The sixth edition of The Battle for the Queenstown Cup will see 18 teams, eight A grade and 10 B grade, battling it out at the Queenstown Ice Arena from next Wednesday till Sunday over the course of 45 games.
Ten teams are from Queenstown, though one’s a composite with Dunedin, and of the others three are from Alexandra, two from Auckland, one from Dunedin, and a Wellington/United States combination.
One team not returning is a selection of mostly Czech Republic expats, HC Underdogs, who beat Auckland’s Travelling Goons to claim last year’s A grade title and the trophy, a beer keg capped by an old Koru Club food bowl — their win even made the Czech media.
Queenstown’s Adam Nagy, who’s organising the refs, says "the final was probably the most intense I’ve been a part of, the only game probably as intense being last year’s [local-based] Stampede versus [Auckland’s] Botany Swarm".
Organiser Colin McIntosh says each team’s allowed a maximum five national league players from the past two seasons.
"A lot of the guys haven’t skated since finals, so it’s a good chance to get five games in, in short order."
Teams each play three round-robin games then two finals.
The tournament starts Wednesday 5.30pm, then runs each morning, afternoon and evening — all games comprise three 15-minute periods — before wrapping up Sunday with the B final, about 1.50pm, and the A final at 3pm.
All finals apart from these last two go to shootouts if necessary — "A and B just continue five-on-five into overtime", McIntosh says.
Several teams will include women players.
McIntosh expects about 270 to 300 players all-up — "it’s good for Queenstown [tourism]".
Spectator entry’s free for all games.
