who will win and how What do the experts say about the looming AIHL finals? Let's not wait for the answers. AIHL finals often don't go to plan ... There's been plenty of upsets and games that don't match regular season form in the finals. ALEX LATA is a Canadian-born, Melbourne-based AIHL Deputy Commissioner, in her fourth year helping govern the AIHL. She works as legal counsel for Tennis Australia. AIHL Deputy Commissioner Alex Lata Which team do you think will win the AIHL title and why? I'm going to go out on a bit of a underdog limb and back the Perth Thunder to bring it home this season. In respect of who Perth will play for the Cup - when you asked me this question five months ago I tipped Perth and the Melbourne Ice to be the ones playing for the Cup. The strength of Newcastle and the Ice Dogs this season has caused me to waiver slightly but I still believe that the Ice have the hunger to bring it over the line against Ice Dogs on Saturday. The real question is will Ice Dogs goalie Kimlin allow it. What will prove more important in the AIHL finals, depth of scoring options or quality of goalie? I think this year we have really seen the importance of the man between the posts. There have been times when the skills of the Great Wall of Kimlin have made all the difference. I think this will be the key this weekend. That being said, we can't underestimate the importance of the scorers. When guys like (Matt) Armstrong (Melbourne Ice) are on fire who knows what can happen. What have been the highlights of the AIHL season for you? This year has been amazing for us as a league. The growth that we have achieved this year has been incredible. Personal highlights for me are the relationships we have with our existing sponsors including Skaters' Network as well as the new partnerships that we have formed with APA Group, Air Canada and JRs Arena, and of course our unprecedented venture into the world of television with our FOX SPORTS deal. In addition, the quality of hockey in the competition this year has been unlike anything we have seen before- evidenced by the fact that any one of four teams can take out the Goodall Cup. STEPHEN WHITE is not only the erudite Fox Sports commentator but a player and as we famously saw earlier this year at the Icehouse, a competent referee. The incredible instance of White's move from the commentary bench to an on-ice officiating role garnered attention across the hockey world, including the NHL site. Stephen White, right, after his historic move from rinkside to on ice-duties. Sydney Ice Dogs - Kimlin and a quick transition game that is hard for any team to cope with. Quality of goalie - each team in the four has a goaltender that can win games by themselves. Perth's addition of Dan Clarke midway through the season is the most notable example when it comes to turning a team's game around. For the league, watching the league's coming of age and the unprecedented growth of the sport. For myself, haha, pretty easy decision: going from commentator to linesman on live TV in the Newcastle v Melbourne game. Chris Frank's fight v Michael Schlamp was also a highlight. JAMES MORGAN is a multi-talented technician who travels most weeks to set up ATC Productions broadcasts for Fox Sports telecasts and livestreams of AIHL games. As such, he has probably seen more games of AIHL hockey than any other human this year. James Morgan in the ATC Productions control room. Looking at our final four this year is interesting, not the least of which is due to the four very disparate paths they have taken to get here. The Newcastle North Stars have ridden to September following what I would regard as their usual modus operandi: solid goal-tending, two-way hockey and generally staying out of the penalty box. The Sydney Ice Dogs have had a significant boost from goaltender Anthony Kimlin, and have made tough, no-compromise hockey their route of choice. New kids on the block Perth Thunder have screamed potential all season and have been hampered by a number of key departures and arrivals, but they have shown that with their scoring power they can be competitive and with exceptional netminding they can dominate. The Melbourne Ice have probably had the roughest ride to the finals this year with a new coach, new goaltender, new captain, suspensions, injuries and departures all taking their toll. Unlike the other three, the Ice are less well-known for their goaltending, with [Dahlen] Phillips facing a supreme challenge in his first season in the top job, but they have ensured themselves a place in September through solid form throughout the year, winning the majority of games you would expect them to. In terms of who is going to take it out, I have to look to history and see that the Newcastle North Stars have a pretty good shot at it. They have a smart coach and a dedicated leadership team, and have for years played measured, considered hockey, which can ruin your day just as ably at both ends of the ice. Olivier Martin has been a very worthy replacement for Matt Ezzy, who retired after the 2011 grand ginal, and the team in front of him are quite capable of keeping his workload down and staying out of the box. I tend to believe that a great goalie is one of your best assets on the ice, both in stabilising the team and in keeping vulcanised rubber out of the net. Scoring power up front is great, but that usually is only one or two lines of players - your goaltender is out there for the duration, and without confidence that he is at the top of his game the team will often start to play panicky hockey, which breeds mistakes. Some of our most competitive teams this year are the ones with exceptional net-minding, and I've certainly seen the impact that can make on shutting down otherwise exceptional scoring lines. I've been exceptionally proud this year watching the development of the Perth Thunder and Melbourne Mustangs outfits. Both teams now have exceptional coaches and have surprised quite a few AIHL powerhouse teams so far this year. I took my first trip to Canberra to shoot a game between the Bears and the Knights for Fox Sports and have to say that the atmosphere in that small, crowded old rink easily rivalled many rinks twice the size. I'll never forget Michael Schlamp scoring on the Canberra goaltender only to skate over to the Bears fans and climb the chain-link fence in front of them as part of his celebration. I saw a first this year when a linesman got knocked out by an accidental hit in Melbourne and had to be replaced by a Fox Sports commentator (who was a qualified linesman) mid-game, only for the story to end up going worldwide as far as NHL.com and having TSN hockey analyst and legendary NHL referee Kerry Fraser comment on it. PETER LAMBERT has an unmatched Australian ice hockey CV. AIHL commissioner until 2012, Newcastle media giant, Hockeywise columnist, player and former North Stars official, he knows the league inside out. He also correctly predicted that Melbourne Ice would topple his beloved North Stars last year despite the North Stars having had the edge over the Melburnians all season. Peter Lambert, right, with fellow AIHL Commissioner Tyler Lovering at the 2012 grand final. I hate to do this, it creeps me out, but I do think the North Stars are the most likely team to win this year. I suppose I am superstitious after all because I cringe to say it. AIHL finals often don't go to plan, though. Upsets are a big possibility because it's all down to one game. Ice Dogs beating the juggernaut of 2003's Adelaide Avalanche come to mind, as does the Bears beating the North Stars in the 2007 grand final. Last year I felt Ice were the best chance because of their depth. This year North Stars and Ice Dogs are the two stand-out teams in this department, with closely matched goalies. The North Stars and Ice Dogs have many players who've been trying to win a championship for years. While all teams will be hungry on the day, I think there will be extra desperation from these two teams that could prove the difference. Guys like David Upton and Tomas Manco have been trying to win a Cup for several years. To address your question directly, I have to say both. You can't expect to win a championship without both depth from forwards through to goals. The highlight of the season has been the leap forward into Fox Sports coverage and major sponsorship. It's a new era for the AIHL and has broken some shackles holding the sport back. On the ice, the Mustangs/Ice games, Knights' shock win in Newcastle after five years and the North Stars' comeback down 3-0 v the Ice in June were my highlights.