Kai Miettinen has been with the Canberra Brave for his entire 16-year career, but he's never experienced anything like this.
On Sunday afternoon in front of another sellout crowd at the AIS Arena, Brave fans erupted as the final horn sounded, and a 5-3 win over the Sydney Ice Dogs was sealed.
Miettinen has celebrated many wins in Brave colours, but in this new era for the club, with the ice hockey team winning over thousands of new supporters since their move to a bigger venue last season, the victories hit different now.
"To hear all the noise and the crowd go crazy when we get the win is pretty cool, and that's something we definitely thrive on," he told The Canberra Times after the game.
"It's a crazy thing that we've had the luxury of getting used to sellout games here at the AIS Arena.
"It's just unbelievable to see the community and fans get behind us week in, week out.
"I've played for quite some time now, and we've always had a pretty loyal fan base, and just to see that grow so dramatically has been so cool.
"For me it's really special, because I've seen when it was quite the opposite of what it is today... and I just want to enjoy every moment that we're out here in front of these awesome fans."
Canberra had a 2-1 lead after the first period with goals to Peter Bates and Cam Marks, but in the second term the Ice Dogs fought back to take a 3-2 lead.
The Brave turned the screws in the final period as Casey Kubara, Mitch Henning and Bates securing their sixth-straight victory.
The result will help the Brave continue to climb the Australian Ice Hockey League ladder as finals near, while the team currently sit in fourth position.
The higher the ladder position, the better the finals scenario, and top two is the goal for the Brave.
"Everyone has got finals in mind and the ultimate prize of winning a championship, but it is really important to take it a step at a time," Miettinen said.
"We've got two games next weekend and they're very winnable games including one at home, but we need to show up ready to play.
"We're just a really tight-knit group, and we know what we're capable of."
