For this Q&A we catch up with a young Forward Brave fans are seeing more of this year - Charlie York..

Congratulations on your play this year! How do see the team’s performances so far?
Thanks Scott. Yeah so far so good. The guys have put on quite a show from the very start this season, sweeping the Ice and Dogs in the early rounds and going on to have great campaigns against the Bears, Mustangs and Northstars. It wasn’t easy though, with the Northstars and Bears especially putting up some very stiff competition in the latter stages of the season. Overall though, you can’t not be happy with a Minor Premiership right?

The step up from the local Leagues here in Canberra to the Brave must be large. What is the hardest thing you have had to get used to in stepping up to play with the Brave?
While the step up from the local league to the Brave in some areas is quite large, it still does provide a great competition for myself and some of the other guys who play in it. The intensity and pace is significantly different in an AIHL game which is one of the hardest things to prepare for - having that half-a-second less to make a decision while you’re on the ice.

You’ve been getting some good minutes with the team this year. What have you learned in your time on the ice?
It’s been good to play a bit more this season and I’ve learnt a lot. It is easy to stay motivated and push yourself to your limits with this group which is something that I’ve found extremely helpful and given me more opportunities.  But what have I learnt playing on the ice? Well, for one, I have a real appreciation for how good some of these guys are that I play with and against. Personally, however, I can feel myself getting more confident out there which I am very excited to continue to build.

Do you have any Brave players - either past or present - that you like to learn from - or model your game off? Do you have a favourite Brave player - someone you like to watch play?
As a kid and junior player I wasn’t exposed to Brave hockey as much as I would’ve liked but it’s hard not to like and look up to players like Mario (Trabucco) and Casey (Kubara). I had the privilege of playing with them in our last home game this season and man that was good fun. In terms of modelling my game however, players like Brandon Hagel and Jonathan Toews in the NHL are definitely players that have a large admiration for and players that I would love to model my game off - hard working, skilled players that can be relied on in any situation in a game.

Do you have any message you’d like to give to the Brave Fans?
I would like to say a huge thanks to all the Brave fans for cheering us on this season. Your support and commitment to this team is unmatched in this League and you all are the reason we all have some much fun playing this great sport. Also the individual support for me this season has been amazing and I’m super excited for what the next few seasons have waiting! Let’s bring home that Goodall Cup!!

The Brave have finished their Regular Season play for 2022 - and are gearing up for the AIHL Finals weekend. Finals this year will be held from Friday September 2 to Sunday September 4 at the O’Brien Icehouse in Melbourne.

There are still tickets left for the Finals - more details can be found on the Australian Ice Hockey League website (https://theaihl.com).

And if you can’t be in the Rink to cheer the team on in-person, you will be able to see all of the Finals on Kayo Freebies. (https://kayosports.com.au/freebies).

 Go Brave!