Queenstown Miners goalie Noah Reid, pictured during his team’s winning Premier Ice Hockey League final last Sunday. PHOTO: JAMES ALLAN PHOTOGRAPHY

A talent-laden Queenstown Miners team won the inaugural Premier Ice Hockey League after national finals were held in the resort last weekend.

In previous weeks, teams in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown had vied to represent their region in a competition partly designed to produce a development pathway for players just behind national league level.

Three teams fought the right to represent Queenstown — the Miners, Rangers and Raptors — with the Miners edging out the Rangers in the local final.

After the finals’ round robin at the Queenstown Ice Arena, the Miners beat Auckland’s Castors 6-3 in Sunday’s final.

The Miners included the experienced Cam Frear and Jaden Skipper and the up-and-coming Jackson Flight, Ollie Ruski-Jones and Noah Reid.