Everblades ECHL Champions Again

For the fourth time in five seasons, the Florida Everblades are ECHL champions. 

The Everblades claimed this year's Kelly Cup by defeating the Kansas City Mavericks in six games, including a 5-4 double-overtime victory in the clinching contest on Monday night in Missouri, after rebounding from a three-goal deficit after 40 minutes. Florida, which won the last four games of the series, including three in OT, previously defeated Kansas City in five games to win the Cup in 2024.

Anthony Romano (Clarkson) tied for Florida's playoff scoring lead with 17 points in 20 games, including a league-best 12 goals. Carson Gicewicz (UMass), who won an NCAA title in 2021, contributed 10 goals over 20 postseason outings. Everblades goaltender Cam Johnson (North Dakota) earned the Most Valuable Player award for a record third time in his career after posting a 16-4 record in 20 appearances this spring, including three shutouts and a 1.88 goals-against average, and has been a member of four Kelly Cup title teams.

Florida has now raised the Kelly Cup five times (2012, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026), extending its own ECHL record.

Trois-Rivières 2025 ECHL Champions

Exactly one week ago, the Trois-Rivières Lions finished their 2024-25 season with a title.

The Lions, the ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens, completed a five-game triumph over the Toledo Walleye to earn their first-ever Kelly Cup as ECHL playoff kings with a 4-1 victory at home at the Colisée Vidéotron on June 7. Chris Jandric (North Dakota) tallied the game-winning goal in the deciding contest.

Trois-Rivières rebounded with four straight wins in the final, after Toledo took the opener in Ohio. The Lions, who began play in 2021-22, are the second Canadian team in league history to win the ECHL playoff title, following the now-defunct Newfoundland Growlers, who did the same in 2019.

Besides Jandric, who also played for Alaska Fairbanks in his college career, other former NCAA players on this year's Lions' playoff squad included Jakov Novak (Northeastern), Cory Thomas (Canisius) and Kirby Proctor (Omaha).

2025 ECHL Kelly Cup Final Tied

Jakov Novak (Northeastern) had goal and an assist as the visiting Trois-Rivières Lions tied the 2025 ECHL Kelly Cup Final with a 5-1 win over the Toledo Walleye last night. The best-of-seven series now moves to Quebec for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Saturday.

Carter Gylander (Colgate) finished with 30 saves in the loss for Toledo, which had claimed the series opener by a 3-1 count on Saturday. Trois-Rivières is seeking its first-ever Kelly Cup as ECHL playoff champion, while Toledo won back-to-back titles in 1993 and 1994 in its former incarnation as the Storm.

Everblades Win Third Straight ECHL Playoff Title

For the third year in a row, the Florida Everblades are ECHL playoff champions. 

The Everblades claimed their third straight Kelly Cup, and fourth overall, with last night's come from behind 4-3 overtime win over the visiting Kansas City Mavericks before 7,910 on-lookers at Hertz Arena in Estero, Fl. Florida won the best-of-seven final series, four games to one, while the third straight title and fourth overall are both league records. The Everblades have also bested the ECHL's Brabham Cup regular-season champion in each of the past three Kelly Cup finals, according to ECHL.com.

Matt Senden (North Dakota) tallied two goals in the third-period for Florida, including the game-tying goal in the final two minutes of regulation, while Will Reilly (Rensselaer) assisted on the game-winner early in sudden-death OT. Bobo Carpenter (Boston University) notched a goal and two assists, while Chad Johnson (North Dakota) made 29 saves in goal in winning his second straight Kelly Cup. David Cotton (Boston College) scored the first goal of the game for Kansas City, which got 35 stops from Jack LaFontaine (Minnesota).

Florida forward Oliver Chau (Quinnipiac), who won an NCAA title with UMass in 2021 and last year's Kelly Cup crown with the Everblades, earned this year's June M. Kelly Playoffs MVP Award after tallying nine goals and 23 points in 23 ECHL playoff contests this spring, including six goals in the final round.

Everblades Win Second Straight ECHL Title

The Florida Everblades are ECHL playoff champions for the second straight season. The Everblades, who began play in 1998, won their third Kelly Cup in six ECHL finals appearances all-time since 2004, by finishing a four-step sweep of the Idaho Steelheads with a 4-3 win in Estero, Fla. on Friday night. Tyler Irvine (Merrimack) notched the game-winning goal with 12 minutes remaining in regulation to break a three-all tie, with an assist going to Brandon Hickey (Boston University).

