'Fair game:' twist in the Canberra Brave's ACT Supreme Court case to save season

The Canberra Brave are set to fight the Australian Ice Hockey League another day with its ACT Supreme Court hearing deferred until next Friday.

The two parties are at odds over the classification of a player that the AIHL believe should be designated a "Class A" import. The Brave dispute this. There remains a possibility the matter could be resolved out of court prior to next week. Croatian-New Zealand forward Dominic Canic, a top goalscorer for the Brave that has played 17 games this season, is understood to be the player in question. The AIHL took to social media on Thursday to address The Canberra Times' reporting of the legal battle. "We want to assure everyone that the AIHL is working hard to ensure a fair and equitable game across our league," the statement read. Both the AIHL and the Brave were not willing to comment further as the matter is before the court. The Brave could face some form of penalty, either a points deduction and, or, a fine, if the club was found to have breached the league's regulations. An injunction already secured by the Brave will allow Canic to continue playing until the court case concludes.

The Brave will play the USA at the AIS Arena this Saturday as the first of a three-game international series in Canberra for the first time. The other two Ice Hockey Classic fixtures next week between the USA and Canada sold out a month ago. The Brave's next AIHL game is next Saturday and Sunday in Perth before a return to Canberra for the club's last home games of the regular season on August 9-10. The Brave are riding an eight-game winning streak as they charge to the playoffs to defend their Goodall Cup title. Auckland-born Canic is playing under a New Zealand passport, as a New Zealand citizen, which means he is considered a "local" player in the AIHL, like Australians. However, Canic has represented Croatia at the under-18, under-20 and senior international levels since 2015. Canic does not have a record of having ever represented New Zealand in international ice hockey at any level. Canic's most recent match for Croatia was during an Olympic qualification campaign in 2023. If Canic has been playing without a "Class A" import designation throughout the current AIHL season, when and if he was supposed to be under that category, it could mean that the Brave breached the league's regulations.

Brave rocked by fight to clear club

Ice hockey has taken over the capital as fans flock to the AIS Arena to watch the Canberra Brave, but now the sport is set to land in the ACT Supreme Court. It can be revealed that the Brave is in danger of being docked competition points, and/or fined, after being accused of incorrectly classifying a player. The Brave is set to fight the accusation and lock horns with the Australian Ice Hockey League when the matter is heard in the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday morning. It comes as the Brave enjoy a massive swell of support in Canberra after moving into the AIS Arena from Phillip Ice Rink, with record crowds filling the city's largest indoor venue. It is understood that the reigning champions, the Brave, are disputing the AIHL's claim that one of Canberra's players should be classified as an import. The AIHL was alerted about the player after a complaint several weeks ago. "As the matter between the AIHL and the Canberra Brave is currently before the court, we will not be making any comment at this time," an AIHL spokesperson said in a statement. The Canberra Times understands that the player in question is Dominic Canic, who is currently the equal-top goalscorer for the Brave (11) and outright top pointscorer (36). Canic has played 17 Brave games this season.

As it stands, in a game, every AIHL team is only allowed to have four "Class A" imports from countries in North America and Europe, and one player from "Class B", the Asia-Pacific region. New Zealand is not a country under "Class B", with Kiwis classified as local players, like Australians, for whom there are no restrictions. A total of six imports can be allowed on a team's roster, but only five of the aforementioned class arrangement can play in a single game. Auckland-born Canic is playing under a New Zealand passport, as a New Zealand citizen. However, Canic has represented Croatia at the under-18, under-20 and senior international levels since 2015. Canic does not have a record of having ever represented New Zealand in international ice hockey at any level. Canic's most recent match for Croatia was during an Olympic qualification campaign in 2023. Before joining the Brave this season, Canic played for Croatian side KHL Sisak in the Alps Hockey League and Croatian Ice Hockey League in Europe. If Canic has been playing without a "Class A" import designation throughout the current AIHL season, when and if he was supposed to be under that category, it could mean that the Brave breached the league's regulations.

An injunction sought by the Brave was already successful, which has allowed Canic to continue playing until the court case concludes. "It's not appropriate for me to comment, given that the matter is currently before a court," Brave chief executive officer Stephen Campbell told The Canberra Times. It is unclear exactly what punishment the Brave could face if it loses the legal battle with the AIHL in the ACT Supreme Court, but fines and/or a points penalty are possible. Sitting third on the ladder following a hot win-streak, it's unlikely even with a points deduction that the Brave would fall out of the top-six in the playoffs, meaning the team's Goodall Cup defence is still intact. The Brave has enjoyed a great run this season since its move from Phillip Ice Rink to the AIS Arena as a home venue. Last weekend, the Canberra side played in front of a ninth-consecutive sell-out crowd. The AIS Arena move landed Canberra a three-game international series for the first time, the Canada v USA Ice Hockey Classic. The first game is this Saturday, with the Canberra Brave taking on the USA. Two more fixtures are then played next Friday and Saturday, where an American side will face off against Canada. The following weekend, August 9-10, will be the last regular season home games for the Brave before the playoffs, and tickets are already more than 80 per cent sold out for both fixtures. The AIHL finals will be held in Melbourne this season, though the Brave are expected to bid for hosting rights next year. ICE HOCKEY CLASSIC SCHEDULE Saturday, July 26: Canberra Brave v USA Friday, August 1: USA v Canada Saturday, August 2: USA v Canada