The Ice Blacks are back on home ice for the first time since 2019 for a trans-Tasman clash with the Mighty Roos.
Game one of three against Australia tips off in Auckland tonight, and while both sides are using it as a build-up to this year’s World Championships, there’s also redemption on the mind of the Kiwis.
A series loss against Australia in November is still fresh in their minds after the Ice Blacks had twice come out on top previously.
Defender Dan Nicholls said the games are like a “battle against your big brother”.
“Australia are usually a division above New Zealand, so having these trans-Tasman clashes are a really good tussle.”
A sell-out crowd of more than a thousand people will pack out Auckland's Botany ice rink for all three games this weekend, making them the biggest ice hockey crowds seen in New Zealand in five years. In 2018, Auckland's Spark Arena was transformed for a game between Canada and the United States.
Forward Jordan Challis said familiar faces would be a welcome sight for the side after almost four years. “Home crowds mean everything to us,” he said.
“It's not often we get the chance to play in front of our family and friends – it just gives the boys that extra push we need when the legs are a bit tired.”
They can also draw inspiration from the recent efforts and results of the Ice Fernz, who after a delayed exit from New Zealand due to Cyclone Gabrielle last month, managed to earn a bronze medal at their World Championships in South Africa.
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