The Henry Brabham Cup is the trophy awarded annually by the ECHL to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. The Brabham Cup has been awarded 34 times to 16 different franchises since its debut in 1989.
History Unlike the playoff championship, which was originally awarded with the Riley Cup and now the Kelly Cup, the trophy was introduced during the league's inaugural season in 1988 by the league's board of governors and was named after in recognition of Henry Brabham, who co-founded the ECHL in 1988–89 with five teams in four states. Brabham, who was the first inductee into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2008, owned three of the original five teams. The Virginia businessman was crucial to the league surviving its earliest seasons.
Only five Brabham Cup winners have gone on to win the ECHL Kelly Cup playoff championship, with the Alaska Aces doing so three times, despite the guaranteed home-ice advantage in all rounds of the playoffs.
Nine franchises — the Alaska Aces, Cincinnati Cyclones, Florida Everblades, Idaho Steelheads, Kansas City Mavericks franchise (including the Missouri Mavericks), Knoxville Cherokees franchise (including the Pee Dee Pride), Louisiana IceGators, Toledo Storm franchise (including Toledo Walleye), and the Thunderbirds/Nailers franchise (the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds and the Wheeling Thunderbirds/Nailers) have won the Brabham Cup on multiple occasions, with the Aces and Storm/Walleye winning five times, the Everblades winning four, the former Cherokees/Pride, Thunderbirds/Nailers and Mavericks franchises having won three each, while the others have two.
Winners
Defunct franchises are listed in italics. YearWinnerPointsPlayoff resultCup #1988–89Erie Panthers77Lost Semifinals (CAR)11989–90Winston-Salem Thunderbirds82Lost Riley Cup Finals (GRE)11990–91Knoxville Cherokees97Lost Division Semifinals (LOU)11991–92Toledo Storm95Lost Division 1st Round (LOU)11992–93Wheeling Thunderbirds88Lost Riley Cup Finals (TOL)21993–94Knoxville Cherokees94Lost 1st Round (LOU)21994–95Wheeling Thunderbirds97Lost 1st Round (BIR)31995–96Richmond Renegades105Lost Riley Cup Quarterfinals (JAX)11996–97South Carolina Stingrays100Won Kelly Cup11997–98Louisiana IceGators96Lost Kelly Cup Semifinals (PEN)11998–99Pee Dee Pride106Lost Conference Finals (MIS)11999–2000Florida Everblades108Lost Conference Quarterfinals (AUG)12000–01Trenton Titans104Lost Kelly Cup Finals (SC)12001–02Louisiana IceGators116Lost Division Semifinals (JAC)22002–03Toledo Storm104Lost Division Finals (CIN)22003–04San Diego Gulls108Lost Division Semifinals (AK)1 2004–05 Pensacola Ice Pilots 107 Lost Conference Quarterfinals (GVL) 12005–06Alaska Aces113Won Kelly Cup12006–07Las Vegas Wranglers106Lost Conference Semifinals (IDH)1 2007–08 Cincinnati Cyclones 115Won Kelly Cup 12008–09Florida Everblades.730Lost Division Finals (SC)22009–10Idaho Steelheads103Lost Kelly Cup Finals (CIN)12010–11Alaska Aces97Won Kelly Cup22011–12Alaska Aces97Lost Conference Finals (LV)32012–13Alaska Aces106Lost Conference Semifinals (STK)42013–14Alaska Aces97Won Kelly Cup52014–15Toledo Walleye107Lost Conference Finals (SC)32015–16Missouri Mavericks109Lost Conference Semifinals (ALN)12016–17Toledo Walleye106Lost Conference Finals (COL)42017–18Florida Everblades112Lost Kelly Cup Finals (COL)32018–19Cincinnati Cyclones110Lost Division Finals (TOL)22019–20Not awarded2020–21Florida Everblades.667Lost Conference Semifinals (SC)42021–22Toledo Walleye.708Lost Kelly Cup Finals (FLA)52022–23Idaho Steelheads119Lost Kelly Cup Finals (FLA)22023–24Kansas City Mavericks114Lost Kelly Cup Finals (FLA)22024–25South Carolina Stingrays109Lost Division Semifinals (ORL)22025–26Kansas City Mavericks115Lost Kelly Cup Finals (FLA)3
Notes 1. Results based on points percentage, not total points, as teams ceased operations mid-season and not all teams played 72 games. 2. The South Carolina Stingrays and the Florida Everblades were both tied at 92 points after 62 games were played when the ECHL announced that the remainder of its 2019–20 season would not be played due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 3. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, teams played an imbalanced schedule and the regular season championship was awarded based on points percentage.
See also Kelly Cup ECHL
References