Rogle Edge Vaxjo to Set Up SHL Finals Rematch With Skelleftea

Rogle survive late Vaxjo push to clinch SHL finals berth

Rogle beat Vaxjo 3-2 to win their SHL semi-final 4-1, setting up a 2024 finals rematch with top seed Skelleftea starting April 23.

Rogle set up a 2024 finals rematch after ending Vaxjo’s hopes. Fifth straight road win puts Rogle in Le Mat trophy finals vs Skelleftea...

Fourth-seeded Rogle will meet top-seeded Skelleftea in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) playoff finals after Rogle’s 3-2 road win at Vaxjo sealed a 4-1 semi-final series victory.

Vaxjo briefly derailed Rogle with a road win in game three, but Rogle regained momentum with a 4-1 game-four triumph that put the Angelholm club one win from the SHL finals.

Rogle got the perfect start when Manuel Agren went to the box for tripping after a minute, and on the ensuing power play a scramble at the crease ended with Anton Bengtsson nudging the puck over the line to put the visitors ahead.

Eight minutes in, Rogle all but booked their finals berth when Lubos Horky and Felix Nilsson combined behind the Vaxjo net before feeding Fredrik Olofsson, who snapped a quick shot into the net.

43:18 @VLHlive - @roglebk Efter videobedömning framgår det att hela pucken passerade mållinjen. Därav, mål. Detta enligt regel 78.4 ”Godkänt mål”: https://t.co/xKEOSgMy2V #SHL #twittpuck pic.twitter.com/Dx7Ozhq8ob

— SHLsituationsrum (@SHLsituationer) April 16, 2026

The Lakers weren’t done, though. Midway through the period - and despite Agren heading back to the box, this time for slashing - the hosts won possession and Keegan Lowe set up Eemeli Suomi to score shorthanded.

It stayed 2-1 until late in the second, when Vaxjo pulled even after Paul LaDue was called for holding. On the power play, the puck moved across to Brogan Rafferty on the left, and his hard wrist shot was tipped in by Dennis Rasmussen.

But all the home side’s work to pull level came undone just over three minutes into the final period. Olofsson drove through the middle and fired a shot that Ludvig Persson saved.

Rögle klara för final! pic.twitter.com/H8JxIBRToG

— SHL.se (@SHLse) April 16, 2026

Olofsson reached the loose puck first, and his rebound from the tightest of angles squeezed past the goaltender - confirmed by video review - crossing the line just before Brian Cooper hooked it away.

After being stung by one video review, another in the final two minutes sealed Vaxjo’s fate. Lukas Elvenes buried a would-be equalizer, only to see it waved off for goaltender interference by Suomi.

That meant Rogle held on for the 3-2 win - their fifth straight road victory in the postseason - clinching the series 4-1 and setting up a 2024 Le Mat Trophy finals rematch against Skelleftea, which begins April 23.