It might not be mate against mate, or state against state, but the South and North Island's best players will do battle in the sixth annual Skate of Origin match in Dunedin tonight.
Dunedin Thunder and Ice Blacks coach Janos Kaszala will coach the South Island Giant Eagles in their bid to win the Glass Shield for a third straight year.
The South Island edged the North Island 6-5 in Auckland last year and its team is made up of players from the top three teams in this year's national league.
The squad has 10 Thunder players, six Southern Stampede players and five from the three-time champion Canterbury Red Devils.
Just a month after Canterbury wiped the ice with the Thunder for a second straight year in the finals, players will get a chance to play together in a strong South Island squad.
The combination of Chris Eaden (Red Devils) and Connor Harrison (Thunder) will pose a real threat to the North Island goal tonight, with both coming off fine domestic seasons.
Botany Swarm and former Ice Blacks coach Andreas Kaisser has picked three Thunder players in his North Island side.
Remy Sandoy, Shaun Harrison and Kane Easterbrook will face off against Thunder team-mates in what should be a free-flowing match.
Kaisser has also called in two Ice Blacks players who play domestically in Australia.
Andrew Cox (Perth Thunder) and Charlie Huber (Adelaide Adrenaline) will suit up for the North Island in an attempt to take some silverware across the Cook Strait.
It is the last chance players will get to impress Kaszala before the Ice Blacks training squad is announced later this month.
- Robert van Royen
Skate of Origin
Dunedin Ice Stadium, tonight, 7pm
South Island: Hunter Waugh, Dylan Devlin, Connor Harrison, Luke Pickering, Joe Orr, Tristan Darling, Mitchell Frear, Regan Wilson, George Coslett, Jacob Hurring (all Dunedin Thunder), Callum Burns, Harrison Macharg, Lachlan Frear, Cameron Frear, Ben Harford, Aston Brookes (Southern Stampede), Dale Haropp, Max Macharg, Bradley Apps, Chris Eaden, Tom Richards (Canterbury Red Devils).
North Island: Keegan Harnett, Michael Attwell, Robin Vortanov, Scott Randel, Dion Guest, Aaron Henderson, Andrew Hay, Thomas Heather, Ahmed Reynolds-Hatem (Botany Swarm), Dylan Dickson, Steven Huish, Felipe Aguirre-Landshoeft, Keegan Maisey, Gareth McLeish, Rick Parry (West Auckland Admirals), Remy Sandoy, Shaun Harrison, Kane Easterbrook (Dunedin Thunder), Charlie Huber (Adelaide Adrenaline), Andrew Cox (Perth Thunder).