Cam Johnson (North Dakota) earned the June M. Kelly Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award for the second consecutive year, after backstopping the Everblades to the title with a 16-4-2 record and a 2.10 goals-against average in 22 postseason contests this spring. He stopped 32 out of 35 shots in the clinching contest to close out the Everblades 25th anniversary season.

Other players with NCAA experience who were part of Florida's 2023 playoff run included Ashton Calder (Lake Superior/North Dakota/Penn State), William Calverley (RIT), Oliver Chau (UMass/Quinnipiac), Cameron Darcy (Northeastern), Lukas Kaelble (Lake Superior/Clarkson), Logan Lambdin (Michigan State), Ben Masella (St. Lawrence), John McCarron (Cornell), Zachary Uens (Merrimack) and Blake Winiecki (St. Cloud). 

Calverley scored the only goal of the game in Florida's 1-0 triumph in Game Three on Wednesday, while Lambdin notched two goals and set up another in a 5-3 win in Game Two. Chau potted the game-winner in Game One in the Everblades' 3-2 overtime victory, after setting up the tying goal in the third period.

ECHL's Everblades Win 2022 Kelly Cup

For the first time since 2012, the Florida Everblades are ECHL champions.

The Everblades completed their playoff journey on Saturday night at Hertz Arena in Estero, Fla. with a 4-2 win over the Toledo Walleye in Game Five of the 2022 Kelly Cup Final. Florida won the series, four games to one, to claim the second Kelly Cup in franchise hostory.

Former NCAA players on this year's Everblades playoff roster included: Darik Angeli (Ohio State), Parker Gahagen (Army West Point), John McCarron (Cornell), Jake Jaremko (Minnesota State), Cam Johnson (North Dakota), Lukas Kaelble (Lake Superior State/Clarkson), Ben Masella (St. Lawrence), Chris McKay (RIT), Jake McLaughlin (UMass), Michael Neville (Michigan Tech), Joe Pendenza (UMass Lowell), Nathan Perkovich (Lake Superior State), Zach Solow (Northeastern), Dylan Vander Esch (SUNY Potsdam) and Blake Winiecki (St. Cloud State), 

Johnson earned the June M. Kelly Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award for his performance in net for Florida. He fashioned a 15-3 record in 18 postseason games this spring, along with a 1.90 goals-against average and four shutouts.

Colorado Wins Second Straight ECHL Crown

The Colorado Eagles are the two-time ECHL champions. The Eagles defeated the host Florida Everblades, 3-2, on Saturday night in Game 7 of the Kelly Cup Final in Estero, Fla. to win their second straight league title. They join the Allen Americans (2015-2016), Toledo Storm (1993-1994) and Hampton Roads Admirals (1991-1992) as back-to-back ECHL playoff champions.

Former NCAA players on the Eagles roster this spring included Matt Garbowsky (RIT), Jake Marto (North Dakota), Chase Norrish (RIT), Brady Shaw (Vermont), Cliff Watson (Michigan Tech), Sam Brittain (Denver), Joe Cannata (Merrimack) and Lukas Hafner (Western Michigan), plus head coach Aaron Schneekloth (North Dakota) and goalie coach Ryan Bach (Colorado College).

The Eagles' franchise got its start in the now-defunct Central Hockey League in 2003, winning two league playoff championships there before moving on to the ECHL in 2011. Beginning this fall, Colorado will move up one level to the American Hockey League (AHL) as an expansion franchise, to compete for the Calder Cup as the primary/Triple-A affiliate of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche.

NHL, AHL, ECHL Champions Crowned

The Pittsburgh Penguins closed out the 2015-16 hockey season with a 3-1 victory at San Jose on Sunday night to win the fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history. The Penguins, who defeated the Sharks in six games, have won all four of their Cups on the road, dating back to 1991.

