Granted, I’m not Australian and would never pass for one. And while no one would mistake me for an Australian, I feel like I would fit in really well at an AIHL game. Understand that I am already a fan of the Melbourne Mustangs, I am probably not welcome in most arenas on the Australian continent, but I am a loyal fan. The only problem is that the AIHL is on hiatus until next spring, so it’s time to dive back into the other league in Australia! The AWIHL takes to the ice next week and the Australian Women’s League should be a lot of fun this season with a new team and new talent across the league!
The Melbourne Ice travel to Adelaide to face the Rush to open the season at 4.15pm AT (Australian time) with the kick-off on November 8, but all six teams will be playing on the day, including the newest side in the competition, the Melbourne Ducks! The Ducks will be interesting to watch as they have sisters who play on the team together, a former Notre Dame Hounds netminder on the roster, a 41-year-old right winger and a number of young players who have risen through the ranks in Melbourne’s hockey programs.
Here is the first team photo of the Melbourne Ducks from their website as they get ready for their first season in the AWIHL!
There is one player whose development will be closely monitored this season. That’s Jordan Kulbida of the Adelaide Rush, and if her name sounds familiar, it’s because she’s a former Regina Cougars forward! The 26-year-old Saskatoon native finished second in the league last season with 20 goals and 30 points in 16 games, and she’s looking forward to another big season as she looks to lead the Rush to an AWIHL title!
She is joined by Nesbitt, Manitoba’s Rylee Martin, who played four seasons at Midland University in the ACHA, where the former Westman Wildcats forward improved her scoring total in each of the four years. The 22-year-old averaged nine goals and 10 assists per season during her last three seasons at Midland University, which were vast improvements from her time at the AAA level in the MFHL, where she recorded 13 points in three seasons. Can she score in Australia? We’ll find out!
The Melbourne Ice will once again have alternate captain Danielle Butler as the former University of Windsor Lancers forward returns for her third season. She performed consistently for the Ice, scoring 23, 26 and 23 points in those three seasons. The Ice will be looking for the same production rate from the 29-year-old this year. Defenseman Amélie St-Amant from Cornwall, Ontario joins Butler as the other Canadian on the ice after spending four seasons at the NCAA D3 University of Southern Maine. Mississauga’s Kayla Best is listed as an on-ice goalie, but the 35-year-old has played just 13 games in two seasons, going 5-6-0 with a 3.83 GAA and an .880 save percentage.
The Perth Inferno has re-signed Katherine Bailey for this season. Bailey played three seasons at the University of Guelph where the 29-year-old defenseman had 32 points in 66 games. Kimberly, BC’s Aspen Cooper is moving to Perth after spending last season with former Minot State teammate Jordan Kulbida. Cooper had six goals and 13 assists in 16 games last season, so she and Bailey could be a good one-two punch for the Inferno blue line if they can bring the scoring.
Kamloops, BC’s Jaymie MacKenzie also re-signed with Perth for her third season, where the 25-year-old forward recorded 16 points in 32 games with the Inferno. And Kamloops’ second resident, 27-year-old Lilly McLellan, is back for her fourth season with the Inferno, where the 27-year-old defenseman totaled two goals and five points in 34 games. Neither Mackenzie nor McLellan played college hockey, but they look like solid additions to the Perth Inferno roster!
32-year-old Sarah Edney will play for the Sydney Sirens this season for her fourth campaign in Australia. The Mississauga native has been dominant since arriving with the Buffalo Beauts of the NWHL. She scored 48 goals and 49 points in 36 games, including 20 goals and 28 points last season. She will be joined by Kelsie Lang of Edmonton, who returns for her second season with the Sirens after six goals and 20 points last season. The 31-year-old former University of Calgary Dinos defenseman was an excellent two-way player last season.
As mentioned above, the Ducks have 41-year-old Lucy Paddington on their roster, who last played in the AWIHL with the Melbourne Ice in 2015-16, when she scored four goals and 14 points. The sister act consists of 31-year-old defenseman Georgia Carson and 27-year-old netminder Jenelle Carson. Georgia also last played for the Ice in 2018-19, where she had a goal and three assists, while Jenelle was with the Ice in 2023-24, where she went 3-1-0 in four games with a 3.50 GAA and a .903 save percentage. The Ducks don’t have any Canadians on their roster, but the newest team in the AWIHL looks like fun!
The only team not to find a selection so far is Brisbane Lightning. I imagine this will change in the coming week, but we’ll see what the league comes up with for opening day on November 8.
The schedule for the AWIHL can be found hereand I hope someone streams these games. I stayed up last season and watched some AIHL games and it was great, so I hope the Australian women get the same exposure. As Hockey Australia continues to improve on the world stage, having more players interested in the domestic league will aid the growth of that program.
I’ll be watching the Canadians mentioned above this season, and we’ll see if the Melbourne Ice can get the three-peat. American sniper Elizabeth Scala is back with the Perth Inferno to try and win her third scoring title, making it four consecutive scoring titles for a Perth Inferno player, and Perth’s Sasha King is looking for her third straight season with nine wins between the pipes. It should be a fun 2025-2026 AWIHL season, and it starts next Saturday on November 8!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
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