Power Open 2026-27 Season in Rochester With Championship Expectations
After months of preparation, the wait is finally over. The West Bend Power are set to open the 2026-27 NA3HL season on Saturday, September 12, traveling to Rochester, Minnesota to take on the Grizzlies at the Rochester Recreation Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
For the Power, however, this isn’t simply the first game of a new season. It is the beginning of a championship pursuit – and the first step comes against a familiar opponent.
Last season, West Bend put together the most successful regular season in franchise history, finishing with an impressive 41-3-3 record. Despite that regular season success, the Power’s season ultimately ended in the playoffs at the hands of the Rochester Grizzlies, leaving West Bend short of its ultimate goal.
Coach Jeremy Ebert knows that regular season success only carries a team so far. “Last season, our group put together one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history; and by any statistical measure, one of the best in the history of the NA3HL. That said, our evaluation isn’t based on regular-season success alone. Our expectation, every year, is to compete for a championship, and we fell short of that standard.”
That disappointment has helped shape the mindset heading into this season. The Power aren’t simply looking to repeat what they accomplished during the regular season a year ago. The goal is to take the next step when it matters most and ultimately compete for the Fraser Cup.
The challenge begins immediately.
Rochester proved to be a difficult opponent throughout last year’s postseason, eventually ending West Bend’s playoff run before continuing its own journey toward the Fraser Cup. Now, just months later, the two teams will meet again — this time to open a brand-new season.
While the opponent is familiar, much of the West Bend roster is not.
The Power experienced significant turnover during the offseason, with 16 core contributors from last year’s team moving on. “Our scouting and coaching staff had to be aggressive and intentional in the market,” Ebert said. “Our group logged a lot of miles this summer, working the showcase circuit and building relationships with players and their families,”
The result is a roster that combines youth and potential with experience at the junior hockey level.
“With that said, we feel great about where we’ve landed; a blend of high-upside young talent that we can develop within our program, complemented by proven junior hockey players,” Ebert said. “We like the mix we’ve built, and we’re excited to get this group on the ice.”
Saturday will be the first opportunity for that new group to take the ice in a game that counts.
For a team with championship aspirations, there will be plenty to learn in the opening weeks of the season. New players will be adjusting to new teammates, returning players will take on expanded roles, and the coaching staff will begin building the identity of this year’s Power team.
But there is no better way to begin that process than against the team that ended last season.
The Rochester Grizzlies will provide the first test of the 2026-27 campaign on their home ice. For West Bend, the game offers an early measuring stick and an opportunity to begin putting last year’s disappointment behind them.
The Power know there is a long road ahead. A championship isn’t won in September, and Saturday’s game won’t define the season. But every season has to start somewhere.
For West Bend, that starting point is Rochester.
The memories of last year’s playoff exit remain, but so do the expectations.
Watch the season opener and all games on NATV.