The 2000 AIHL season was the inaugural season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL), the first semi-pro national ice hockey league in Australian history. The Sydney Bears finished first after the regular season but lost the championship final to the Adelaide Avalanche 5–6 in a shootout. Paul Lawson of the Adelaide Avalanche top scored in the regular season.

Regular season[edit]

The maiden regular season featured all three founding teams, Adelaide Avalanche, Canberra Knights and the Sydney Bears, playing in a round-robin format. The top two teams at the conclusion of the regular season would qualify to play a single head-to-head final.^[1]

Final[edit]

Following the regular season the Avalanche and the Bears competed in the single game final held at Macquarie Ice Rink. Adelaide won the game 6–5 in a shootout after coming from two goals behind late in the third period to level the match in regulation time. The Bears controlled the match in the first two periods before a controversial five minute major penalty late in the game to the Bears saw Adelaide pull goaltender Eric Lien and score two power play goals.^[2]

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