League Champions

Congrats to TDS Transportation for winning the 2025 Elite League championship with a 5-2 victory over The Base on Sunday, October 26th.

The team was led by coaches Ben Kinne (Bemidji)  and Jay Ekman (Forest Lake). You can view the entire roster of the winning squad below. 

TDS was the No. 4-seeded team prior to the start of the playoffs. The defeated No. 5-seed Spade, 4-1, on Friday prior to upsetting the No. 1-seed APX on Saturday, 7-3. 

In the championship match, Mick Martalock (Hermantown) lit the lamp for TDS about halfway through the first period. Blake Dosan (Bloomington) of The Base tied things up at 1-1 to end the first frame. TDS regained its lead with a goal from Alexander Nicklin (Hermantown) in the second period while Whitaker Rewertz (Hibbing-Chisholm) scored the eventual game-winning goal in the third. Dosan tallied his second of the game to help keep The Base in the match but Ethan Sundvall (Hibbing-Chisholm) further increased the TDS lead in the third which was then followed by an empty-net goal by Chase Nadeau (Andover) to secure the victory. 

Both goaltenders on the ice in the game played extremely well. The Base’s Joseph Klose (New Prague) made 50 saves in the loss while TDS Transportation netminder Bryce Francisco (Hermantown) made a game-winning 44 saves. 

The Elite League playoff champion receives The Founder’s Cup in recognition of John Russo, who was instrumental in getting the league up and running in 2002. Russo passed away in 2023. 

PAST CHAMPIONS