Ice hockey teams from Adelaide, Darwin compete in Northern Territory Ice Hockey Invitational on weekend

Darwin may not be known for its ice hockey prowess, but it’ll hope to change that narrative when it takes on four teams from Adelaide this weekend.

Darwin Ice Skating Centre will host the Northern Territory Ice Hockey Invitational from July 5-6, 2025. Picture: Darwin Ice Skating Centre

Darwin’s only ice skating rink might just be the antithesis of the tropical Top End capital.

While outside temperatures often rest at a muggy 30c on any given day, temperatures inside the Darwin Ice Skating Centre regularly sit at a chilly 14c.

Despite the contrast, the love for ice hockey in the Top End is strong, and other states have taken notice.

This weekend, four teams from Adelaide – the Kaurna Boomerangs and Ice Factor Dragons – and two from Darwin will take each other on as part of the NT Ice Hockey Invitational, which will be split into two divisions.

Teams from Adelaide have been flying up to compete for years. Picture: Darwin Ice Skating Centre

It marks the fifth time teams from Adelaide have travelled to the Top End to play ice hockey.

Spectators are welcome at the games – which are played at the Darwin Ice Skating Centre, located at 8 Osgood Drive, Eaton – with no entry fee required.

Games are played from 8am-10.30am and 6pm-10pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Sami Mantere, who manages the Adelaide youth program dubbed Ice Factor, said the players were all very excited to be playing in Darwin.

“We’ve done this trip with the Boomerangs (Australia’s first representative Aboriginal ice hockey team) five times, and then with the other team this would be the third time,” he said.

“They love it, and for a lot of them this is the highlight of their year.”

There are all kinds of training and learning opportunities for juniors throughout the Adelaide teams’ visit. Picture: Darwin Ice Skating Centre

The Ice Factor program was first established in 2005 to help South Australian schools keep ‘at risk’ students in school.

After starting with only six teams, it has since expanded into 20 schools.

“Basically, the program is trying to tackle and work with students who aren’t quite fitting in at school, or aren’t motivated or interested in school for whatever reason that is,” Mantere said.

“The idea is that once a week the school brings their own team to the ice arena for training, and the kids get to be in a team with some like-minded people and we teach them teambuilding and healthy lifestyle skills.

Mantere says the Ice Factor program has been a great success. Picture: Darwin Ice Skating Centre

“Once they’ve been in the program for a while, we try tackling their school work, and then the expectation becomes: ‘You have got to attend school, try your best and not get in trouble otherwise you might lose your spot in the Ice Factor team’.”

Based on the success of the Adelaide program in getting students to stay in school, Darwin Ice Skating Centre’s manager Jeff Hunnam said he hoped the NT could develop similar programs to help at risk children.

Originally published as Ice hockey teams from Adelaide, Darwin compete in Northern Territory Ice Hockey Invitational on weekend