And by most unlikely, we mean they qualified fourth for the playoffs, and negotiated their way to the premier men’s title with three consecutive shootout wins.
Saturday’s final was no exception.
They trailed the competition front-runners the Taieri Tuataras 3-1.
But in a magic final quarter, the underdogs scored two late goals to force a shootout.
Striker Tom Lindberg slotted the ball in from a goal mouth scramble following a penalty corner. Then Jakob Bell-Kake secured the equaliser with a drag flick from a penalty corner.
The shootout was tense. Both sides scored four out of their first five attempts, so it went to sudden death.
Taieri missed but Bell-Kake did not.
Whales goalie Hugh Nixon had a tremendous game and Bell-Kake was the hero on the moment with the final goal.
But the Whales really pressed their luck during the playoffs. Incredibly they beat Albany in a shootout in the first round of the playoffs to make the preliminary final.
That preliminary final against Kings United was also decided in a shootout.
Player-coach Josh Wypych chuckled at suggestions the Whales were the real kings when it came to shootouts.
"We didn’t really play that well throughout most of the season," he said.
"But we kept winning in the shootouts."
They must have been practising shootouts all year, right?
"Ha. Not a whole lot. But our keeper played a blinder in these last few shootouts. He won us those shootouts."
Black Stick Benji Culhane was instrumental in the final.
He controlled the game nicely from the middle of the pitch, while Bell-Kake made the most of his opportunities and, of course, scored the winner. But all hail Nixon — the king of the shootouts.
