Canberra Brave were flying into the finals series in top form, but in a tense grand final decider, Newcastle Northstars were crowned 2026 Goodall Cup champions in Melbourne.
The Brave threw everything at the Northstars, but the brickwall defence of Newcastle goaltender Matus Trnka helped secure his team a thrilling 2-1 victory and an Australian Ice Hockey League title for the first time in a decade.
The Brave forced Trnka to make a whopping 49 saves, nearly double what Brave goaltender Joel Hasselman saved (25), highlighting the impact of Newcastle's defence.
"That was the best we played defensively all year," Northstars captain Liam Manwarring said after lifting the Goodall Cup with tears in his eyes.
"It all goes back to the adversity we've been through this year.
"One of our wonderful teammates, Aki [Akihide Watanabe], lost his father last night. So there was no way any team was beating us today."
While it was jubilation for Newcastle, the result marks back-to-back years of heartbreak for the Brave after they also narrowly fell to Melbourne Ice in the 2025 grand final.
The Brave came to the Icehouse hungry for redemption in their fifth-consecutive appearance in the decider, but it was the Northstars that burst out of the gate.
The men from the Hunter had the perfect start, with first period goals to Liam Martin and Evgenii Skachkov.
Penalties against Newcastle in the second period allowed the Brave to find some momentum, and eventually, Canberra had their first goal through Jake Ratcliffe.
Two of those penalties late in the period meant that the Northstars had a tough situation coming into the final period too, having to face the Brave without their AIHL finals MVP Francis Drolet and Skachkov.
However, the Brave couldn't convert the advantage of playing five-on-three, nor could Canberra find an elusive equaliser in the rest of a frantic third period, as fans lucky enough to snag tickets to the AIHL decider were treated to a nail-biting finish.
Brave fans in attendance could be heard trying to rally their team with a "Canberra" chant, but Northstars supporters were just as loud in Melbourne.
It was one of the most highly-anticipated grand finals in recent years for the Brave, with its fanbase growing rapidly since the team's successful move from Phillip to AIS Arena for AIHL home games last year.
Such was the popularity of the Brave's 2026 campaign, fans turned out in big numbers to watch the grand final's television broadcast from Belconnen Hoyts cinema, and of course, at the team's unofficial home, Caribou bar in Kingston.
"Canberra Brave played an outstanding season," team owner Stephen Campbell said after the crushing grand final loss.
"While the finals result was undoubtedly disappointing, it doesn't overshadow the team's impressive performances, commitment and achievements throughout the year.
"The players, coaches and staff have represented Canberra with great pride and professionalism, delivering an exciting and highly competitive season.
"I congratulate everyone involved with the Canberra Brave on a season they can be proud of.
"Special thanks to the thousands of fans that supported the team throughout the year and the tireless work of our volunteers.
"While this year didn't fall our way, we'll be back next year to challenge again for the Goodall Cup."
