Brynäs IF's women's team has won its first ice hockey SM gold after a 6–2 home win over Frölunda in the third final game, securing a 3–0 series victory. The win came at Monitor ERP Arena in Gävle before 6,851 spectators. Points leader Viivi Vainikka praised her teammates afterward.
Brynäs women's ice hockey team ended a long wait for SM gold by defeating Frölunda 6–2 in the decisive third final game on March 27, 2026. This secured a 3–0 series win in the best-of-five SM final series. The match was played in a nearly full Monitor ERP Arena in Gävle before 6,851 spectators.
Despite a shaky start, where Frölunda took a 1–0 lead after 11 minutes through national team player Felizia Wikner-Zienkiewicz, Brynäs turned the game around. Points leader Viivi Vainikka, who left Luleå for Brynäs this season, equalized 1–1 immediately with her sixth playoff goal. Shortly before the first intermission, 19-year-old talent Tilde Sundnäs Grillfors made it 2–1.
Frölunda tied it at 2–2 in the middle of the second period, but Vainikka responded right away with 3–2. Brynäs dominated the third period and won 6–2, sparking wild celebrations on the ice and in the stands.
"I am just so proud," Vainikka said in SDHL's Youtube broadcast. "We knew we could go all the way. We have so much fun together. We love each other on this team."
Forward Hanna Thuvik added: "It feels so damn good. We deserve this so much. We've fought like hell all season."
This was Brynäs' first SM gold on the women's side after seven silvers, the most recent between 2021 and 2023 against Luleå. The club has a long tradition in women's hockey since the 1980s, with sporting director Erika Grahm as a key figure since 2018. The last three years have seen three different champions: Luleå 2024, Frölunda 2025, and now Brynäs 2026.
