Get out your diaries and your red marker because the 2010 AIHL schedule is finally here.  The Great news is that the Ice Dogs will be playing 12 home games this year as opposed to the 11 like last year which means more hockey for everyone!

Out of these 12 games, 9 of them are Saturday night games so for the hockey players and sporting folk who normally can’t make it to a Sunday night game can now get to more Ice Dogs action this year. 

The Dogs start out the season with their first game away in Melbourne May 1st at the new Docklands Ice Arena.  This will be a memorable event as the Ice Dogs will be a part of the first ever AIHL game at this venue. 

After another weekend on the road in May the Ice Dogs will then have their first 2 home games in Liverpool in a Double Home Opener Weekend as we face the Penrith Bears on Saturday May 15th followed by the Melbourne Ice on the Sunday May 16th.

Ice Dogs Memberships should  be on sale by March, which will come with access to all 12 home games at a saving, reserved seating and more.  In 2010, the Ice Dogs are working furiously to bring you a better supporter experience online, at the games and a better on ice product.  We hope you are as excited as we are.

To see the Ice Dogs full home and away schedule go to http://www.icedogs.com.au/schedule.html.  Or just click on the Schedule menu option on the site.

Number 4 is the Bike.  This can be done in or out of the gym. 

The Bike is great for strengthening your legs and getting a good cardio workout. 

If in the gym you can actually program most bikes to do what is called Speed Intervals where you set a total time and it will divide that time into intervals.  After you have set a level for first low interval and then for the second high interval it will remember the levels so all you have to do is ride.

If the bike does not have a speed interval setting not to worry.  Just adjust the level to a suitably challenging level that will allow you to go at a high intensity (Above 80 RPM) for 40 seconds.  After the 40 seconds drop the level to a comfortable setting that doesn’t require too much effort and stay at this level for 1-2 minutes before bumping it back up for your 40 seconds of high intensity.  Do you see a pattern here.  If not, heres a clue.  In what activity would you go really hard for say 40 seconds to a minute and then get off and catch your breath for 1-2 minutes?  (the answer is ice hockey)

Again we are training for Ice Hockey so we need to condition ourselves accordingly preparing for High Intensity shifts.  The best thing about bike is you get the benefits of cardio whilst giving your leg muscles a good hard work out.  The proof is hidden in a cyclists legs!!!

If your not in the gym and have a bike well then go for a ride.  You could even do bike sprints in a park.  Just remember to wear a helmet!

Note: It is always a good idea (and recommended by the ice dogs) to consult with a personal trainer or someone from the gym if it is your first time using the bike or any equipment for that matter at the gym.  Not only as a safety precaution but also because they can provide some very useful tips. A qualified trainer is also very good as they can design a program to suit your needs and help you achieve your goals as everyone is different.

This coming Thursday night the 21st of Januaryat 7:45pm the Ice Dogs clinics are back on.  The clinic goes for 1 hourand is held every Thursday night and is $25 per session at the LCC Sports Complex – home of the Sydney ice dogs. 

For those who haven’t been before the clinic is run by the Ice Dogs players and hones in on building the skills of players from Atom up to Midget.

“It will be great to be back on the ice after a break and get out there with the kids and get them ready for the 2010 season” says Ice Dogs player Scott Herbert.  After the clinic the invitational Junior Elite training will be back on, this time with the addition of some of the national senior team players in attendance.

The team lines up to the sound of the national anthem

Claiming two golds with in the period of one year with the Australian Youth team last March 2009 and then now with the Australian Junior team just this week Shannon Macgregor is in top form.

The Australian Junior Team started by winning their group taking down Bulgaria 11-1 and New Zealand 5-1 which led them to the semi against DPR Korea.   A tight 4-3 win and promotion to Division 2 secured the Aussies found themselves against Iceland for the Gold Medal game where they were victorious 3-1.

The 18 year old Ice Dogs Defenceman found himself 10th among defensive scoring leaders with 2 goals and 1 assist in 4 games.  “I am impressed to see Shannon’s performance on the stat sheet especially his plus minus tally and scoring percentage” says Dogs coach Mark Stephenson.   Economical would be the best way to sum up Macgregor’s perfomance with a +2  rating, 2 penalty minutes in a tournament where Australian’s usually spend alot of time in the penalty box (sin bin) and a scoring percentage of 16.67% (2 goals off 12 shots).

Note: Plus-minus rating is when you are awarded a +1 everytime you are on the ice when your team scores, but a -1 when you are on the ice when your team is scored against.  It can be used as a good measure of the defensive awareness and capabilites of players – forwards and defence.

In 2009, Macgregor elevated his game to the next level seeming more confident at the AIHL level and has the ability to lift his game a few more levels if he keeps up the hardwork and learns from his fellow Dogs D-corp.

Strength and Conditioning Coach Sam Brewer running a few combos with Todd Stephenson

I know we were trying to reveal ways to improve your ice hockey without being a member of a gym, but this activity was one we just had to mention. 

 Now boxing is good for ice hockey and no it isn’t because of the fighting.  Most gyms have what is called a boxfit class.  “These boxfit classes will really test out your fitness and are great for your ice hockey as you run through punching combinations at  intervals of between 40 seconds to 2 minutes depending on the combination or exercise which is quite similar to a hard working shift out on the ice” says strength and conditioning coach Sam Brewer. 

Check in with your local gym and give it a try.  Brewer goes on to say “Nothing to be afraid of with a boxfit class because you are not physically fighting or sparring and all sorts of people are giving it a go i.e. Mums, Dads and all ages”.  Once you have been to a few classes you will see that if you have a set of boxing gloves and pads you can run through some combinations with a friend in the park or even your backyard.  So I guess you don’t have to be a consistent member of a gym to do this exercise so it does keep in theme with our 10 ways segment.

A qualified personal trainer can easily take you through a boxing session and give you a real workout. 

Boxing is great for discipline and upper body strength and endurance, so you will find it not only benefits your fitness on the ice but probably give your shot a boost as well.

We won’t give you any examples of punching combinations or a program as it does need to be communicated visually and verbally and by a professional to be done properly.

TAB West Hoxton Backs the Dogs

As the long and tough 2010 AIHL season rapidly approaches West Hoxton TAB has joined forces with the Sydney Ice Dogs.

This mutually beneficial sponsorship will see West Hoxton TAB be able to access the rapidly growing Ice Hockey community who may or may not be aware that they can have a bet on the NHL with TAB Sportsbet. Whilst the Sydney Ice Dogs gain some monetary help with the rigours of the 2010 season.

“I wasn’t aware that you could place a bet on any NHL game through TAB sportsbet and I have been playing the game for over 15 years now. So I guess it is a very fitting partnership” says forward Scott Stephenson who visited West Hoxton TAB just the other week to seal the deal.

“The Ice Dogs do alot of work with the ice hockey community all year round so it is also nice to help them out with a sponsorship” explains TAB agent Peter Azzopardi (pictured to the right above).

For those adults out there who like to gamble responsibly and have a bit of fun by betting on the NHL be sure to stop in at the West Hoxton TAB and support the company that supports the Ice Dogs.