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2024–25 Asia League Ice Hockey season

The 2024–25 Asia League Ice Hockey season was the 22nd season of operation (20th season of play) of Asia League Ice Hockey (AL). The regular season began on 7 September 2024.[1]

League business

Teams

The same five teams from the 2023–24 season returned for the 2024–25 season.

Team City/Town Arena Capacity Previous
season
HL Anyang South Korea Anyang Anyang Ice Arena 1,284 1st
Red Eagles Hokkaido Japan Tomakomai Hakucho Arena 3,015 2nd
Nikkō Ice Bucks Japan Nikkō Nikkō Kirifuri Ice Arena 1,608 4th
Tohoku Free Blades Japan Hachinohe Flat Hachinohe 3,500 3rd
Yokohama Grits Japan Yokohama KOSÉ Shin-Yokohama Skate Center 2,500 5th

Coaching changes

Pre-season
Team Departing Coach New Coach Reference
Tohoku Free Blades Greg Puhalski Chris Wakabayashi [2]
Yokohama Grits Jeff Flanagan Yuji Iwamoto [3]

Japan Cup

The Japan Cup in-season tournament for only the Japanese based teams started on 30 November 2024, and ended on 29 December 2024 with Nikkō IceBucks claiming the championship.

Standings

Pos Team Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Nikkō IceBucks 6 4 0 0 2 21 18 +3 12 Japan Cup champions
2 Red Eagles Hokkaido 6 2 1 2 1 25 21 +4 10
3 Yokohama Grits 5 1 1 1 2 15 15 0 6
4 Tohoku Free Blades 5 1 1 0 3 13 20 −7 5
Updated to match(es) played on 29 December 2024. Source: AL
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Games won in regulation time; 3) Number of games won; 4) Head-to-head results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 5) Fewest regulation losses; 6) Away game results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 7) Goals scored; 8) Goal difference; 9) Fewest penalty minutes; 10) Drawing of lots.

Statistics

Scoring leaders

The following shows the top players who led the league in points, at the conclusion of matches played on 29 December 2024.[4]

Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIM
Japan Atsuki Ikeda Yokohama Grits 6 5 7 12 +3 0
Japan Yusaku Ando Red Eagles Hokkaido 6 1 8 9 +2 0
Japan Makuru Furuhashi Nikkō Ice Bucks 5 3 5 8 +2 6
Japan Maito Omuku Nikkō Ice Bucks 6 3 5 8 +1 2
Japan Yuto Osawa Yokohama Grits 6 4 4 8 +3 4
Japan Kai Sugimoto Yokohama Grits 6 4 4 8 +2 6

Leading goaltenders

The following shows the top goaltenders who led the league in save percentage, provided that they have played at least 40% of their team's minutes, at the conclusion of matches played on 29 December 2024.[5]

Player Team GP TOI GA Sv% GAA
Japan Issa Otuska Nikkō Ice Bucks 3 144:10 4 94.59 1.66
Japan Shun Furukawa Yokohama Grits 2 103:11 4 94.29 2.33
Japan Takayuki Ito Tohoku Free Blades 3 181:00 9 92.31 2.98
Japan Kai Tomita Yokohama Grits 5 262:47 14 90.73 3.20
Japan Yutaka Fukufuji Nikkō Ice Bucks 3 153:23 10 88.64 3.91

Regular season

The league's regular season began on 7 September 2024 and ended on 23 March 2025. HL Anyang won their third consecutive, eighth overall regular season championship.[6] Kim Sang-wook was named the regular season MVP.[7]

Standings

Pos Team Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 HL Anyang 32 18 1 6 7 115 77 +38 62 Regular season champions
Qualification to finals
2 Red Eagles Hokkaido 32 14 7 2 9 113 96 +17 58 Qualification to finals
3 Nikkō IceBucks 32 13 6 3 10 118 107 +11 54
4 Tohoku Free Blades 32 9 2 3 18 89 121 −32 34
5 Yokohama Grits 32 8 2 4 18 73 107 −34 32
Source: AL
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Games won in regulation time; 3) Number of games won; 4) Head-to-head results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 5) Fewest regulation losses; 6) Away game results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 7) Goals scored; 8) Goal difference; 9) Fewest penalty minutes; 10) Drawing of lots.

Statistics

Scoring leaders

The following shows the top players who led the league in points, at the conclusion of the regular season.[8]

Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIM
Japan Makuru Furuhashi Nikkō Ice Bucks 32 18 33 51 +2 26
South Korea Kim Sang-wook HL Anyang 32 14 27 41 +4 16
Japan Kento Suzuki Nikkō Ice Bucks 30 20 21 41 +2 31
Japan Shogo Nakajima Red Eagles Hokkaido 31 20 18 38 +2 6
Japan Sota Isogai Nikkō Ice Bucks 32 16 20 36 +2 14
Japan Yuri Terao Nikkō Ice Bucks 32 14 20 34 +1 30
South Korea Kang Yeon-seok HL Anyang 32 13 19 32 +2 12
South Korea Ahn Jin-hui HL Anyang 32 14 17 31 +4 8
Japan Toi Kobayashi Red Eagles Hokkaido 32 15 16 31 +2 24
Japan Yuto Osawa Yokohama Grits 32 7 24 31 +1 18

Leading goaltenders

The following shows the top goaltenders who led the league in save percentage, provided that they have played at least 40% of their team's minutes, at the conclusion of the regular season.[9]

