Rink Side Rants 7/13 The AIHL Takeover

Hey Fansided Radio fans – its time for another episode of Rink Side Rants.  With the 2012-2013 officially underway with the start of free agency and development camps going on around the league, the crew at Rink Side Rants are headed to exotic locations fill their summertime hockey fix.

On todays episode Tim and Cait take a break from the NHL action and enter into the world of the AIHL – no its not some minor league buried somewhere in the Northeast or Canada – nor is it a Saturday beer league.  Its the Australian Ice Hockey League!

Founded in 2000, the AIHL is sanctioned by Ice Hockey Australia – a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) – and consists of nine teams, two conferences , and one Goodall Cup at the end of the season.

The AIHL is considered a semi-pro league, which means guys are playing for the love of the game and not a paycheck, although their travel and accomodations are taken care of by their parent organization.  But don’t confuse “semi-pro” with terrible.  These guys are the real deal, the best of the best in Australia play for the AIHL in attempts to take their game to the next level.

Joining the Fansided crew on Friday to explain the AIHL and answer any questions we come up with will be Andrew Hewitt of Hewitt Sports Network.  Andrew Hewitt covers the AIHL for HSN and is an avid hockey fan – not just the game in Australia.

Tim and Cait start Fridays show off at 930EST and Andrew will join the team at 10PM EST.  If you would like to learn more about the AIHL listen in – and if you would like to ask a question directly to Andrew give us a call at 347 994 2141.  You can also reach out to us on Twitter @RinkSideRants