Brian Dumoulin (Boston College) opened the scoring for the Penguins on a first-period power play, assisted by Nick Schultz (Wisconsin) and Chris Kunitz (Ferris State). Less than two minutes after the Sharks tied the game in the second period, Conor Sheary (UMass) help set up the Cup-winning goal by Kris Letang. Pittsburgh then scored into an empty net late in the third stanza to seal the victory.

Other former NCAA players who starred for Pittsburgh this postseason included the HBK line of Carl Hagelin (Michigan), Nick Bonino (Boston University) and Phil Kessel (Minnesota), who combined for 56 points and a +23 plus-minus rating. The Penguins were led by head coach Mike Sullivan (Boston University), who took the reins in December and then led Pittsburgh to a 16-8 playoff mark.

The Lake Erie Monsters brought Cleveland its first professional hockey title since 1964 with Saturday night's 1-0 overtime victory over the Hershey Bears at Quicken Loans Arena. The Monsters won the American Hockey League's Calder Cup Final in four games.

Lake Erie, the top farm team of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, went 15-2 during the postseason to complete its ninth season in Ohio and the league’s 80th season, according to TheAHL.com. Rookie defenseman Zach Werenski (Michigan) finished among the top scorers in the AHL playoffs with five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 17 games with the Monsters. Hershey forward Carter Camper (Miami) was second overall among AHL postseason scorers with six goals and 17 points in 21 outings.

The Monsters' Calder Cup victory came two nights after the ECHL's Allen Americans won their second consecutive Kelly Cup with a six-game, final-round victory over the Wheeling Nailers. Riley Gill (Western Michigan) backstopped the Americans to the title, his third ECHL crown, with a 12-5-0 playoff record, according to ECHL.com. Allen is the first repeat ECHL champion since the Toledo Storm in 1993-1994.

See you next season.

Americans Claim First ECHL Crown

The Allen Americans earned their first ever Kelly Cup as ECHL champions with a 6-1 victory over the visiting South Carolina Stingrays on Sunday afternoon in Texas. Allen defeated South Carolina in seven games.

Greger Hanson (Northern Michigan) was named ECHL playoff MVP with 12 goals and 29 points in 25 outings, according to echl.com, while goaltender Riley Gill (Western Michigan) backstopped the Americans' title run. Gill went 13-7 in this year's playoffs, and tied a league record with his eighth career win in the ECHL final following yesterday's 27-save effort.

South Carolina's Wayne Simpson (Union) set an ECHL record with 38 points in 27 postseason contests this spring, including 25 assists.

Chad Costello (Northeastern), the ECHL's leading scorer during the regular season with 125 points, tallied two goals and set up another in the decisive game for Allen, which moved to the ECHL after its former home, the Central Hockey League, folded in October. The Americans, who began play in 2009, have now won three consecutive championships in three straight seasons, having claimed the last two Miron President's Cup titles before the CHL ceased operations.

Other NCAA players on this season's Allen title team included Justin Baker (St. Lawrence), Nolan Descoteaux (RIT), Kyle Follmer (Northern Michigan), Aaron Gens (Alaska Fairbanks), Trevor Ludwig (Providence), Tyler Ludwig (Western Michigan), Rylan Schwartz (Colorado College) and Gary Steffes (Miami).

One Done, One Almost, One Tied

For the third time in their history, the Alaska Aces are the champions of the ECHL.

The Aces finished off the host Cincinnati Cyclones, 4-0, in last night's Game 6 of the Kelly Cup final. Aces captain Nick Mazzolini (Providence) scored the game-winning goal in the first period at U.S. Bank Arena as the Aces tied the league record for most Kelly Cups by one franchise, having also won in 2006 and 2011. The Aces have also won four consecutive ECHL regular-season championships, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

In that "other" series out east, Jonathan Quick (UMass) made 32 saves and the Los Angeles Kings moved within one win of a sweep with a 3-0 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final at Madison Square Garden. Game 4 is tomorrow night in Manhattan. The Kings are looking to claim their second NHL crown in three seasons.

Down south, the visiting St. John's Ice Caps knotted the AHL's Calder Cup Final at a game apiece with a 2-1 win last night over the Texas Stars. Blair Riley (Ferris State) tallied the game-winning goal early in the second period at the Cedar Park Center for the former Manitoba Moose. Game 3 is tomorrow night in Newfoundland. Both squads are seeking their first-ever Calder Cup.