The Northumberland Stars are Russell Cup champions for the first time in franchise history.

After finishing at the top of the league standings and proving themselves all season long, the Stars completed their championship run by defeating the Wasaga River Dragons four games to one in the 2026 GMHL Russell Cup Final. It was Northumberland’s first ever trip to the finals in the franchise’s 10-year history, and they made it count.

The River Dragons pushed hard, especially early in the series, and their second-year franchise should be incredibly proud of how close they came to a title. Wasaga won the North Division, reached the Russell Cup Final in just year two, and showed throughout the playoffs that they belong among the league’s elite. But in the end, Northumberland’s star power, special teams, and clutch finishing proved too much.

For Wasaga GM Brandon Billie, the heartbreak likely cuts even deeper. Three years ago, he guided the Bradford Bulls to the finals only to lose 4-1 in that championship series as well. The elusive GMHL championship still escapes him after a decade-long league journey spanning one season as a player and nine more in coaching and management.

On the other side, Stars GM and Head Coach Alex McConnell finally sees his championship pursuit fulfilled. His path began as a player in the GMHL in 2010, where he spent three seasons in the league. After stepping away from 2015 to 2022, he returned hungry to finish what he started, and now he has led Northumberland to the top of the mountain.

Game 1 - Northumberland 7, Wasaga 6

Game 1 was instant chaos and instant drama.

Period 1

Wasaga came out flying, getting goals from Olle Svensson and Luis Kolinke, but Northumberland answered each time through Dario Alimonti, including a power-play marker. The opening frame ended tied 2-2.

Period 2

The River Dragons surged ahead with three quick goals from Elliot Stahmann, Lucas Decaluwe, and Maximilian Olsson to take a commanding 5-2 lead. Northumberland refused to break. Zennon Edwards got one back, then Ryan Boon struck on the power play late in the period to cut the deficit to 5-4.

Period 3

Graham Rooney restored Wasaga’s lead at 12:35, but the Stars answered again. William Shmyr scored at 15:09, and Nolan Connolly tied it at 17:59 to complete the comeback.

Overtime

After a wild extra frame, the game was decided in a shootout, where Brayden Bowen scored the winner at 19:59 to give Northumberland the 1-0 series lead.

Three Stars

1st Star: Dario Alimonti - 2G, 1A
2nd Star: Brayden Bowen - 1G, 2A
3rd Star: Graham Rooney - 1G, 3A

Game 1 felt like a gut punch for Wasaga. They had the Stars on the ropes and could not finish them off.

Game 2 - Northumberland 3, Wasaga 1

The Stars followed up their wild opener with a much more controlled performance.

Period 1

Tristan Miron opened the scoring at 8:53 off a feed from Bowen and Ryan Boon.

Period 2

Miron struck again midway through the period to make it 2-0 before Anton Svensson got Wasaga on the board late on the power play.

Period 3

Dawson Hettiarachchi scored early in the third to restore the two-goal lead, and Ivan Kremnev handled the rest.

Three Stars

1st Star: Ivan Kremnev - 35 SV, .972 SV%
2nd Star: Tristan Miron - 2G
3rd Star: Brody Pritchard - 38 SV, .927 SV%

Northumberland now had a 2-0 series lead and full control heading to Wasaga.

Game 3 - Wasaga 6, Northumberland 4

The River Dragons showed real life back on home ice and reminded everyone they were not done.

Period 1

Northumberland jumped ahead 2-0 on goals from Zennon Edwards and Dawson Hettiarachchi, but Wasaga stormed back. Victor Freedeke scored, Elliot Stahmann tied it, and Hugo Olsson gave the River Dragons the lead on the power play. Matt Mazzotta scored late to send the game into intermission tied 3-3.

Period 2

Stahmann scored again on the power play, but Brayden Bowen answered for the Stars to keep it within one.

Period 3

Freedeke took over. He scored twice in the third to complete a hat trick, and Wasaga held on for the 6-4 win behind another strong performance from Brody Pritchard.

Three Stars

1st Star: Victor Freedeke - 3G, 2A
2nd Star: Elliot Stahmann - 2G, 2A
3rd Star: Brody Pritchard - 43 SV, .915 SV%

At 2-1, the series had life again.

Game 4 - Northumberland 6, Wasaga 1

Game 4 was the swing that all but ended the series.

Period 1

Neither team scored, but the temperature of the series kept rising physically.

