 122 | Ben Thilthorpe | 153 | John Oddy | 350 |
| 4 | Chris Brlecic | 119 | Chris Brlecic | 115 | Ben Thilthorpe | 346 |
| 5 | Trevor Walsh | 100 | Luke Thilthorpe | 113 | Chris Brlecic | 341 |
| 6 | Eric Lien | 84 | John Oddy | 111 | Luke Thilthorpe | 231 |
| 7 | Josh Harding | 77 | Dylan Martini | 86 | Tanner Shultz | 154 |
| 8 | Glen Foll | 68 | Glen Foll | 73 | Cass Delsar | 133 |
| 9 | Daniel George | 68 | Brad Wanchulak | 53 | Ryan Clauson | 107 |
| 10 | James Keane | 65 | Darcy Corcoran | 47 | Dylan Martini | 104 |
Season
| Category | Record | Season | Held by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Points | 53 | 2006 | Brad Wanchulak |
| Most Goals | 26 | 2006 | Brad Wanchulak |
| Most Assists | 33 | 2006 | Greg Oddy |
| Most Points (Defenceman) | 36 | 2003 | Dylan Martini |
| Most Penalty Minutes | 154 | 2005 | Tanner Shultz |
| Best Goaltender Save % | 91.8% | 2005 | Olivier Martin |
| Best Goaltender G.A.A | 2.24 | 2005 | Olivier Martin |
| Most Goaltender Wins | 15 | 2006 | Nigel Ward |
| Most Goaltender Shutouts | 1 | 1999 / 2006 | Eric Lien / Nigel Ward |
| Most Game Winning Goals | 6 | 2003 / 2006 | Greg Oddy / Brad Wanchulak |
| Most Power Play Goals | 7 | 2006 | Greg Oddy |
| Most Shorthanded Goals | 4 | 2001 | Trevor Walsh |
| Most Hatricks | 4 | 2002 | Greg Oddy |
| Most Consecutive GP with a point | 17 | 2006 | Greg Oddy |
Single game
| Category | Record | Date | Held by | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most Points | 9 | 19 Aug 2006 | Greg Oddy | Canberra Knights |
| Most Goals | 5 | 19 Aug 2006 | Brad Wanchulak | Canberra Knights |
| Most Assists | 6 | 19 Aug 2006 | Greg Oddy | Canberra Knights |
| Most Penalty Minutes | 52 | 22 Jul 2006 | Ryan Clauson | Newcastle North Stars |
| Most Goaltender Saves | 58 | 28 May 2000 | Eric Lien | Sydney Bears |
| Fastest Goal (Start of Game) | 14 secs | 7 Jan 2000 | Luke Thilthorpe | Penrith Phantoms |
| Fastest Two Goals | 6 secs | 7 Aug 2000 | Greg Oddy | Canberra Knights |
| Fastest Hatrick | 5.01 mins | 22 Jun 2003 | Trevor Walsh | Western Sydney Ice Dogs |
Team captains
The Avalanche had three captains in the team's known history.[37] The captain in 1999 and between 2002-03 are currently unknown.
| No. | Name | Term |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pavel Bohacik | 1999–01 |
| 2 | Chris Brlecic | 2004–05 |
| 3 | Greg Oddy | 2006–08 |
References:[3][38][39][40][41]
Head coaches
The Avalanche had four head coaches in the team's history.[42]
| No. | Name | Term |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Botterill | 1999–06 |
| 2 | Brandon Williams | 2007 |
| 3 | Steve McKenna | 2008 |
| 4 | Corey Smith | 2008 |
References: [43][44][39][45][11][46][47]
General managers
The Avalanche had two general manager groups (GMs) in the team's history.[42]
| No. | Name | Term |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Oddy James Thilthorpe | 1999–06 |
| 2 | Alan Yarrow | 2007–08 |
References:[43][44][39][45][11][48][49]
- "Adelaide Avalanche: The Franchise that changed Australian hockey forever". Adelaide Adrenaline. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- "2000 Roster". Adelaide Avalanche. Archived from the original on 23 January 2001. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- Carpenter, Ross. "Bohacik, Pavel (1969 - )". icelegendsaustralia.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- Carpenter, Ross. "A League of Their Own: The AIHL and the fight for the Big League". icelegendsaustralia.com. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- "Pacific Hockey League announces teams". Ice Hockey News Australia. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- "2003 AIHL Draw". Newcastle North Stars. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- "Championnat d'Australie 2003 (French)". hockeyarchives.info. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- "AIHL History". hockeywise.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- "Awards". Adelaide Avalanche. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Adelaide Avalanche/A's 2007-2008 Roster". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Roster 2008". Adelaide Avalanche. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Steve McKenna". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Mel Angelstad". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Glen Foll". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Greg Oddy". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Ben Thilthorpe". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Joshua Harding". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "David Huxley". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Luke Thilthorpe". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Pavel Bohacik". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Daniel George". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Andrew Brunt". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Trevor Walsh". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Chris Brlecic". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "John Oddy". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Mitchell Villani". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Ross Howell". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Sean Greer". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "James Keane". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Cass Delsar". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Matthew Wegener". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Ari Pullinen". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Dusan Ocenas". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Olivier Martin". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Paul Cracknell". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Records". Adelaide Avalanche. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- "Adelaide Adrenaline - Team Captaincy History". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- Carpenter, Ross. "Brlecic, Chris (1976 - )". icelegendsaustralia.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "2006 Avalanche Roster". Adelaide Avalanche. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Undermanned Av's start season off with a win". Adelaide Avalanche. Archived from the original on 16 August 2005. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Av's jump to third place - Defeat Ice Dog's 6-3". Adelaide Avalanche. 12 July 2004. Archived from the original on 23 January 2005. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Adelaide Adrenaline - Team Staff History". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Adelaide Avalanche Ice Hockey Club: Roster". Adelaide Avalanche. Archived from the original on 24 November 2004. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Adelaide Avalanche Ice Hockey : Roster". Adelaide Avalanche. Archived from the original on 8 May 2005. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Roster". Adelaide Avalanche. Archived from the original on 26 August 2007. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- "Avalanche announce new coach [07/03]". Adelaide Avalanche. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- Carpenter, Ross. "Smith, Corey (1976 - )". icelegendsaustralia.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- Carpenter, Ross. "Oddy, Steve ( - )". icelegendsaustralia.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- Carpenter, Ross. "Thilthorpe, Jim ( - )". icelegendsaustralia.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
