H. H. Kleiner Memorial Trophy
First Awarded: 1946
Competition: IHV Premier League
Given For: Playoff Champion of Ice Hockey Victoria Premier A league
Current Champions: Sharks
The H.H. Kleiner Memorial Trophy is a perpetual trophy awarded to the playoff champions of the Premier A level winter season competition for Ice Hockey Victoria.
Since being awarded to the Western Suburbs in 1946 for its inaugural year, the trophy has always been awarded to the highest level of competition in Victoria, Australia. The trophy's namesake is Harry Hans Kleiner, the original proprietor of the St. Moritz Ice Palais. The H. H. Kleiner remains as the oldest Victorian state level competition trophy that is still contested and the original trophy is still being awarded and presented to the playoff champion of Victoria's highest level of state ice hockey to this day.
History
World War II would result in the ceasing of regular ice hockey league activity in Victoria for a few years, many players had enlisted and lost their lives while serving their country. Leading up to the war time activity, enlistments had reduced the numbers for Victorian senior ice hockey players but the focus on improving the standard of junior players would be relied upon to raise the senior competition standard.
Before the war each rink was still represented by an ice hockey club with the St. Moritz Bombers Ice Hockey Club at St. Moritz Ice Palais and the Glaciarium Rangers Ice Hockey Club operating in the Melbourne Glaciarium. The combined membership between both clubs exceeded 100 players but key players would be subject to compulsory participation in World War II and enlistments. One such key player was Canadian Hugh Lloyd who became a member of the R.A.A.F. leaving a vacancy in the coaching role at the Melbourne Glaciarium that veteran ice hockey player Alfred Massina would need to fill. The Victorian Ice Hockey Association held a meeting on 29 May 1941 with the managers of each ice rink to discuss the future plans for the inter-rink competition, while each rinks hockey club continued independently with their own house league season at their respective home rink. It was later confirmed just before the season that there would be no inter-rink competition for the 1941 season. On 13 July 1941 A campaign was started to make ice hockey a popular sport in post war years, inviting juveniles between the ages of 12-14 to put on skates and receive coaching from senior members of the St. Moritz Bombers Ice Hockey Club. Over 30 young people attended.
From scrimmage sessions being held during the war time activity, enough players would be available to form a league by 1946 consisting of 4 teams: Northen Suburbs, Southern Suburbs, Eastern Suburbs and Western Suburbs. This would be the first time in a few years that a league would exist but as the Melbourne Glaciarium did not operate an ice floor in 1946 due to the popularity of dancing, the 1946 competition would only operate inside Harry Hans Kleiner's St. Moritz Ice Palais and the modern era of club ice hockey would begin. Harry Hans Kleiner donated the trophy we know today as the H.H. Kleiner Trophy to the first champions, the Western Suburbs.
Traditions and Trophy History
Due to an alleged miscommunication between Ice Hockey Victoria executive in 2016 the Jets Ice Hockey Club won the playoff championship in two games, securing the H.H. Kleiner Trophy, but it was not brought to the venue by members of the Association, making this the first time in its history that the winning team was not presented the trophy after winning it.
For the 2018 IHV Winter season, the H.H. Kleiner trophy was refurbished, fixing the trophy that had become more fragile with time. Part of the work that was undertaken included a lengthening of the central brass cylinder to allow more champions to be inscribed on the award.
Harry Hans Kleiner
The H.H. Kleiner Trophy namesake is Harry Hans Kleiner, the original proprietor of the St. Moritz Ice Palais in St. Kilda, Victoria and notable showman.
Winners
- 1946 - Western Suburbs
- 1947 - Blackhawks
- 1948 - Monarchs
- 1949 - Tigers
- 1950 - Tigers
- 1951 - Raiders
- 1952 - Raiders
- 1953 - Raiders
- 1954 - Raiders
- 1955 - Blackhawks
- 1956 - Blackhawks
- 1957 - Blackhawks
- 1958 - Blackhawks
- 1959 - Monarchs
- 1960 - Blackhawks
- 1961 - Monarchs
- 1962 - Monarchs
- 1963 - Hakoah
- 1964 - Hakoah
- 1965 - Blackhawks
- 1966 - Blackhawks
- 1967 - Monarchs
- 1968 - Monarchs
- 1969 - Monarchs
- 1970 - Demons
- 1971 - Hakoah
- 1972 - Monarchs
- 1973 - Monarchs
- 1974 - Hakoah
- 1975 - Rangers
- 1976 - Pirates
- 1977 - Demons
- 1978 - Pirates
- 1979 - Rangers
- 1980 - Hakoah
- 1981 - Rangers
- 1982 - Rangers
- 1983 - Saints-Monarchs
- 1984 - Blackhawks
- 1985 - Pirates
- 1986 - Saints-Monarchs
- 1987 - Saints-Monarchs
- 1988 - Saints-Monarchs
- 1989 - Saints-Monarchs
- 1990 - Saints-Monarchs
- 1991 - Saints-Monarchs
- 1992 - Saints-Monarchs
- 1993 - Saints-Monarchs
- 1994 - Saints-Monarchs
- 1995 - Jets
- 1996 - Saints-Monarchs
- 1997 - Demons
- 1998 - Demons
- 1999 - Demons
- 2000 - Demons
- 2001 - Demons
- 2002 - Blackhawks
- 2003 - Demons
- 2004 - Sharks
- 2005 - Blackhawks
- 2006 - Blackhawks
- 2007 - Braves
- 2008 - Blackhawks
- 2009 - Rangers* (MKII)
- 2010 - Tigers* (MKII)
- 2011 - Demons
- 2012 - Braves
- 2013 - Tigers* (MKII)
- 2014 - Demons
- 2015 - Braves
- 2016 - Jets
- 2017 - Braves
- 2018 - Sharks