Kelly Cup

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 American 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,[1] although the trophy itself has been replaced three times with the first two iterations preserved in the Hockey Hall of Fame.[2] The Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player award is also given out as part of the Kelly Cup Championship ceremonies. Nick Vitucci and Dave Gagnon are the only players to win the award on multiple occasions.[3]

Kelly Cup
SportIce hockey
CompetitionECHL
Given forPlayoff champions
History
First award1997
First winnerSouth Carolina Stingrays
Most winsAlaska Aces
South Carolina Stingrays
(3 each)
Most recentNewfoundland Growlers (1)
WebsiteList of winners
Riley Cup
SportIce hockey
CompetitionEast Coast Hockey League
Given forPlayoff champions
History
First award1989
Final award1996
First winnerCarolina Thunderbirds
Most winsHampton Roads Admirals
Toledo Storm
(2 each)
Most recentCharlotte Checkers
WebsiteList of winners

18 different teams have won the ECHL Championship, with eight (Alaska, Allen, Cincinnati, Colorado, Hampton Roads, Idaho, South Carolina, and Toledo) winning multiple times. The Hampton Roads Admirals, the Alaska Aces and the South Carolina Stingrays hold the record for most championships won with three.[4] 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.[5][6] The Eagles' ownership eventually returned the cup before the 2019–20 season, and the league returned its status to be the primary trophy.[7][8] The 2019 Kelly Cup was the fourth copy of the trophy, but was allowed to be kept by the Growlers when the previous cup went back into circulation.[2]

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
The Kelly Cup MVP Trophy
  MVP was a member of the defeated team in the Kelly Cup Finals
Season Winning team Score Losing team MVP
1989Carolina Thunderbirds (1)4–3Johnstown ChiefsNick Vitucci
1990Greensboro Monarchs (1)4–1Winston-Salem ThunderbirdsWade Flaherty
1991Hampton Roads Admirals (1)4–1Greensboro MonarchsDave Flanagan / Dave Gagnon
1992Hampton Roads Admirals (2)4–0Louisville IcehawksMark Bernard
1993Toledo Storm (1)4–2Wheeling ThunderbirdsRick Judson
1994Toledo Storm (2)4–1Raleigh IceCapsDave Gagnon
1995Richmond Renegades (1)4–1Greensboro MonarchsBlaine Moore
1996Charlotte Checkers (1)4–0Jacksonville Lizard KingsNick Vitucci
1997South Carolina Stingrays (1)4–1Louisiana IceGatorsJason Fitzsimmons
1998Hampton Roads Admirals (3)4–2Pensacola Ice PilotsSebastien Charpentier
1999Mississippi Sea Wolves (1)4–3Richmond RenegadesTravis Scott
2000Peoria Rivermen (1)4–2Louisiana IceGatorsJ. F. Boutin / Jason Christie
2001South Carolina Stingrays (2)4–1Trenton TitansDave Seitz
2002Greenville Grrrowl (1)4–0Dayton BombersSimon Gamache / Tyrone Garner
2003Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (1)4–1Columbia InfernoKevin Colley
2004Idaho Steelheads (1)4–1Florida EverbladesDan Ellis
2005Trenton Titans (1)4–2Florida EverbladesLeon Hayward
2006Alaska Aces (1)4–1Gwinnett GladiatorsMike Scott
2007Idaho Steelheads (2)4–1Dayton BombersSteve Silverthorn
2008Cincinnati Cyclones (1)4–2Las Vegas WranglersCedrick Desjardins
2009South Carolina Stingrays (3)4–3Alaska AcesJames Reimer
2010Cincinnati Cyclones (2)4–1Idaho SteelheadsRobert Mayer / Jeremy Smith
2011Alaska Aces (2)4–1Kalamazoo WingsScott Howes
2012Florida Everblades (1)4–1Las Vegas WranglersJohn Muse
2013Reading Royals (1)4–1Stockton ThunderRiley Gill
2014Alaska Aces (3)4–2Cincinnati CyclonesRob Madore
2015Allen Americans (1)4–3South Carolina StingraysGreger Hanson
2016Allen Americans (2)4–2Wheeling NailersChad Costello
2017Colorado Eagles (1)4–0South Carolina StingraysMatt Register
2018Colorado Eagles (2)4–3Florida EverbladesMichael Joly
2019Newfoundland Growlers (1)4–2Toledo WalleyeZach O'Brien
2020Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
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See also

References
  1. ECHL Trophies Archived 2008-02-15 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "STATEMENT FROM THE ECHL REGARDING THE KELLY CUP". ECHL. June 1, 2019.
  3. "Kelly Cup Playoffs MVP All-Time Winners". Archived from the original on 2010-01-05. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
  4. "Kelly Cup All-Time Winners". Archived from the original on 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
  5. "The Kelly Cup was never returned so the ECHL created a replacement trophy". WTVG. May 31, 2019.
  6. "STATEMENT FROM EAGLES OWNER MARTIN LIND REGARDING KELLY CUP". Colorado Eagles. May 31, 2019.
  7. "Growlers to Celebrate Opening Night with Two Kelly Cups". OurSports Central. October 10, 2019.
  8. "ECHL RECEIVES RETURNED KELLY CUP". ECHL. November 11, 2019.
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