The Melbourne Ice have completed their redemption tour in style, claiming the Goodall Cup for the first time since 2017 after defeating the Canberra Brave 7-3 in the 2025 AIHL Grand Final.
The Ice’s championship cements their season as one of the most dominant in league history, losing just twice in regulation all year, as they accomplish the fairytale story that they fell agonisingly short of in 2024.
The Ice gained an early 3-0 advantage but capitulated in an 11-minute patch, with the Brave stunning the minor premiers with three straight of their own to even the ledger. However, the wealth of experience, playoff poise and unquestionable championship pedigree of the Ice proved to be too much as the club demonstrated their unconquerable nature in the final third to secure the cup.
Captain Mackenzie Caruana was named the MVP of the finals series which drew a deafening roar from the raucous crowd in attendance at O’Brien Icehouse. His two goals and assist led the way, but the skipper was truly involved in every pivotal moment in all three zones.
The Ice came out firing, looking to stamp their authority on the contest. Star import David Booth laid the body early, instantly giving this heated rivalry another dose of physicality. His efforts were soon followed by Tyrone Bronte, who led Melbourne as an early aggressor, testing Brave goaltender Alex Tetreault with multiple high danger shots from in and around the slot.
But it was Kolton Shindle who would draw first blood, timing a deflection perfectly from a dangerous entry from Mackenzie Caruana from the blue line. It was an impossible tip to read for Tetreault, the puck hitting the back of the net six minutes into the contest.
Following the score, the game still felt to be on even terms, with plenty of rush opportunities going for both sides as nerves settled and the rink opened up.
However, the Ice would quickly establish a stranglehold on the contest with Joakim Erdugan launching a pinpoint snipe over the shoulder of Tetreault 12 minutes into the period to give Melbourne a 2-0 advantage.
It immediately caused the ice to tilt in Melbourne’s favour as they went on to outshoot the Brave 20-5 in the opening 20 minutes. Canberra had a perfect opportunity to halve the deficit, handed a powerplay thanks to a Bronte tripping penalty, but they struggled to hold possession of the puck for extended periods.
Things took a catastrophic turn when a minute into the powerplay, Melbourne’s Caruana intercepted a loose puck, skated into the offensive zone and unleashed a powerful wrist shot to put the Ice up 3-0.
That could have demoralised the Brave, but it kicked them into gear almost instantly, quickly following the score with a high danger opportunity that hit the post and rolled along the goal line.
That set the tone for the second period where Canberra were all over the Ice, flipping the physical playstyle back on Melbourne. The frustrations began to mount for Melbourne, and when Bronte committed an interference penalty, it gave the Brave a second chance to strike.
It only took 15 seconds on that powerplay for the Brave to punish, with Jake Ratcliffe netting Canberra’s first of the Grand Final off a set-up from Nils Carnback and Jesperi Viikila.
Momentum was truly on Canberra’s side by this point, and their relentless intensity had left the Ice stunned. It created another high danger opportunity merely a minute later, with Kai Miettenen drilling one between the pipes to close the deficit to just one goal, 3-2.
The clubs would trade high-danger opportunities for the ensuing 10 minutes, with Ishida and Tetreault pulling off some clinical saves to keep their respective teams alive.
However, an innovative play from Viikila behind the net managed to get Ishida to blink first, kicking the puck toward the crease where Jacob Carey was able to tuck it away and suddenly, the game was tied.
As has been established all year, however, the Ice don’t need much to get going again. They would deliver a near-immediate response to establish a 4-3 lead at the final change, with Booth and Bronte combining on the odd-man rush to give the Ice the edge, the Brave’s lone defensive slip up of the period costing them majorly.
Caruana, who had a day to remember, put one hand on the cup with a goal 48 seconds into the third period, the Ice re-establishing their two-goal advantage. The game tightened up significantly thereafter, with the stakes of every pass, shot and check increasing by the minute.
It was the most defensively oriented 20-minute patch of the game, with just 23 shots put on net for both teams combined but the Ice’s offensive star power is inevitable. Jamie Bourke would seal the deal with 6:29 remaining off a filthy cross-crease pass from Caruana and, perhaps fittingly, the former NHLer David Booth, who launched the Ice from great to historically elite in 2025, put the icing on the cake with an empty net goal in the final minute.
The result sees Melbourne claim their fifth Goodall Cup in club history, while the Brave fall short after a phenomenal 2025 campaign that saw them claw their way back from a slow start into the playoff picture and ultimately, to a place in a fourth consecutive Grand Final.
While it’s probably too early to start thinking about what the 2026 season could hold, it’s undeniable these two sides will be contending for the championship again.
Ice captain Caruana put it best in his post-game interview, highlighting the immense confidence Melbourne have demonstrated all season long.
“We have such a good group of guys, there’s no one else I’d rather do it with. We wanted to do this all season, and we worked our ass off. It feels unreal,” Caruana said.
“We’re a resilient team; I’ve said it all year. We bang, but we don’t break. When it got tied up 3-3, we knew we still had this.
“We got the next one and we knew it was our game.”
ICE
MUSTANGS
ADRENALINE
RHINOS
BRAVE
NORTHSTARS
LIGHTNING
THUNDER