Player Team GP TOI GA Sv% GAA
Japan Issa Otsuka Nikkō Ice Bucks 25 1424:28 60 92.81 2.53
Japan Kai Tomita Yokohama Grits 21 1193:18 56 91.70 2.82
Japan Yuta Narisawa Red Eagles Hokkaido 26 1542:46 68 91.20 2.64
South Korea Matt Dalton HL Anyang 18 1078:56 42 90.99 2.34
South Korea Lee Yeon-seung HL Anyang 16 863:06 32 90.99 2.22
Japan Takayuki Ito Tohoku Free Blades 21 1194:19 69 90.07 3.47
Japan Michikazu Hata Tohoku Free Blades 13 720:39 43 89.51 3.58

Finals

The Finals was competed in a best-of-five series following a 2–2–1–1–1 format. HL Anyang and Red Eagles Hokkaido met in the Finals for the third consecutive season. HL Anyang won the Finals in 4 games to claim their ninth league championship.[10]

Finals

(1) HL Anyang vs. (2) Red Eagles Hokkaido

29 March 2025 HL Anyang 3–2 2OT Red Eagles Hokkaido Nikkō Kirifuri Ice Arena Recap  
Lee Hyun-seung (1) – 1:27 First period 18:20 – pp – Taiga Irikura (1)
Kim Gun-woo (1) – 4:38 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 14:44 – Seiji Takahashi (1)
Nam Hee-doo (1) – 21:22 Overtime No scoring
Matt Dalton (32 saves / 34 shots) Goalie stats Yuta Narisawa (29 saves / 32 shots)
30 March 2025 HL Anyang 2–3 OT Red Eagles Hokkaido Nikkō Kirifuri Ice Arena Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Lee Hyun-seung (1) – 7:21
Kim Sang-wook (1) – 17:34 		Second period 18:45 – Bobby McIntyre (1)
No scoring Third period 1:46 – Shogo Nakajima (1)
No scoring overtime period 1:49 – Kenta Takagi (1)
Matt Dalton (30 saves / 33 shots) Goalie stats Yuta Narisawa (22 saves / 24 shots)
3 April 2025 Red Eagles Hokkaido 1–5 HL Anyang Anyang Ice Center Recap  
No scoring First period 16:00 – pp – Nam Hee-doo (1)
18:38 – pp – Ahn Jin-hee (1)
Kohei Mitamura (1) – pp – 15:50 Second period 11:16 – Kang Min-wan (1)
No scoring Third period 3:03 – Kang Min-wan (2)
15:05 – en – Lee Don-ku (1)
Yuta Narisawa (31 saves / 36 shots) Goalie stats Matt Dalton (31 saves / 32 shots)
5 April 2025 Red Eagles Hokkaido 1-2 OT HL Anyang Anyang Ice Center Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Toi Kobayashi (1) – pp – 8:43 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 3:30 – Lee Hyun-seung (1)
No scoring Overtime 10:29 – Kang Min-wan (1)
Yuta Narisawa (39 saves / 41 shots) Goalie stats Matt Dalton (31 saves / 32 shots)
Anyang won the series 3–1


Awards

Award Winner
League champions HL Anyang
Most valuable player (Finals) Matt Dalton (HL Anyang)
Most valuable player (Regular season) Kim Sang-wook (HL Anyang)
Best goaltender Issa Otsuka (Nikkō Ice Bucks)
Rookie of the year Kai Tomita (Yokohama Grits)
Leading scorer (Regular season) Shogo Nakajima (Red Eagles Hokkaido)
Kento Suzuki (Nikkō Ice Bucks)
Leading assists (Regular season) Makuru Furuhashi (Nikkō Ice Bucks)
Leading points (Regular season) Makuru Furuhashi (Nikkō Ice Bucks)

First team

Position Best 6
G Issa Otsuka, (Nikkō Ice Bucks)
D Hiroto Sato (Nikkō Ice Bucks)
D Ryo Hashimoto (Red Eagles Hokkaido)
F Makuru Furuhashi (Nikkō Ice Bucks)
F Shogo Nakajima (Red Eagles Hokkaido)
F Yuri Terao (Nikkō Ice Bucks)

See also

References

  1. ^ "アジアリーグアイスホッケー 2024-2025 レギュラーリーグ開催概". asiaicehockey.com (in Japanese). 11 June 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  2. ^ "チームスタッフ退団のお知らせ". asiaicehockey.com (in Japanese). 24 May 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  3. ^ "岩本裕司ヘッドコーチ 就任のお知らせ". asiaicehockey.com (in Japanese). 14 June 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  4. ^ "Point Ranking 2024". Asia League. AL. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  5. ^ "GK SP Ranking 2024". Asia League. AL. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  6. ^ "HL Anyang wins Asia League Ice Hockey regular season, secures eighth title". chosun.com. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  7. ^ "Kim Sang-wook claims Asia League MVP with 14 goals and 27 assists for HL Anyang". chosun.com. 26 March 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  8. ^ "Point Ranking 2024/2025". Asia League Ice Hockey. ALIH. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  9. ^ "GK SP Ranking 2024/2025". Asia League Ice Hockey. ALIH. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  10. ^ "HL Anyang secures ninth Asia League championship with win over Red Eagles". biz.chosun.com. 5 April 2025. Retrieved 6 April 2025.