Melbourne Mustangs
| Melbourne Mustangs | |
|---|---|
 2016 AIHL season
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|
 |
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| City | Melbourne, Victoria |
| League | Australian Ice Hockey League |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Home arena | O'Brien Group Arena |
| Colours | |
| Owner(s) |
 John Belic & Andrew McDowell |
| General manager |
 Rod Johns |
| Head coach |
Michael Flaherty |
| Captain |
 Patrick O'Kane |
| Website | www.melbournemustangs.com.au |
| Franchise history | |
| 2010–2012 | Mustangs IHC |
| 2012–present | Melbourne Mustangs |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 1 (2014) |
| Goodall Cups | 1 (2014) |
The Melbourne Mustangs are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Docklands, Victoria, Australia. They are members of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL).
The Mustangs IHC were founded in 2010. During the 2010 AIHL season the Mustangs competed in six exhibition games against ice hockey teams around Australia, including games against the Gold Coast Blue Tongues, the Gold Coast Grizzlys, and Perth Thunder. Following the closure of the 2010 season the AIHL granted a licence to the Mustangs to join the league and compete in the 2011 AIHL season. Steve Laforet was named coach and Shane Hardy team captain for the 2011 season. However, on 23 June, it was announced that Laforet had resigned for "personal reasons" and assistant coach, Doug Stevenson would take over the head coach role.
The Mustangs lost their first game in the AIHL 4–8 against the Melbourne Ice. The game was the season opener and was played at the home stadium of both teams in Docklands, Victoria. The team finished sixth after the regular season, ahead of the Canberra Knights and the Sydney Bears.
For the start of the 2012 AIHL season the Mustangs changed their name to the Melbourne Mustangs after the AIHL lifted a condition that prohibited the use of "Melbourne" in their team name. The restriction was originally put in place to protect the brand of the Melbourne Ice. . Also the club announced that Bill Wilkinson would be their head coach. Midway through the season though Wilkinson was fired as head coach and replaced by former head coach Steve Laforet. In December 2012 the club announced that they had appointed Brad Vigon as head coach, replacing Steve Laforet who had been fired at the end of the 2012 season. The club also revealed their new logo for the start of the 2013 season featuring a redesigned mustang horse, holding an ice hockey stick.
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