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.