Delsar, Cas

BORN 4 AUGUST 1982 in Adelaide, Australia, Cassian Delsar was a notable player on the ice, known for his physical style. He spent 14 seasons with various national league clubs in Adelaide and Sydney, and eventually the Melbourne Ice.

Delsar played in the South Australian leagues from a young age, coached by John Botterill and others. He represented South Australia in national tournaments as a junior, and made his national league debut with the Adelaide Avalanche in 2004. Botterill noted, “He had skills, passion, and attitude, which sometimes made it challenging to keep him focused on his potential. However, I always recognised his qualities of team loyalty and his ability to stand up when needed.” [1]

At 21, Delsar was named Best Rookie by the Avalanche. In 2007, he split the season between the Avalanche and the Sydney Ice Dogs. The following year, he joined the Adelaide As, and in 2009, during the centenary year of the Goodall Cup, he led the newly formed Adelaide Adrenaline to victory.

Coach Botterill's team faced the Newcastle North Stars in the AIHL Championship final in front of over 900 fans. After a scoreless third period and a tie of 2-2, the match went into overtime. Delsar scored the game-winner, assisted by Jeremy Beirnes and Josh Harding at 9:16. The Adrenaline won the AIHL Champions Trophy, and Delsar was named Finals MVP.

Delsar also played for South Australia, coached by Gordie Cochrane and Sami Mantere, when they defeated Victoria and Western Australia in Adelaide to win the controversial Centenary Goodall Cup. Delsar remained with the Adrenaline until 2012.

In 2011, the 182 cm, 82 kg South Australian represented Australia in the second New Zealand Winter Games, where Vlad Rube's team defeated New Zealand 4-1 in the Grand Final. In 2013, he scored 10 points in five games while representing South Australia in the Brown Trophy. The following season, he played 14 games for the Adelaide Tigers in the state A-grade league before moving to Melbourne, where he joined the Melbourne Ice for the 2015 season.

John Botterill expressed his continued support for the centre he helped develop, texting him just before his 200th game in August 2016 while playing for the Melbourne Ice. “I was incredibly proud that I gave him his first game and was thrilled to see him reach his 200th.” [1]

Delsar won a second Goodall Cup in 2017 and retired from national league hockey in 2018. In one of his final AIHL games, he scored two goals and provided two assists in an 8-0 victory for Melbourne against his former club.

In 2007, the centre forward represented Australia at the IIHF Division IIB World Championships in Korea, earning a silver medal. In 2010, he won silver in Division IIA in Mexico City, contributing one goal and two assists over five games while accumulating eight penalty minutes.

Cas Delsar is a paramedic. “[He has] an external character of being a loyal and committed hard-nosed player,” Coach John Botterill observed, “but inside a passionate and caring individual shown by his paramedic journey off-ice. A Oz Legend in his own way!” [2] Delsar played 247 National League games and participated in the League Playoffs five times over 14 years, averaging about 0.6 points and three penalty minutes per game.