Some of the photos from the first home game of the 2026 Australian Ice Hockey League season for the Adelaide Adrenaline.  Playing front of a raucous sold-old game crowd the Adrenaline introduced two new imports in Danish Rasmus Simonsen and Canadian Austin Pickford.  Returning imports for the Adrenaline were goaltender Cale Dolan, and Josh Adkins.  Adrenaline also had a new import coach Rory Rawlyk bringing a wealth of international experience in Europe, AHL, ECHL and more), with ex-Adrenaline import Andrew Hamilton alongside.  In net for the Northstars was ex-Adrenaline Matus Trnka, and they would have Finnish player Santeri Haarala and Japanese Akihide Watanabe as a couple of their imports.

The Northstars would strike first blood when Patrick Nadin scored shorthanded at 8:38 off a Francis Drolet assist (Shane Southwood interference penalty).  The Northstars would again score a shorthanded goal (Calvin Bright interference penalty) with a bit over 2mins remaining in the period when Wehebe Darge scored unassisted.  The Adrenaline would need to improve their powerplays.  Shots on goal for the period: 11 each.

The second period started with the Adrenaline striving to make inroads into the 2 goal lead early.  Captain Joey MacDougall scored their first goal at 15:09 (assists Darcy Flanagan and Zach Boyle).  Northstars Darge would restore the 2-goal margin at 8:27 (assist Drolet), and Santeri Haarala would give the Northstars the momentum going into the 3rd period scoring at 1:47 off an assist from Darge.  The Adrenaline had put more shots on but couldn’t find a way past netminder Trnka.  Shots on goal for the period: Adrenaline 15, Northstars 9).   The crowd got noisy at the end of the period as there was plenty of push and shove with Adrenaline’s Daniel O’Handley and Morris O’Handley and Northstars Patrick Nadin and Mackenzie Gallagher getting roughing minor penalties going into the 3rd period.

The 3rd period started with Adrenaline’s MacDougall scoring his 2nd goal for the game at 17:11 (assist Steve Best).   However, on a powerplay Northstars Drolet would put them up 3 goals again (assists Haarala and Akihide Watanabe).  Adrenaline’s Josh Adkins would get the home crowd out of the seats when he scored their 3rd goal at 7:22 with plenty of time left in the game to get them closer.  Assists went to Zac Boyle and Simonsen.  With 21:37 remaining Haraala would show his class scoring the Northstars 6th goal of the game (assists Darge and Drolet).  The Northstars continue to frustrate the Adrenaline, but for the crowd they are always entertaining games.  Shots on goal for the period: Northstars 13, Adrenaline 7.

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