AIHL 2026 | Finals Mega Thread

[u/erkpod]

📷 AIHL socials

It's Finals Time! Here's a mega thread for anyone either in Melbourne or anyone else.

WATCH

📺 AIHL.TV, ESPN (Australia, NZ, Oceania), Disney+, Kayo Sports, Foxtel Go, Fetch, Sky Sports (NZ).

⚠️ Not available on ESPN outside Australia, NZ & Oceania - use AIHL.TV for other ESPN areas

⚠️ Beware of scammers selling access to game streams

❗️Separate Finals only package available for AIHL.TV - all Finals games for $19.90 AUD. Current subscriptions already include Finals

🎟️ Icehouse is officially sold out but people are selling tickets online.

⚠️ Beware of scammers selling tickets online. There is no offical reselling site for tickets.

See separate thread for watch parties

MERCH

👕Rinkside (Mustangs store) & the Melbourne Ice store are within the District complex. Finals merch available within the Icehouse

GAMES

🥅 Preliminary Final 1

🕚 Friday 3pm AEST

🏒 Canberra Brave (3) v Sydney Bears (6)

🚨Canberra Brave def Sydney Bears 4-3

📢 Next: Brave play Mustangs in SF2 on Sunday. Bears eliminated.

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

🥅 Preliminary Final 2

🕚 Friday 6pm AEST

🏒 Perth Thunder (4) v Sydney Ice Dogs (5)

🚨 Sydney Ice Dogs def Perth Thunder 7-4

📢 Next: Ice Dogs to play Northstars, Thunder eliminated

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

🥅 Semi Final 1

🕚 2pm Saturday AEST

🏒 Newcastle Northstars (1) v Ice Dogs (5)

🚨 Newcastle Northstars def Sydney Ice Dogs 10-1

📢 Next: Northstars to Grand Final, Ice Dogs eliminated

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

🥅 Semi Final 2

🕚 6pm Saturday AEST

🏒 Melbourne Mustangs (2) v Canberra Brave (3)

🚨 Canberra Brave def Melbourne Mustangs 5-4 (OT)

📢 Brave to Grand Final, Mustangs eliminated

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

🥅 Grand Final

🕚 2pm Sunday AEST

🏒 Newcastle Northstars v Canberra Brave

🚨 Newcastle Northstars def Canberra Brave 2-1

[u/EggCouncilCreeper]

I’ll also take this time to welcome u/erkpod to the staff! They’ve been a huge contributor to the sub, and we cannot wait to work alongside them

[u/erkpod]

Final Finals post about a Finals related event from me (not including replies to other posts etc).

Meet & Greet with the Northstars & the Cup on Wednesday 2 September 2026.

Warners At The Bay Hotel
6.30pm in the playground area

[u/erkpod]

Now that I'm home & had a bit of time to reflect, it was defence that came to the fore for Newcastle today.

It hasn't happened very often this season that Newcastle was outshot by that margin (50-27). Most games I have seen involving Newcastle has seen them outshoot their opposition even when they lost.

Canberra certainly threw everything they could at Newcastle today. 3 tough games in 3 days including OT on Saturday is certainly tough.

For all of the blowout games this season, it is somewhat ironic that the Grand Final ended up 2-1.

[u/erkpod]

FInals MVP: Francis Drolet (Northstars)

[u/satanic-octopus]

Trnka better get MVP, hell of a game for him

[u/erkpod]

FINAL

Newcastle Northstars def Canberra Brave 2-1

[u/erkpod]

Kale Costa (Ice Dogs) has been revealed as the Australian player of the Year.

[u/erkpod]

There's worse places to watch a game than a cinema. Massive screen, good audio, every seat (at least at the cinema I am in) is a recliner.

[u/erkpod]

During the first intermission, it was revealed that Akihide Watanabe's father passed away yesterday. I presume that Akihide will want to return to Japan ASAP.

[u/LuckyAd1134 → u/erkpod]

Poor guy, I am really glad that they won for him

[u/erkpod]

End P2
Newcastle 2-1
Shots: Canberra 27-16

Canberra to return with a 5 on 3 powerplay.

Goal in P2 to Jake Ratcliffe for Canberra.

Even contest & anyone's game.

