2023 CBR Brave season

The 2023 CBR Brave season was the Brave's 8th season in the Australian Ice Hockey League since being founded and entering the league in 2014. Canberra won a fourth consecutive premiership title and lifted the H Newman Reid Trophy, by finishing top of the regular season standings. The Brave also finished top of the newly formed Rurak Conference and held aloft the inaugural Rurak Conference Cup. Canberra finished second in the AIHL Finals, being beaten by the Melbourne Mustangs in the championship grand final in Melbourne to miss out on the Goodall Cup.

Season notes
Pre-season, the Brave organised exhibition games against the Brisbane Lightning in Brisbane and Canberra. Former Sydney Sirens head coach, Jeff Helbren, was signed to take on the role of assistant coach. Caribou Kingston became the first ever Brave naming rights sponsor, with the team to be known as the Caribou CBR Brave for 2023 and Peter Di Salvo was added to the coaching roster as a goaltender coach for Toivonen and Tétreault. During the season the Brave revealed special one-off jerseys for Caribou Kingston, Menslink and Hockey Fights Cancer. All special jerseys were auctioned with proceeds going towards the team, Menslink and Cure Brain Cancer Foundation. Off the ice, CBR Brave super-fan, Emma Easton, died in 2023. Before her death, the Brave faithful celebrated Emma's 35th birthday with a rendition of ‘happy birthday’ at a home game at the Brave Cave. Brave players and supporters then came together to produce a memorial video and give Emma a hockey guard of honour at her funeral.

Roster
Team roster for the 2023 AIHL season.

Transfers
All transfers in and out of the team since the last AIHL season. Kale Costa was announced as a signing in pre-season, but in May 2023 it was revealed he would not be joining the team, instead choosing to stay in the Czech Republic to play for HC Stadion Litoměřice in the Czech 1.liga. In July 2024, the Brave signed goaltender Curtis Villani to an affiliate contract. Villani was added to the roster as an emergency backup but was never dressed or used and was subsequently removed from the roster without playing a game.

In

 * * Mid-season transfer

Out

 * * Mid-season transfer

Staff
Current as of 2023 AIHL season.

Regular season
Summary

Position by round

League table

Rurak Conference

Finals
Summary

Bracket

Finals
Goodall Cup semi-final

Goodall Cup final

Awards
No team awards announced by the Brave for 2023. No Canberra players or staff were awarded any AIHL season awards for the first time in team history.