Brynas vs Timrå

The first period was a cagey pre-season affair between two SHL sides feeling each other out. Timrå gradually took control and opened the scoring at 13:54 when Linus Eriksson redirected a David Lilja feed past Magnus Chrona in the Brynäs net for 1–0.

Brynäs came out flying in the second period. They equalised at 3:03 on the power play when Jakob Silfverberg buried the rebound after Julien Gauthier's shot from the right circle — 1–1. Brynäs dominated the middle frame, outshooting Timrå 21–7, but could not build on the equaliser.

Instead, Timrå struck back at 9:15. A turnover in the neutral zone sent Magnus Pääjärvi on a counter-attack, and Reid Gardiner tapped in his first goal in a Timrå jersey after a defensive mix-up involving Chrona — 2–1 to Timrå at the second intermission.

Brynäs pushed for an equaliser in the third period. Jacob Johansson made a crucial save on a point-blank chance from the slot to preserve the lead. With 40 seconds left, Brynäs pulled Chrona for an extra attacker, but Marcus Hardegård fired into the empty net at 19:33 to make it 3–1.

Reid Gardiner's goal at 9:15 of the second period proved decisive. Brynäs had just scored, were carrying momentum and outshooting Timrå heavily. A mix-up between debuting goaltender Magnus Chrona and forward Jonsson Fjällby on a clearing attempt gifted Gardiner a routine finish, sapping Brynäs' momentum and restoring Timrå's lead against the run of play.

• Reid Gardiner (Timrå) — scored his first goal for the club, a simple finish that proved to be the game-winner. Found space on the counter when Timrå needed it most.
• Jacob Johansson (Timrå) — the Timrå goaltender was solid when it mattered, making a critical third-period save from close range that kept his side ahead.
• Jakob Silfverberg (Brynäs) — scored the equaliser on the power play and was Brynäs' most dangerous forward throughout.
• Marcus Hardegård (Timrå) — iced the game with an empty-net strike, his second goal of the SCA Cupen weekend after scoring against Sundsvall in the semi-final.

Player of the match: Reid Gardiner (Timrå)

Timrå won despite being outshot 33–27 and heavily outplayed in the second period (Brynäs led shots 21–7). Brynäs generated sustained zone time and quality chances, particularly on the power play, but converted only once from six opportunities with the man advantage. Timrå were efficient: two goals from 11 first-period shots, and they never trailed. The shot disparity in the middle frame (21–7 in favour of Brynäs) highlights the game's unusual rhythm — one-sided territorial play that yielded no goals for the dominant side.

Timrå claimed the SCA Cupen — a pre-season competition involving SHL sides Brynäs, Timrå and HockeyAllsvenskan's Sundsvall Hockey. The 50,000 SEK prize was donated to Lekterapin i Sundsvall, a local children's therapy fund. Both sides continue their pre-season preparations ahead of the 2026–27 SHL campaign.

A classic pre-season final: competitive, occasionally disjointed, and decided by two moments of quality — Gardiner's opportunistic finish and Johansson's composure in goal. Brynäs will rue their second-period inefficiency; Timrå will take confidence from a structured defensive performance and clinical finishing.

Stats via official match data. Attendance: circa 1,500 (Brandcode Center, Sundsvall).