Want to play ice hockey but not sure where to start?
Here’s everything you need to know.
There’s a lot of important info on this page, so we suggest reading it all if you’ve never played before. If you know what you’re looking for, feel free to skip to the section relevant to you. This page is up to date as of June 2024.
Hockey & friendship
We welcome everyone to the Southern Lights, regardless of your gender-identity or sexuality. We aim to have fun and win games, ensuring we stick to our motto of “Hockey & Friendship”
Learning to play
Before you start playing with the Southern Lights we recommend taking at least one term of hockey academy.
Check out our guide to Melbourne’s hockey academies for info on what’s available near you. Hockey academy at all venues is based on the school year term calendar.
If you’re not sure if you’re ready to commit to a full term, most academies offer options for drop in sessions too.
Equipment you’ll need
Safety and comfort are critical to ensuring players have fun. Below is a list of the basic equipment you’ll need on the ice.
Skates*
Helmet with either a full face cage or a visor and a mouthguard*
Shoulder pads*
Elbow guards*
Gloves*
Hockey pants*
Knee/shin guards*
Neck guard (this is mandatory for all players)
Jock/jill protection (for your intimate areas)
Gym type undergarments
Hockey stick*
A hockey bag (we sell a team one)
A uniform consisting of a jersey* and hockey socks
*Available to borrow during hockey academy classes at all rinks
While this can seem expensive, the Ice/Inline hockey BUY/SWAP/SELL - Australia Facebook group is the perfect place to find entry level gear secondhand at a cheap price. You can pick most of this equipment up for a few hundred dollars.
For safety reasons, you should always buy your helmet new, not secondhand.
If you’re ready to play for the Lights, we can also help you to find gear from our community. Let us know when you sign up that you’ll need a hand with this.
You’ll likely pick up some training jerseys along the way, but the Southern Lights uniform is $90 and you’ll buy this in your first season with us.
For more information about, refer to the following equipment guide.
Seasons and costs
Season dates
Our two main intakes are April and September (with a minor intakes in January and June if space is available).
Winter Season starts in April and goes through to September (Terms 2 & 3).
Summer Season starts in September and goes through to April (Terms 4 & 1).
Team lists for Winter (April) season are organized in January and team lists for Summer (September) are organized in July. You need to get in early or you may miss the season!
Season costs
Because hockey’s a niche sport in Australia, it’s not as cheap as it may be in North America or Europe.
This shouldn’t put you off playing, but it’s important to consider before you start. You’ll need to spend a few hundred dollars for base equipment (which you can always re-sell later) and about $33 an hour to play or train.
The playing cost depends on the season length but for a full 16 game season, the price (excluding uniform) is around $600-$650 including insurance. You don’t have to play every season - you can choose to only play in summer or winter. You can leave and return at any time in the future.
IceHQ Beer League
Every game we play is at iceHQ in Reservoir as part of their in-house beer league. While we don’t play at Docklands or Oakleigh, there may be occasional training at another rink.
All of our teams are mixed and fully gender-inclusive. Trans and non-binary players are welcome and will be supported.
The iceHQ Beer League has a wide range of divisions, with the Southern Lights usually fielding teams in Divisions 6 to 9 (formerly C2, C1, B4 and B3):
Division 9: Entry level players. Games are Saturday or Sunday nights (from Winter).
Division 8: Beginner/inexperienced players. Games are Sunday afternoons/nights.
Division 7: Players that have advanced beyond the beginner level. Games are Saturday afternoons/nights.
Division 6: Intermediate players with multiple seasons experience. Games are Friday nights.
Division 5: Intermediate players with further seasons experience. Games are Thursday nights.
Divisions 1-4: Higher divisions exist for more experienced players. The Southern Lights don’t play in these divisions, but we can refer you to a queer friendly team if you get in touch with us.
Womens & Non Binary: For those that want to play in a Womens & Non Binary only environment, you must be at C1 level or higher. Because this league operates with a draft, all teams are run through iceHQ and there isn’t a lights team. If this is your preference, we can help you join a W/NB team.
Playing your first game
Once you’ve done hockey academy, you’ll be ready to join a Division 9 team.
When you start hockey academy, sign up here so that you can secure a spot in the next Southern Lights Division 9 intake.
We enter a Division 9 team most seasons, but if we don’t have a Division 9 team in your first season, we’ll refer you to a queer friendly team and look forward to seeing you the following season in Division 8.
Watch a game or dig deeper
Want to see how we play? Every game we play is broadcast live on YouTube.
To see some example games at different levels, check out these games: Div 9/C2 level, Div 8/C1 level, Div 7/B4 level, Div 5/B3 level.
Find out more about our current teams, including schedules and scores by clicking Our Teams, at the top right of this page.
Any unanswered questions? Try our FAQ’s or get in touch with us.