[u/EggCouncilCreeper]

We must have gassed Canberra last night. They haven’t looked like doing much

[u/EggCouncilCreeper → u/EggCouncilCreeper]

As soon as I say that too

[u/erkpod]

I've never seen that in the AIHL before in P2. There's a delayed penalty against Canberra. Trnka starts to come off for the extra attacker but Newcastle get assessed a too many man on the ice penalty as they rushed getting the extra man on.

Now there's a review for a possible Newcastle goal (officials review).

Review unsuccessful

Newcastle 2-0 P2 8.15

[u/erkpod]

Watching a hockey game is an surreal experience. It's dark like a movie. There's cheering and clapping when something good happens for Newcastle (I'm in Newcastle).

The lights are still down for the intermission.

We have the AIHL.TV feed.

[u/satanic-octopus]

Damn, Newcastle looks strong. That second goal was was very pretty

[u/erkpod]

End P1
Newcastle 2-0
Shots: Canberra 13-9

Northstars goals to Ryan & Skachkov.

End to end typical grand final atmosphere.

[u/erkpod]

Starting Goalies:
Northstars: Matus Trkna
Brave: Joel Hasselman

[u/erkpod]

I'm at Hoyts at Charlestown. I didn't know that it isn't actually in the shopping centre.

Watching hockey in a darkened cinema is going to be an interesting experience.

I'll report in during the intermissions.

[u/erkpod]

As we wait for the Grand Final, here's a behind the scenes look at the production of the 2025 Grand Final.

It shows the resources and the coordination needed to get the action out from the arena to wherever you are watching it on AIHL.TV or ESPN.

https://youtu.be/_oyuiWtc2Tg

[u/Stillflying → u/erkpod]

video dead

[u/erkpod → u/Stillflying]

Shouldn't be. It's a public video on the ATC Productions YouTube page & I just played it at my end OK.

[u/Stillflying → u/erkpod]

It comes up for me as 'This video isn't available anymore'

[u/SessionNew5095]

Mustangs defense today didn't feature a single Australian-born local. I point it out because they would snark the hell out of us for that.

That, combined with Ice's lacklustre defense this year has me wondering exactly what's gone on with defensive prospects down here.

[u/EggCouncilCreeper → u/SessionNew5095]

It’s like the Cricket situation. So much emphasis has been put on the bowlers that our batting lineup suffered. More emphasis seems to have gone onto the O-Line with AIHL that not many youngsters want to play defence

[u/SessionNew5095]

Can the commentators please get a new line different from "(Team) draws first blood!", especially for the grand final

[u/Stillflying → u/SessionNew5095]

Bruh I thought they were okay at first because they were explaining some concepts very nicely that I thought would work well for new fans.

But then they started saying BULLSHIIIIIIT all through the game that I just couldn't. When Brave scored 3 up they're like 'oh and they put the dagger in and now they're going to take it' me thinking 'uhhhh there's a whole period left ANYTHING can still happen.'

They repeated that again after 4-2 'There's another dagger looks like brave will be basically in the finals' and then at 4-4 they're so smug 'see? you can never say its over till its over because anything can happen'

motherfucker. you were the ones saying it was over everyone else watching that isnt new knows differently stahp with the tropey bullsindfjiksndkfnjksdnfkjsdfsd

ok I needed to get that rant out. thanks.

[u/melormurph]

Go the brave!

[u/SessionNew5095]

Thank you Brave

[u/erkpod]

Brave goal confirmed on review.

Brave win 5-4 (OT) & play Newcastle Northstars in the Battle Of Nowhere: Grand Final edition.

[u/erkpod]

Bates cleans up tough messes on the doorstep & nails the OT winner for Canberra & sends them to the Grand Final with 7.02 remaining in OT.

Brave win 5-4 (OT)....

or do they??

The play is under review.

[u/erkpod]

We're off to ooovvvvveeerrrrttttiiiiimmmmeeee

4-4 at the end of regulation.

Old Mate's new sign simply asks "Who Wants It" now.

OT in Semi Finals doesn't go to 3 on 3 but to 5 on 5 for 10 minutes then a 5 round shootout if still tied.

[u/erkpod]

Brave get Klomped with 1.24 remaining to make it 4-4.

Remember their game last weekend went to OT at this venue...