Period 2

Dawson Hettiarachchi opened the scoring short-handed, and after Graham Rooney answered on the power play for Wasaga, Tristan Miron restored the Northumberland lead late in the frame.

Period 3

The Stars completely took over. Brendan Collins scored twice, Ryan Boon added another, and Zennon Edwards capped it off as Northumberland blew the game open.

Three Stars

1st Star: Zennon Edwards - 1G, 2A
2nd Star: Ivan Kremnev - 25 SV, .962 SV%
3rd Star: Brendan Collins - 2G

Instead of Wasaga evening the series on home ice, Northumberland moved within one win of the championship.

Game 5 - Northumberland 5, Wasaga 3

With the Russell Cup in the building, the Stars finished the job.

Period 1

Northumberland wasted no time. Dawson Hettiarachchi scored on the power play, Tristan Miron added another, and Hettiarachchi struck again to make it 3-0 before Anton Svensson got Wasaga on the board late.

Period 2

Miron scored his second of the night at 10:25, but Hugo Olsson answered late to keep the River Dragons hanging around.

Period 3

Hettiarachchi completed the hat trick early in the third to make it 5-2. Graham Rooney scored late for Wasaga, but the comeback never materialized.

Three Stars

1st Star: Dawson Hettiarachchi - 3G, 2A
2nd Star: Ivan Kremnev - 33 SV, .917 SV%
3rd Star: Tristan Miron - 2G

When the moment came to close, Northumberland’s stars delivered.

Goaltending Battle

Brody Pritchard had stretches where he looked brilliant and kept Wasaga alive, especially in Games 1 through 3. He faced relentless pressure throughout the series and still produced several strong outings, including 43 saves in the Game 3 win.

But this final ultimately belonged to Ivan Kremnev.

After a rough opener statistically, Kremnev settled in and was the more composed and consistent goaltender the rest of the way. His 35-save effort in Game 2, his calm control in Game 4, and his 33-save championship clincher in Game 5 gave Northumberland the stability it needed to finish the series.

Key Performances

Northumberland had stars everywhere.

Dawson Hettiarachchi was electric in the clincher with a five-point night and was dangerous all series long.

Tristan Miron scored twice in Game 2, twice again in Game 5, and kept finding big moments.

Dario Alimonti set the tone in Game 1 and remained a major factor offensively.

Brayden Bowen was huge in the opener and continued to create offense throughout the series.

Zennon Edwards, Ryan Boon, Brendan Collins, and Matt Mazzotta all made major contributions at key times.

For Wasaga, Victor Freedeke’s monster Game 3 kept the series alive, Elliot Stahmann was productive throughout, and Graham Rooney was dangerous in multiple games. Hugo Olsson, Anton Svensson, and Brody Pritchard all had their moments as well, but the River Dragons could not match Northumberland’s waves of offense over five games.

Series MVP

Dawson Hettiarachchi - Northumberland

There were several worthy candidates, but Hettiarachchi’s impact on the championship clincher puts him over the top. His hat trick and five-point performance in Game 5 was the defining individual effort of the series, and he consistently came through on both special teams and at even strength. When the Stars needed their best, he gave it to them.

Cup Presentation

Following the final horn, GMHL President Bob Russell and GMHL Commissioner Ken Girard presented the Russell Cup to the champion Northumberland Stars, beginning with captain Zennon Edwards, who had the honor of receiving the trophy first before celebrating with his teammates.

Implications

For Northumberland, this is the crowning achievement of the best season in franchise history. They were the top team in the league, they survived every challenge put in front of them, and now they have delivered the first Russell Cup championship in franchise history.

For Wasaga, the ending is heartbreaking, but it should not overshadow what this second-year franchise accomplished. The River Dragons won the North Division, reached the Russell Cup Final in just year two, and pushed themselves to the edge of history. That is a remarkable foundation for what still looks like one of the brightest futures in the league.

It will sting, especially for Brandon Billie, who has now come painfully close to a title multiple times. But Wasaga has built something very real.

And for Alex McConnell, the long wait is over. From his days as a player beginning in 2010, through years away from the league, to returning with the goal of one day lifting the cup, his journey now ends with a championship.

What’s Next?

The 2025-26 GMHL season closes with Northumberland at the top of the league and the Russell Cup finally in Stars hands.

A championship season.
A historic breakthrough.
And a new team now standing where Bradford stood for years.