The Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the playoff champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup, named after former International Hockey League president Jack Riley. The current cup is named after Patrick J. Kelly, the league's first commissioner. The cup is loaned to the winning team for one year and is returned at the start of the following year's playoffs,ECHL Trophies although the trophy itself has been replaced three times with the first two iterations preserved in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player award is also given out as part of the Kelly Cup Championship ceremonies. Nick Vitucci, Dave Gagnon and Cam Johnson are the only players to win the award on multiple occasions, with Johnson the only player to win the award in consecutive years.
Nineteen different teams have won the ECHL Championship, with nine (Alaska, Allen, Cincinnati, Colorado, Florida, Hampton Roads, Idaho, South Carolina, and Toledo) winning multiple times. The Florida Everblades hold the record for most championships won with five. The Colorado Eagles, who won it in 2018 for their second consecutive title, moved to the American Hockey League in 2018–19. In 2019, the Eagles' ownership did not return the Kelly Cup to the ECHL before the playoffs, leading to the league creating a replacement trophy for the 2019 Kelly Cup playoffs. The Eagles' ownership eventually returned the cup before the 2019–20 season, and the league returned its status to be the primary trophy. The 2019 Kelly Cup was the fourth copy of the trophy, but was allowed to be kept by the Newfoundland Growlers when the previous cup returned to circulation.
On one occasions an ECHL club has won the Kelly Cup coincidentally with its NHL affiliate winning the Stanley Cup: 2024 when the Florida Panthers and their ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades both won. This also occurred with its AHL affiliate winning the Calder Cup in 2009 when the Hershey Bears and their ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays both won.
Playoff format The Kelly Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament, consisting of four rounds of a best-of-seven series. The format has changed often throughout the years. Since 2016–17, the top four point earners from each division qualify. The first two playoff rounds are played within each division, followed by the conference finals (contested between the four division winners), and ending with the Kelly Cup finals (featuring the two conference champions).
List of ECHL champions
SeasonWinning teamScoreLosing teamJune M. Kelly MVP 1989 Carolina Thunderbirds 4–3 Johnstown Chiefs Nick Vitucci 1990 Greensboro Monarchs 4–1 Winston-Salem Thunderbirds Wade Flaherty 1991 Hampton Roads Admirals 4–1 Greensboro Monarchs Dave FlanaganDave Gagnon 1992 Hampton Roads Admirals 4–0 Louisville Icehawks Mark Bernard 1993 Toledo Storm 4–2 Wheeling Thunderbirds Rick Judson 1994 Toledo Storm 4–1 Raleigh IceCaps Dave Gagnon 1995 Richmond Renegades 4–1 Greensboro Monarchs Blaine Moore 1996 Charlotte Checkers 4–0 Jacksonville Lizard Kings Nick Vitucci 1997 South Carolina Stingrays 4–1 Louisiana IceGators Jason Fitzsimmons 1998 Hampton Roads Admirals 4–2 Pensacola Ice Pilots Sebastien Charpentier 1999 Mississippi Sea Wolves 4–3 Richmond Renegades Travis Scott 2000 Peoria Rivermen 4–2 Louisiana IceGators J. F. BoutinJason Christie 2001 South Carolina Stingrays 4–1 Trenton Titans Dave Seitz 2002 Greenville Grrrowl 4–0 Dayton Bombers Simon GamacheTyrone Garner 2003 Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies 4–1 Columbia Inferno Kevin Colley 2004 Idaho Steelheads 4–1 Florida Everblades Dan Ellis 2005 Trenton Titans 4–2 Florida Everblades Leon Hayward 2006 Alaska Aces 4–1 Gwinnett Gladiators Mike Scott 2007 Idaho Steelheads 4–1 Dayton Bombers Steve Silverthorn 2008 Cincinnati Cyclones 4–2 Las Vegas Wranglers Cedrick Desjardins 2009 South Carolina Stingrays 4–3 Alaska Aces James Reimer 2010 Cincinnati Cyclones 4–1 Idaho Steelheads Robert MayerJeremy Smith 2011 Alaska Aces 4–1 Kalamazoo Wings Scott Howes 2012 Florida Everblades 4–1 Las Vegas Wranglers John Muse 2013 Reading Royals 4–1 Stockton Thunder Riley Gill 2014 Alaska Aces 4–2 Cincinnati Cyclones Rob Madore 2015 Allen Americans 4–3 South Carolina Stingrays Greger Hanson 2016 Allen Americans 4–2 Wheeling Nailers Chad Costello 2017 Colorado Eagles 4–0 South Carolina Stingrays Matt Register 2018 Colorado Eagles 4–3 Florida Everblades Michael Joly 2019 Newfoundland Growlers 4–2 Toledo Walleye Zach O'Brien 2020 Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Fort Wayne Komets 3–1 South Carolina Stingrays Stephen Harper 2022 Florida Everblades 4–1 Toledo Walleye Cam Johnson 2023 Florida Everblades 4–0 Idaho Steelheads Cam Johnson 2024 Florida Everblades 4–1 Kansas City Mavericks Oliver Chau 2025 Trois-Rivières Lions 4–1 Toledo Walleye Luke Cavallin 2026 Florida Everblades 4–2 Kansas City Mavericks Cam Johnson
See also ECHL awards
References
External links