Teams
Botany Canterbury Southern Stampede Dunedin Teams currently in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League.| Team | City | Arena | Joined NZIHL | Minor Premierships | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Auckland Admirals | Avondale, Auckland | Paradice, Avondale | 2005 | - | - |
| Botany Swarm | Botany Downs, Auckland | Paradice, Botany Downs | 2005 | 3 | 4 |
| Canterbury Red Devils | Christchurch, Canterbury | Alpine Ice Centre | 2005 | 3 | 2 |
| Southern Stampede | Queenstown, Otago | Queenstown Ice Arena | 2005 | 2 | 2 |
| Dunedin Thunder | Dunedin, Otago | Dunedin Ice Stadium | 2008 | - | - |
- Foundation Clubs
The NZIHL had four foundation clubs, Canterbury Red Devils, West Auckland Admirals, Southern Stampede and South Auckland Swarm. The South Auckland Swarm changed their name to the Botany Swarm in 2007 to reflect the site of their home rink.
- Expansion
The Dunedin Thunder joined the competition in 2008.
- Future Expansion
Expansion within New Zealand is limited by the number of indoor ice rinks currently available. A notable omission from the national competition is the city of Wellington, which is New Zealand's third largest city, but does not have an ice facility. Recent proposals to build a permanent ice rink in Wellington have not yet come to fruition, despite the popularity of temporary ice rinks in the city.
There is always discussion of ice facilities being built in a variety of centres around the country and if any of these come to fruition further expansion of the NZIHL is likely.
With the increase in quality of the New Zealand league and its player base, much talk centres around a combined Oceania competition with a merger between the New Zealand and Australian leagues in one form or another. An early precursor to such a move is the establishment of the current Trans-Tasman Champions League.
Read more about this topic: New Zealand Ice Hockey League
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