Newcastle vs CBR Brave

The five-on-three penalty kill to start the third period was the match's decisive passage. Newcastle's two most dangerous forwards were in the box, and Canberra had their best chance to level. Trnka made three saves during the two-man disadvantage, and the Brave never generated the same danger again.

"We went to five on three, and we had a feeling if we could get through that one, it would give us a big wave," Northstars coach Kevin Noble told the Newcastle Herald.

Matus Trnka (Newcastle) — Match-winning performance. The Slovak goaltender faced 50 shots and stopped 49 for a .980 save percentage in a grand final. He nearly doubled the work of his Brave counterpart.

Francis Drolet (Newcastle) — Named man of the match for the final. He also earned the AIHL's Most Valuable Player award for the entire 2026 Goodall Cup playoffs, recording three goals and four assists across Newcastle's two postseason wins.

Joel Hasselman (CBR Brave) — Made 25 saves on 27 shots and kept the Brave in touch after a difficult first period, but was ultimately outduelled.

Liam Ryan (Newcastle) — Scored the opening goal of the grand final, the first of the two that proved enough.

Player of the match: Francis Drolet (Newcastle)

The 50-27 shot count in favour of CBR Brave and Newcastle's 2-0 first-period lead tell the game's story. Newcastle were ruthless in the opening frame, converting two of their early chances. Canberra then dominated territorially for the final 40 minutes but could not solve Trnka. The Brave's 1.96 shots per goal attempt didn't translate — only Ratcliffe's power-play strike found the net. Penalties shaped the game: Newcastle's undisciplined second period gifted Canberra momentum and their lone goal, but the Northstars killed the critical five-on-three when it mattered most.

Newcastle Northstars win their seventh Goodall Cup, a league record, and their first since back-to-back titles in 2015-16. It ends a decade-long drought and avenges their 3-2 final loss to CBR Brave in 2022.

For the Brave, it is back-to-back grand final heartbreak. They lost to Melbourne Ice in the 2025 decider and now fall again, despite reaching their fifth consecutive championship match. Owner Stephen Campbell told the Canberra Times: "While the finals result was undoubtedly disappointing, it doesn't overshadow the team's impressive performances, commitment and achievements throughout the year… While this year didn't fall our way, we'll be back next year to challenge again for the Goodall Cup."

The Northstars were galvanised by personal tragedy — Japanese import Akihide Watanabe learned his father had died in Japan on the eve of the grand final. "That's honestly the best we've played defensively all year," captain Liam Manwarring told the Newcastle Herald with the Goodall Cup in his arms. "It all goes back to the adversity we've played with this year. Our wonderful teammate Akihide lost his father last night, so there was no way any team was beating us today."

The 2026 AIHL season ran from 17 April to 30 August. The 2027 season is expected to begin in April 2027.

A grand final decided by a goaltending masterclass. Newcastle threw a defensive blanket over a Brave side that had been the league's most dangerous team through the finals weekend. Trnka's 49 saves will be remembered as one of the finest goaltending displays in Goodall Cup history — and the decisive margin in a one-goal game that, on the shot clock, should have been Canberra's.