Nikko Icebucks versus Anyang Halla in pre-Covid times. Source.
Asia League Ice Hockey is back after two Covid-cancelled seasons. There are six teams: the five teams that participated in last year's Japan Cup plus Anyang Halla from South Korea. The Russian club PSK Sakhalin has been kicked out of the league.
Anyang Halla was founded as Mando Winia in 1994. They played in the Korean Ice Hockey League until that league and the Japanese league both folded in 2004. Halla then became founding members of Asia League Ice Hockey and have played there every year since, except for the two Covid years. Altogether Halla have been champions of the Korean League and Asia League Ice Hockey five times each. They wear blue, white and gold and play at Anyang Ice Arena (capacity 1,284) in Anyang, a satellite city of Seoul.
The club is sponsored by Halla Group, a Korean conglomerate, which also has an interest in Kiekko-Vantaa of the Finnish Mestis.
What did Anyang Halla do while the Asia League was shut down? There were several Korean tournaments to play in. Last season Anyang won the 76th National Ice Hockey Championship, beating Korea University, High1, Kwangyoon University and Yonsei University. They also won the 66th National Division and the 41st Yuhan Cheolbae. And they played two exhibition games against ECHL teams in October 2021:
2021/10/15 Greenville Swamp Rabbits 6 - 1 Anyang Halla
2021/10/16 Atlanta Gladiators 3 - 2 Anyang Halla
Three months after these games Atlanta signed Anyang veteran Sanghoon Shin. Source.
At one point Asia League Ice Hockey had three Korean teams. High1 left the league in 2019 but are still in existence. Daemyung Killer Whales however closed shop in 2021.
Today Anyang host Nikko IceBucks. [Anyang win 7 - 2.]
Anyang Halla's website is here. The governing body of South Korean hockey is the Korea Ice Hockey Association.
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