Dunedin Ice Hockey Association

The following is a message from Stephen Christos, the DIHA president.

On behalf of the DIHA Executive Committee I am sharing with you our members a very important tool for our future, The DIHA Vision Statement. This will be our guiding light for the next 3-5 years and it will have many important internal and external purposes. We invite your feedback and value add to the process now before you of defining and then working together as a community in ice hockey together to realize our common goals. Our agreement on a shared future is the first but most important step in working together to making our sport and our club all that we decide together we want it to be.

Our vision statement that follows here below will be used as our framework under which we will define our strategies, goals and the many activities we will need to achieve over the next 3-5 years if we are to be as successful as we all want to be in completing our mission. We seek your feedback and value add over the next few weeks to make our vision statement the shared and supported description of a defined future to which we are all striving to create together.

DIHA Vision Statement:

To be a progressive, enthusiastic ice hockey community with a shared pride of achievement, providing an atmosphere to encourage all members to reach their individual and team goals.

So if all DIHA members can please let me know by your feedback prior to our next regular DIHA meeting what you would like to add or change, then we can complete and publish the final version of the DIHA Vision Statement on behalf of all our members at that time.

Cheers
Stephen Christos

There was an error in the price for the bantams game coming up. Revised news item is below:

Bantam games in Dunedin v’s Christchurch

• 6pm Thursday, 9th October
• 9.30am Friday, 10th October
• Cost $65 (including Refs)
• Cost $265 (including Refs)
  

Please note: Some funding money which came through from the Tekapo tournament will cover most of the ice time cost, so only a small cost will be incurred for this tournament.

Players: Please let Krissi Wood know if you can make it so she can ensure the team has sufficient numbers.

Bantam games in Dunedin v’s Christchurch

• 6pm Thursday, 9th October
• 9.30am Friday, 10th October
• Cost $65 (including Refs)
• Cost $265 (including Refs)

Please note: Some funding money which came through from the Tekapo tournament will cover most of the ice time cost, so only a small cost will be incurred for this tournament. Players: Please let Krissi Wood know if you can make it so she can ensure the team has sufficient numbers.

The Bantam practice has now moved from Sunday to Thursday in the time slot previously used by the Midgets. Please note this is affective as of today (Thursday 18th September). If a player is not eligible to play as a Bantam they should not be attending the Bantam practices, it is important the team gets the opportunity to practice as a team.

The old farts were out in full force last night with the Men O’Paws Maulers defeating the Viagra Vikings in a see-saw battle of the geriatric set. A respectable turnout of 15 players initiated action in what will become the Wednesday night Oldtimers League. This new addition to DIHA hockey is designed to provide a retirement home for all grades of players after they reach the pinnacle of their careers with Thunder, DIHL or Women’s Hockey play. All grades from A, to B to Recreational to Novice were represented on the ice. Rules of play were established prior to the start of the contest:
• Passing to any man that is open is strictly enforced
• Any player receiving a pass must take 2 strides before dishing it off
• Hogging the puck will result in your medication being suspended
• Not coming off the ice on a line change results in no after game beer
• Not coming on the ice on a line change results in severe name calling

As a result of the rules everyone had a ball and everyone had their fill of skating, puck handling and passing. The score was 6-3 in favour of the Men O’Paws Maulers owing to the refusal of the Viagra Vikings to a mid-game player trade gone badly. Larry Wheeler refused to be traded in a one for one deal and the rest was history. Ex-Thunder players, the Van Leeuwen Brothers Adrian and Andre were cheered and jeered by their younger, kid brother James who came to the game to study the play for Ice Black strategies going forward.
Next Wednesday night there will be another 5 players joining the game if they can keep up to the burning pace established by this week’s inaugural skaters.
Oldtimers are now a force to be reckoned with for at least one night a week. The other nights are used for recovery!
Come join in the action if you are a man over 35yrs of age, a lady over 30 yrs of age and will admit it, or a goalie of any age as we all know that goalies are special.

Last week was the last week for peewee, midget, and Thursday night intermediate practice.

Tuesday and Sunday beginners, Powerskating and Shooting, and Bantams practice on Sunday all continue on.

We are in the process (along side organizing our Oldtimers tournament) of also organizing a regular Oldtimers Wednesday Night League. Players MUST be over 35 years of age to play. We will start with 2 teams this coming Wednesday night September 17th at 815pm. Once we get 2 teams up and going on a regular basis we will add 2 more as there are many people expressing an interest in coming back to The Game!

The game is at 815pm. In order to start I need to hear from those players who are already committed to playing. We will collect the money over EFTPOS and it will be paid monthly in advance. In other words in 4 game blocks. If you pay and do not show up, we are very grateful for your donation. A substitute will play in your place and we will charge our subs 1/2 price. All monies go to ice time, officials and if there is any left over to the social club. So if you have a lukewarm commitment I would advise that you wait until next year when you can commit to your team.

Each team as we grow will have a team manager and we will work together to establish the Oldtimers community the way the PLAYERS want it to be established. Players must be members of the DIHA to play.

So whose in? I need your response in the next 48 hours so I can freeze the ice time. Bring your first $40 with you to the rink or send it to the EFTPOS account that will be set up for Oldtimers hockey very shortly.

Be there or be square!

Cheers Al

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Oldtimers,

Our Oldtimers tournament will have 4 teams with 10 players or more on each team. The men must be over 35 years of age (all will be carded except Bernie, Steve and Al), the ladies must be over 30 years of age and willing to admit it (ladies will not be carded as they are after all ladies!) and the goalies can be any gender and age (we all know that goalies are special).

We will go with the following schedule:

Saturday Sept 27th:

5pm Ancient Mariners vs Assisted Care Rejects
6pm Geriatric Guzzlers vs Viagra Vikings
7pm Ancient Mariners vs Geriatric Guzzlers
8pm Assisted Care Rejects vs Viagra Vikings

Beer and snacks (gold coin donation) will be available in the rink social room after each of the games; never say die gang will hit the Ocatgon like a bunch of scarfies after the last game at 9pm!!! Most of us sensible ones will try to say no but weaken under peer pressure.

Sunday Sept 28th:

8am Ancient Mariners vs Viagra Vikings
9am Assisted Care Rejects vs Geriatric Guzzlers
10am “Too bad, so sad game” for the consolation prize
11am “The Chariots of Fire game” for the championship trophy

The rosters are still a work in process as we try to evenly spread the talent and the all important expressive party animals across all the teams. We want the dressing rooms to be as much fun as being on the ice as Oldtimers cannot be rushed and the dressing room becomes a snactuary! The cost for 4 games and the officiating will be $40 per player.

When you get the rosters very soon there will also be a means to pay your fee over EFTPOS to confirm your attendance and placement on a team.

More to come!
Cheers Al

The DIHA end of year function will take place on Sunday, 21st September from 3 – 7pm at the Alahambra Union Rugby Club rooms.

This will be a Barbecue.

Cost: $5.00 per head or $20 per family.

Bring your own drink.

If we could get an idea of numbers attending, that would be really helpful.

Thanks.
Joyce Miller

If anyone has a Club playing top, please bring it with you to the BBQ – it can be left with me please.

Poster here!

News about the potential new Wellington ice rink is available:

Wellington ice rink news

Thanks to Paul Jacob for the link