As the 2023 New Zealand Ice Hockey League hurtles toward its climactic conclusion, the excitement is palpable, with playoff positions hanging in the balance until the very last round, with just two games remaining in the 2023 regular season.

Amidst this nail-biting anticipation, one team’s continued dominance and remarkable consistency have once again captured the spotlight. Defending champions the SkyCity Stampede have secured a place in the playoffs for an impressive sixth consecutive year.

But the spotlight was also shared this year with another team – the Botany Swarm – who have guaranteed their appearance in the playoffs thanks to an impressive regular season run, their first time in the playoffs since 2019.

The two titans of the 2023 season are separated by just five points, with the Stampede yet to play their final two games of the season. Unfortunately for the Swarm, their regular season wrapped up weeks ago, and their right to host the grand-final or semi-final will now be determined by the Stampede.

When asked about the break between their final regular season round and the playoffs, Botany Swarm Captain, Andrew Hay said “we’re focusing on what we can control, which is preparing as well as we can, and being ready for the eventuation of any outcome – regardless, playoff hockey will be returning to The Hive in 2023 which is something we’re all very excited about.”

He added that the team’s guaranteed placement in the playoffs is more a sense of excitement than relief, and that the success of the season will ultimately be measured on how they perform over the next few weeks of hockey action.

Head Coach, Collin Vandeven, added that the team has scaled up their intensity, focussing on the little things and on what they can control – a mindset that is central to the team’s core values and identity – “The break has allowed us to recover from what was a difficult regular season schedule. The playoffs are indeed high-stakes, but in a 16 game regular season so is every other matchup” said Vandeven.

The SkyCity Stampede host the Canterbury Red Devils this weekend, with the results of both games determining the 2023 playoffs. The key potential outcomes are as follows:

1. SkyCity Stampede win both games in regulation – SkyCity Stampede finish first on 38 points, automatically advancing to and hosting the grand final. Botany Swarm finish second on 37 points, hosting the semi-finals against the West Auckland Admirals.
2. SkyCity Stampede win one game in regulation and one game in overtime/shootout – the SkyCity Stampede and Botany Swarm finish tied on 37 points, but the SkyCity Stampede claim first place based on the “head to head” tiebreaker rule.
3. SkyCity Stampede win one game and lose one game – the Stampede finish on 35 points, hosting the semi-finals. The Botany Swarm automatically advance to and host the grand finals.

When asked about the playoffs not being determined until the last two games of the season, SkyCity Stampede Captain, Mitchell Frear said “whatever the results of these last two games, they’re shaping how we’ll roll into the playoffs. If we can win both games, our confidence will be high, and we’ll be charging into the playoffs with some serious momentum. If results don’t go our way, we will take it as a lesson to fine-tune our game.”

Mitchell added that the potential of hosting the grand-finals holds massive significance for the team – “The potential of playing in front of our home crowd, on familiar ice, adds an extra level of motivation and excitement for the team. Playing in Queenstown in front of a packed crowd is like nowhere else in the league and we take great pride in it being a hard place for away teams to come to play. We will be doing everything we can this coming weekend to try to lock in home ice advantage for finals.”

Head coach Cam Frear added that “the team’s preparation has been all about fine-tuning our skills, line combinations and systems to ensure that every player is mentally and physically ready for games ahead. While hosting the grand finals is a fantastic opportunity, the most important thing is to look at each game ahead as an opportunity to improve as a group.”

Both the Botany Swarm and SkyCity Stampede have seen their import players contribute in significant ways to their success this season. League scoring leaders Petr Stepanek (Swarm) has amassed an impressive 38 points in 16 games (24 goals, 14 assists) and Brendan Walkom (Stampede) is just one point short, with 37 points in 14 games (19 goals, 18 assists). No matter which playoff game(s) these two players end up in, they are sure to play pivotal roles in their team’s battle for the right to host the Birgel Cup.

The road to the 2023 playoffs will reach its conclusion this weekend, as the SkyCity Stampede host the Canterbury Red Devils in Queenstown. Tickets are in high demand, and are available here.