ROCHESTER, Minn. – After dominant sweeps through the Central Division Semi-Finals, the Rochester Grizzlies and West Bend Power now collide in the Central Division Finals with a trip to the Fraser Cup on the line.
It’s a rematch of last year’s Division Final—won by West Bend in three games, and once again, these two teams have been the class of the division all season long. In West Bend’s case, they’ve arguably been the best team in the entire NA3HL.
With just three regulation losses all year, the Power enter the series chasing a third straight Fraser Cup appearance, and redemption after falling to Louisiana in last season’s championship game.
West Bend’s high-powered offense is driven by Jace Fitzgerald and Danny Jurcich, who combined for 120 points during the regular season. That firepower translated directly into success against Rochester, as the Power posted a 7-1 record in the season series, including a perfect mark on the road.
Ironically, that lone loss came on home ice, West Bend’s only home defeat of the season, when the Grizzlies earned a statement win in the regular-season finale on Valentine’s Day.
While the Power have been dominant from start to finish, the Grizzlies enter this series as one of the hottest teams in the league since Hockey Day Minnesota.
Rochester has won 12 of its last 14 games, including four straight heading into the Division Final, and the offense has been nothing short of explosive, averaging 5.6 goals per game over that stretch.
A major factor in that surge has been the power play, which has scored in 12 consecutive games when given the opportunity. Operating at 42.9% through the opening round of the postseason, the Grizzlies rank among the top power-play units still alive.
That success has been fueled by contributors like Mason Decker and Brett Ludvigsen, who have combined for 11 points in the postseason so far.
Decker, in particular, continues to rewrite the record books. With four goals in the opening round, he set a new franchise single-season mark for combined regular season and playoff production, totaling 43 goals and 74 points—surpassing Vladislav Sorokin’s previous records of 41 goals and 69 points from the 2018–19 campaign.
Despite Rochester’s recent power-play success, special teams could ultimately decide this series. During the regular season, both teams struggled with the man advantage against each other, combining for just 14 goals on 64 opportunities—a 21.8% conversion rate.
In net, the matchup is just as compelling.
West Bend turns to Sam Ahl, who has been nothing short of perfect this season. The Power netminder enters the series at 18-0-0 and is coming off back-to-back shutouts against St. Louis.
Rochester counters with Nick Kurtiak, who appears to be rediscovering his top form. After stopping 43 of 47 shots in the opening round against Wausau, Kurtiak is starting to resemble the goaltender who posted a .913 save percentage during the 2023–24 postseason.
Everything is in place for one of the most anticipated matchups of the season.
A rivalry renewed. A trip to the Fraser Cup at stake.
And if the regular season was any indication, this Central Division Final is going to be an absolute dogfight