The rough stuff shouldn’t obscure what was a nail-biter of a game, a 4-2 win to the Bears. The Ice Dogs had won their previous two meetings this season, setting the stage for the fourth and final derby of the year.

The Australian Ice Hockey League, or AIHL, is entering the last month of the regular season. The two Sydney teams remain in the hunt for a top-four spot and a postseason berth in what many describe as the tightest the AIHL has ever been.

Similar to the A-League, each team in the AIHL is allowed to sign four international marquee professionals. The Ice Dogs have two players from the NHL prospect system in the Detroit Red Wings’ Stephen Johnston and the New York Rangers’ Rory Rawlyk.

The Ice Dogs and Bears meet this Friday at Macquarie Ice Rink. Doors open at 7.30pm, with the puck dropping at 8pm. Tickets to the game can be purchased at www.icedogsshop.com.au

(Header image courtesy of AIHL.)