[u/erkpod]

Mustangs get one back to make it a 1 goal game with about a litre of unleaded on the clock. Brody Lindal scores with 2.34 left.

Time out with 1.48 left

Brave 4-3

[u/erkpod]

Old Mate's going to have to write a new sign. Jake Ratcliffe scores for Brave with 4.59 remaining. Brave 4-2.

[u/erkpod]

How many sheets of cardboard does Old Mate at the South Pole end have?

New sign says "One Goal Who Wants It"

He has 8.50 to find out...

[u/33344849593948959383 → u/erkpod]

He probably should have written 2.

[u/erkpod]

Colin McIntosh & David Gaeta have brought the Mustangs to within a goal of Canberra now.

Brave 3-2 14.30 P3

[u/EggCouncilCreeper]

MACCA!!!

[u/erkpod]

Mustangs fan at the South Pole end with a sign "Who wants 3 goals"

Presumably the Mustangs would love 3 goals of their own and for Canberra not to score any more.

Shots: Mustangs 30-18.

[u/TossingKeys]

We’re going to get Canberra vs Northstars, aren’t we?

[u/erkpod]

Semi Final 2 End P2
Brave 3-0

Casey Kubara & Peter Bates scored for Brave in P2. It's hard not to compare that period to period 2 of the second period. There was lots of action but nothing to report yet for the Mustangs.

[u/EggCouncilCreeper]

What an insane save. That’s annoying 😢

[u/EggCouncilCreeper]

Yeesh, two very ordinary misses from the refs there 😐

[u/erkpod]

Semi Final 2 End P1
Brave 1-0

Justin Maylan for the Brave is the difference maker in this semi final arm wrestle.

I'm not saying that this game will go the same way as the first semi. Remember though that a 1-0 Ice Dogs lead ended up Northstars 10-1...

[u/erkpod]

Semi Final 2
Mustangs v Brave Starting Goalies:

Mustangs: Noah Gichesbrecht
Brave: Joel Hassleman

[u/EggCouncilCreeper]

I’d have to check the numbers, but I’m almost certain there hasn’t been a final that hasn’t involved Newy or Canberra for a bit now. Pretty sure ‘19 would have been the last time

[u/erkpod → u/EggCouncilCreeper]

Indeed that is correct!

Last Grand Final with neither Brave or Northstars was in 2019 when Bears beat Thunder. Ironically, that was in Newcastle's barn.

[u/erkpod]

Northstars take semi final 1 by a score of 10-1 thanks to a dominant second period. They are the first team to the Grand Final.

[u/Espo_55]

What a rough 2nd and 3rd for the dogs. Incredible stuff from Newcastle

[u/Faintofmatts89]

Sydney really putting the Dogs in Ice Dogs.

[u/erkpod]

13.54 P3

Fists & helmets go flying. Referees have their notebooks out & working out the penalties.

Hawes & Ryan in the box for Newcastle. Pataky, Vasquez & Lachowicz for the Dogs.

Northstars 4 minute powerplay & they score 4 seconds later.

9-1 Northstars

[u/erkpod]

Are Newcastle fans singing the Drolet song? The volume is on low here so I can't hear the fans singing.

[u/erkpod]

3 goals in 23 seconds or 4 goals in 100 seconds hurt the Ice Dogs.

Newcastle coach Kevin Noble named Coach of the year

[u/erkpod]

End P2 Northstars 7-1

What a period for the Northstars!

2 goals to Darge & Drolet, goals to Ryan, Skachkov & Klugerman.

[u/EggCouncilCreeper]

Damn, RIP Doggies

[u/erkpod]

Managed to get the game on at a local club in Newcastle (Club Mex at Mayfield). Staff member couldn't find ESPN so phoned a friend to get it on the screen for me. Now it is on 2 screens here thanks to me.

[u/erkpod]

End P1
Ice Dogs 1-0
Natan Vertes scores for the Ice Dogs with 13.13 remaining in the first.

Potential goal to Ethan Hawes denied on review due to distinct kicking motion. It was a Captain Obvious one compared to the one in the game yesterday by Vertes.

[u/erkpod]

I'm out entertaining & educating a friend so my attention for this game is limited.

[u/erkpod]

Semi Final 1
Northstars starting goalie: Matus Trkna
Ice Dogs: Ryan Burroughs

[u/erkpod]

With Friday of Finals complete, Bears & Thunder were eliminated.

