A Comprehensive Guide: The Port Adelaide Brewers

by Eric Balnar

This is the second off a three-part series giving you a comprehensive guide to each of the teams in the NHSL. The league opens in front of a sold out IceArenA crowd on November 12 with the Brewers facing the Stars.

For Part 1: A Comprehensive Guide of the Stars, click here. 

Welcome to the first ever game week in National Super Hockey League history - Australia's first ever professional ice hockey competition. If you've heard all this in yesterday's article, scroll on down! But...

People said this wouldn't happen. People said this couldn't happen. Yet here we are just days away from Game #1.

If you're just joining us it's nice to meet you. Let's get you up to speed with what's happened.

We appointed three iconic South Australian ice hockey figures to be a General Manager of an NHSL club. They appointed a coach. They signed two marquee players each to build their team around. Then they filled out their roster at the NHSL draft.

The teams were selected from a pool of players who nominated themselves for a draft. 

The take up was huge. Over 150 players registered for the draft. Among them were local stars of the game, savvy veterans, emerging young talent, about a dozen interstate players, and people who came out of retirement just for this league. 

22 players were drafted to each team in early October. Since then, those very players have trained three times a week gelling together getting ready for the season.

It's a game changer for hockey here. Players have more time on ice. They are learning different structures. Their fitness is being taken to new levels. 

Now, the season is here. Let's see what we have. 

On Friday night the Port Brewers and Noarlunga Stars face-off in the historic game. Tickets sold out within 24 hours. All games will be broadcast (stay tuned for details!). The hype is real and justified - this is different. 

How things will play out is anyone's guess, but it's incredibly intriguing. 

We're so accustomed to seeing these South Australians play together in their traditional clubs. Now they're pushed out of their comfort zone by playing with new unseen interstate talent, and players that haven't been around the rink for a number of years.

How will the return of retired players like impact the game play?

How will structure improve with teams training three times per week?

How will players adjust to three 20-minute stop time periods?

We have a unique situation. All we can do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

Now that's out of the way let's jump to the previewing our second of three teams: The Port Adelaide Brewers. 

PORT ADELAIDE BREWERS 

General Manager: Bill Newbound, 4x Premier League Champion, AIHL Referree, Browns MVP
Head Coach: Mitch Villani, former Adrenaline / Team Australia player 

Marquee Players: Steve Best, one of the most dominant players in the South Australian game over the last decade, and 24-year-old Team Australia defenseman Zach Boyle

Who are their star players? It's hard to look past their marquee players as impactful pieces to the puzzle. Steve Best has posted some huge seasons of late. He had 37 points in 2021 but the bulk of those came in the last half of the season and he did it with a hobbled supporting cast on the Red Wings. He had the longest point streak in the league (13 games) and many players commented how his game became more complete. He's an elite goal scorer and has been one of the Adrenaline's leading point men the last few years.

He'll likely pair up front with Red Wings (and now Brewers'!) teammate Tyler Leeming. This guy has won multiple Premier League MVPs and has familiarity with Best. Leeming, originally from Canada, went through a stretch where he had 215 points in 56 games between 2015-2018 in the Premier League. That's the upside he brings. Players around the Brewers camp say Leeming looks "as good as ever"...which is scary.

Zach Boyle on defense is a Team Australia defenseman who puts up points. He's well over a point-per-game player in the Premier League, runs the power play for the Adrenaline in the AIHL, and already has a bucket load of experience despite his young age. Lots of people comment on how dynamic of a skater he is with a high-end shot. 

What about their emerging stars? Who should I be excited about?

Ben Handberg is a 19-year-old forward with a rocket of a shot. He was often set-up for his deadly one-timers on the Jokers this year. He played secondary minutes and still managed 16 goals in 19 games this year and 25 points on the season. Handberg has experience playing hockey while attending high school hockey in Canada, but COVID-19 has limited his AIHL experience. He could be a guy who could put up huge numbers.

Tyler Boyle scored the goal of the season in the Premier League. On a break-away he went between the legs and top corner on a ridiculous goal. He scored 11 goals this year playing on a line with Joey MacDougall. He has a flare for the net. 

Matus Trnka is probably already a star. More on him in the "Goaltending" section. 

Interstate X-Factors

Two guys come to mind here. The first is Tomek Sak - a five year AIHL player for the Perth Thunder. Sak arrived in Adelaide this week and will likely play top-line minutes for the Brewers. He had an impressive junior career (61 points in 40 AJIHL games), has 127 games of AIHL to his name, and was a point-per-game player in the WA State League.

There's a couple other guys of interest. Jaden Ryan (Newcastle) and Harley Anderson (Brisbane) are expected to join the team later in the year. Anderson notably played two seasons with the Adrenaline and Ryan is a long-time member of the Newcastle Northstars. 

What about their defensive and goaltending situation? 

Is there a more exciting goalie prospect than Matus Trnka? He's been in Australia for a couple years now and has experience playing for the U16 National Team for Slovakia. He's only 17 and has put up some big numbers already. 

He had a 1.93 GAA and .920 save percentage as a 16-year-old rookie in the Premier League in 2020 for the Falcons. This year, he impressed again despite facing the highest shot load in the competition by a mile. He's the type of player who can make a save out of nowhere and keep games competitive that shouldn't be. 

Defensively, outside of Boyle, there's a few curious characters here. Adam Wise has been the most consistent performer for the Red Wings and Falcons in the Premier League as of late.

Then there's Jake O'Brien - a young player who just returned to South Australia after spending the last decade in Canada. We haven't seen much of him at all but we can expect his hockey background will help out. In training and on the ice he looks dynamic.

Jarrad Chester and Tristan Reece bring some veteran experience to the squad. We'll also be keen to watch Dan Strawbridge play at this level. He's an elite inline player making the transition to Ice. 

What's the third line depth looking like?

I'm looking at guys like Jeff Pellerin to provide some solid third line scoring options. He's a smart player who plays the puck hard and has been known to bank in a goal or two. Jeremy Klein is a Canadian over in Australia from the same mould as Pellerin. Dylan Pope, small in stature but big in fight, completes a solid trio of guys who will be expected to grind it out in big moments.

Reece Boundy will surely provide the toughness. 

Probably not a third line guy (top two forsure) but Nicola Pau is a good playmaking and smart forward who can get the job done. I would be silly not to mention him. 

Potential Game 1 Line Combination

N. Pau - S. Best - B. Handberg
T. Leeming - T. Sak - T. Boyle 
J. Pellerin - D. Pope - J. Klein
R Boundy

Z. Boyle - A. Wise
J. O'Brien - T. Reece
C. Pope - D. Strawbridge

M. Trnka
A. Glass

ROSTER