The Queenstown-based team have dominated the New Zealand Ice Hockey League for the past decade.
They won back-to-back-to-back titles between 2015 and 2017.
The West Auckland Admirals claimed the crown in 2018, but the Stampede were back on top the following season.
Covid wiped out the 2020 and 2021 season. Since then, they have won another three titles.
They host the Dunedin Thunder in playoff games tonight and tomorrow, and they will start as favourites.
But this year’s league has been closer than ever.
Just four points separate the top four teams, and the Thunder and Stampede split their series 1-1 in Queenstown earlier this month.
That fact is not lost on Stampede coach Cam Frear.
"This is the tightest the competition’s ever been," he said.
"Four teams out of the five had the potential to come first or second with one game to go.
"It’s exciting for fans. It’s not great for the heart when you’re a coach."
The Thunder beat the Stampede 7-5 in Queenstown on July 18, but lost 6-3 the following night.
Frear said his side had learned a lot from that encounter.
"That first game was one of those games where you let it slip through your fingers.
"We had the lead going into the last period.
"But the Phoenix Thunder’s a dangerous team. If you give them an opportunity to be in the offensive zone, they’ll capitalise.
"With goal-scorers like Chris Eaden, Cole Beckstead and Ian Audas, they are offensively a very dangerous team if you’re not focused in on them."
Collectively, that trio have slotted 37 goals for the Thunder.
Beckstead has also registered 29 assists — the most this season — and is the competition’s leading scorer with 41 points.
His nearest rival is Stampede star Colin McIntosh. He is sitting on 40 points.
Fans may be denied seeing the pair go head-to-head as McIntosh recently returned to Canada for personal reasons, and it is unclear whether he will be back in time to participate in the semifinals.
The Stampede will lean more heavily on Nolan Ross if McIntosh does not make it back.
He is the competition’s leading goal-scorer, with 20.
The Stampede have significantly more playoff experience and the home ice advantage.
"The ice surface in Queenstown’s a lot smaller, which kind of suits more of our physical style where, you know, there’s not a lot of room to move.
"So you’ve got to make decisions quite quickly.
"We also have probably the loudest fans in the country. So having them there and being that sixth and seventh man is huge for us."
The West Auckland Admirals and the Botany Swarm will meet in the other semifinal series.