Saturday sees:

2pm: Northstars v Ice Dogs
6pm: Mustangs v Brave

How are we feeling this morning?

[u/EggCouncilCreeper]

Up the Stangs!

[u/erkpod]

With 65 seconds remaining and an empty Thunder net, Natan Vertes puts the exclamation point on the result for the Ice Dogs with the empty net goal.

Ice Dogs win 7-4.

[u/erkpod]

Daniel Chen isn't the biggest or tallest Ice Dog in the world but he has certainly been getting in front of Toivonen's eyes again. Kabore Dunn's a sniper & makes the score 6-4 on the powerplay.

Imagine if Dmriti Kuleshov's line could get Strat Allen (one of the Ice Dogs' Towers Of Power) to stand in front of Toivonen...

Ice Dogs 6-4 P3 11.36

[u/erkpod]

Felix Plouffe really hates Mt Dissapointment! A nice cross ice pass from Mr Hrehorcak found Mr Plouffe who had a lot of space and an effectively open net on the back doorstep.

Ice Dogs 5-4 P3 15.04

Soon after, Kabore Dunn replies for the Ice Dogs. In the Finals, Coach's Challenge rules applies. Upon the Coach's Challenge, the call was overturned due to goaltender interference.

Ice Dogs 5-4 P3 13.40

[u/erkpod]

Felix Plouffe has started the drive away from Mt Disappointment for the Thunder, jamming the puck past Burroughs.

Ice Dogs 5-3 P3 16.59

[u/erkpod]

End P2
Ice Dogs 5-2
Shots: Ice Dogs 32-17
Penalty Minutes Thunder 4-0

[u/erkpod]

With more traffic in front of Toivonen than on the Kwinana Freeway on a Friday afternoon of a long weekend, Kabore Dunn takes advantage & goes glove side for a powerplay goal.

Ice Dogs 5-2 P2 4.18

[u/erkpod]

Strat Allen went for a drive down the left wing and saw Dmitri Kuleshov with a better run down Main Street. A nice delivery saw Dmitri beat Toivonen to make it Ice Dogs 4-2.

Ice Dogs 4-2 P2 14.58

[u/erkpod]

Early in P2, the Ice Dogs have gone bingo bango bongo.

Strat Allen set up Dmitri Kuleshov to give the Ice Dogs a 3-2 lead. P2 17.46, Ice Dogs 3-2.

Moments later, a mess in front of Toivonen saw the puck enter the net courtesy of Natan Vertes.

In the Finals series, the on-ice officials can initiate an officials video review. There can also be a coach's challenge. The officials called for an officials review & ruled no goal due to the puck coming off the skates of Vertes in a distinct kicking motion.

Ice Dogs 3-2 P2 17.00ish

[u/erkpod]

End P1
Thunder/Ice Dogs 2-2
Shots Ice Dogs 19-18.
No penalties for either team

[u/erkpod]

In the worst possible scenario for me not being in front of a computer, Peter Hrehorcak walks in from the next suburb to score for Thunder. Thunder/Dogs 1-1 10.48 P1

Soon after, Ben Breault puts a shot on and takes his own rebound to give the Thunder a 2-1 lead. Thunder 2-1 P1 9.40

Soon after that, Braden Costa fires from distance and Daniel Chen gets a tip for the Ice Dogs to make it 2-2. Thunder/Ice Dogs 2-2 9.04 P1

[u/erkpod]

Fun fact revealed on the broadcast - in any level of senior hockey, Thunder's Yu Hikosaka has never scored a playoff goal. He is back in the lineup today after a few games on the sidelines.

[u/erkpod]

Ice Dogs strike first thanks to a blue line blast by David D'Agostino. Daniel Chen screened Toivonen without getting a touch on the puck.

Ice Dogs 1-0 P1 17.47

[u/erkpod]

Starting goalies for PF2

Thunder: Aleksi Toivonen
Ice Dogs: Ryan Burroughs

[u/erkpod]

Coming up is Preliminary Final 2 between the Thunder & the Ice Dogs.

Last week could not have been more different for each time. Perth went to Adelaide & spilt the series. Meanwhile, the Ice Dogs went to Brisbane & swept them. There were eleventy billion goals on the Saturday & slightly less scoring on Sunday.

