2023–24 ECHL season

The 2023–24 ECHL season was the 36th season of the ECHL. The regular season began on October 19, 2023, and ended on April 14, 2024, with the 2024 Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. Twenty-eight teams, all of which are affiliated with an NHL team, in 20 states and two Canadian provinces are scheduled to play 72 games.

The league terminated the Newfoundland Growlers franchise by league bylaws on April 2, 2024, after the St. John's-based team's owners could not finalize the sale of the team (the Trois-Rivières Lions were sold, however, and they also owned the Lions). With this termination and following cancellation of their remaining games (3 v. Trois-Rivières and 3 v. Norfolk), the ECHL announced that the North Division standings would be decided by point percentage to make up for the missing games for Trois-Rivières and the Norfolk Admirals.

On June 8, the Florida Everblades won their third consecutive and fourth overall Kelly Cup championship over the Kansas City Mavericks in five games, becoming the first team in ECHL history to three-peat.

League changes

On April 2, 2024, the ECHL terminated the membership of the Newfoundland Growlers for failure to fulfill league bylaws. Both the Newfoundland Growlers and the Trois-Rivières Lions were owned by Deacon Sports and Entertainment and had been experiencing financial difficulties. On April 8, 2024, the league approved the sale of the Trois-Rivières Lions to Spire Sports + Entertainment.

Former Newfoundland Growlers signed to a standard player contract were released as unrestricted free agents, allowing them to sign with another team for the remainder of the season. However, former Newfoundland Growlers under an AHL or NHL structured contract were ineligible to play the six remaining games.

Coaching changes

Old Coach New Coach Team Ben Boudreau Jesse Kallechy Fort Wayne Komets Eric Wellwood Matt Cooke Newfoundland Growlers Dan Watson Pat Mikesch Toledo Walleye Marc-Andre Bergeron Ron Choules Trois-Rivières Lions

Affiliation changes

ECHL team New affiliates Former affiliates Atlanta Gladiators Nashville Predators (NHL) Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) Arizona Coyotes (NHL) Tucson Roadrunners (AHL) Cincinnati Cyclones New York Rangers (NHL) Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) Buffalo Sabres (NHL) Rochester Americans (AHL) Jacksonville Icemen Buffalo Sabres (NHL) Rochester Americans (AHL) New York Rangers (NHL) Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) Kalamazoo Wings Vancouver Canucks (NHL) Abbotsford Canucks (AHL) Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) Cleveland Monsters (AHL) Norfolk Admirals Winnipeg Jets (NHL) Manitoba Moose (AHL) Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) Chicago Wolves (AHL)

All-star game

The 2024 All Star Game was held in January 2024, at Enmarket Arena, home arena of the Savannah Ghost Pirates.

Standings

Eastern Conference

– clinched playoff spot, – clinched regular season division title, – Brabham Cup (regular season) champion – indicates team has been eliminated from playoff contention, – ceased operations immediately

North Division† y – Adirondack Thunder (NJD) 72 43 18 7 4 241 212 97 0.674x – Norfolk Admirals (WPG) 69 41 21 6 1 245 199 89 0.645x – Trois-Rivières Lions (MTL) 69 31 30 5 3 204 229 70 0.507x – Maine Mariners (BOS) 72 32 32 8 0 250 260 72 0.500 Worcester Railers (NYI) 72 32 32 5 3 210 238 72 0.500 Reading Royals (PHI) 72 29 35 6 2 198 247 66 0.458coi – Newfoundland Growlers (TOR) 66 28 28 8 2 220 234 66 0.500 †

South Division y – Greenville Swamp Rabbits (LAK) 72 44 23 4 1 224 212 93 0.646x – Jacksonville Icemen (BUF) 72 42 23 6 1 238 195 91 0.632x – Florida Everblades (FLA) 72 40 23 7 2 224 163 89 0.618x – Orlando Solar Bears (TBL) 72 38 24 7 3 220 206 86 0.597 South Carolina Stingrays (WAS) 72 39 26 4 3 249 218 85 0.590 Savannah Ghost Pirates (VGK) 72 30 34 7 1 218 243 68 0.472 Atlanta Gladiators (NSH) 72 23 45 3 1 187 264 50 0.347

Western Conference

Central Division y – Toledo Walleye (DET) 1 71 48 14 4 5 289 209 105 0.739 x – Indy Fuel (CHI) 72 39 25 6 2 230 221 86 0.597x –Wheeling Nailers (PIT) 1 71 38 28 4 1 232 204 81 0.570x –Kalamazoo Wings (VAN) 72 38 30 4 0 214 203 80 0.556 Fort Wayne Komets (EDM) 72 35 30 3 4 224 226 77 0.535 Cincinnati Cyclones (NYR) 72 31 34 7 0 236 261 69 0.479 Iowa Heartlanders (MIN) 72 27 37 6 2 186 250 62 0.431 1 Mountain Division z – Kansas City Mavericks (SEA) 72 54 12 4 2 305 202 114 0.792 x – Idaho Steelheads (DAL) 72 48 20 2 2 303 242 100 0.694x – Allen Americans (OTT) 72 33 35 3 1 233 276 70 0.486 x – Tulsa Oilers (ANA) 72 30 33 8 1 222 233 69 0.479 Utah Grizzlies (COL) 72 31 36 5 0 227 264 67 0.465 Rapid City Rush (CGY) 72 30 38 4 0 236 280 64 0.444 Wichita Thunder (SJS) 72 27 35 9 1 220 271 64 0.444

Postseason

The top four teams in each division at the end of the regular season advanced to the 2024 Kelly Cup playoffs and were seeded one through four based on their end-of-season division ranking. Each round was a best-of-7 series with the winner advancing to the next round. The first two rounds were played between teams in their same division, with the first seed facing the fourth seed and the second seed facing the third seed. The winners of each division then played off to determine winners of each conference. In the final, the team from the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference Kansas City Mavericks in five games. It was the third consecutive championship for the Florida Everblades.

Bracket

2023–24 ECHL season

Bron en licentie