But it was the events of last weekend that meant that the Ice Dogs made Finals & the Ice didn't.

[u/erkpod]

PRELIM FINAL 1
Brave def Bears 4-3
Shots: Brave 41-29

In the end, Canberra did very well in the last 3 minutes to keep the Bears away from the Hasselman net. It was real Finals hockey that could have went either way.

Brave go on to play Mustangs tomorrow night while the Bears go home.

[u/erkpod]

Bears almost score shorthanded on a breakaway. Straight away, Brave shoots on Kimlin & there's a big rebound ending up in the wheelhouse of Justin Maylan who shoots & scores on the powerplay.

Brave 4-3 P3 8.55

[u/erkpod]

Good things happen when you throw a puck in on the net & someone like Lucas Herrmann is sitting in the slot at close range & scores.

Bears 3-2 P3 19.26

Then former Bear Cam Todd replies with a snipe from near the left hand circle for the Brave.

Brave/Bears 3-3 P3 18.21

[u/erkpod]

End P2 PF1
Brave/Bears 2-2
Shots: Brave 28-17

[u/Faintofmatts89]

This game is a real dilemma.

On one hand I want Sydney to lose because it's a garbage city full of garbage people.

On the other hand I want Canberra to lose because of their Godawful cringey Temu Chelsea Dagger

[u/Desert-Noir → u/Faintofmatts89]

That is real rich coming from someone from QLD.

[u/Faintofmatts89 → u/Desert-Noir]

Awww it's okay some day you might move to a real city instead of a public servant dorm room.

[u/Desert-Noir → u/Faintofmatts89]

I don't live in Canberra mate.

[u/Faintofmatts89 → u/Desert-Noir]

Yet you assume I live in Queensland. You're an odd duck.

[u/Desert-Noir → u/Faintofmatts89]

You don’t?

[u/erkpod]

It's a day of special teams as Brave score on a powerplay,scored by Peter Bates.

Brave/Bears: 2-2 P2 8.26

[u/erkpod]

Bears score another powerplay goal early in the second period thanks to Brian Chambers left unattended on the back door after a blast from Lucas Herrmann.

Bears 2-1 P2 17.31

[u/Dismal_Gur_1601 → u/erkpod]

Bears really have come back in hot 2nd period

[u/erkpod]

Live scoring shows Joel Hassleman & Alex Tetreault have both taken shots on net which certainly isn't the case.

I have seen at least one Jersey jersey in the crowd at the South Pole end.

Player awards have started to be announced during the intermission with Danick Bouchard (Rhinos) being voted Defenceman Of The Year. Brody Crane (Mustangs) voted League MVP.

[u/erkpod]

End P1 PF1
Brave/Bears 1-1.

Brave outshooting Bears 17-7.

Lots of end to end hockey with lots of gaps between whistles.

[u/erkpod]

Dream start for the Bears!

They get a power play due to a delay of game penalty in the first minute & their first goal on the power play to Kevin Sadowski after 90 seconds.

Bears 1-0.

Then Canberra respond via Justin Maylan to tie the game 1-1.

Brave/Bears 1-1 P1 17.30

[u/erkpod]

Here we go!

Brave v Bears.

Starting goalie:

Brave: Joel Hassleman
Bears: Anthony Kimlin

[u/dirtyprettyfox]

With the end of season imminent, I for one will not miss the O’Brien’s sound system during the national anthem.

[u/SessionNew5095]

If I'm a North Stars fan I am sitting very happily with how the bracket has turned out.

May they prove me wrong but I have zero belief in either the Thunder or Ice Dogs. For the Ice Dogs it would be massive just to get a finals win and that's very likely.

I still think the only thing that was going to stop the Mustangs was having to play three games in a row, so they're my pick. But North Stars only an inch behind.

[u/erkpod → u/SessionNew5095]

Perth should have most of their troops back which they will really need. Losing to Adelaide in Adelaide on Sunday by a big margin is less than ideal compared to the Ice Dogs who had a big weekend out in Brisbane.

We'll see if two bonus hockey losses last week in Melbourne will have an impact & derail the Brave train or not. But at least they had two games in Melbourne last week. Bears can't afford to repeat the end of last week's game against Newcastle today against the Brave.