Florida Everblades | |
---|---|
City | Estero, Florida |
League | ECHL |
Conference | Eastern |
Division | South |
Founded | 1998 |
Home arena | Hertz Arena |
Colors | Green, white, navy blue |
Owner(s) | David Hoffmann |
General manager | Brad Ralph |
Head coach | Brad Ralph |
Media | WBCN |
Affiliates | St. Louis Blues (NHL) Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) |
Website | www |
Franchise history | |
1998–present | Florida Everblades |
Championships | |
Regular season titles | 4 (1999–00, 2008–09, 2017–18, 2020–21) |
Division titles | 8 (1999–00, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22) |
Conference titles | 7 (2003–04, 2004–05, 2011–12, 2017–18, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24) |
Kelly Cups | 4 (2011–12, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24) |
Current season |
The Florida Everblades are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Estero, Florida, in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area. They play in the ECHL and are affiliated with the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League (AHL) starting in the 2024–25 ECHL season. Their home games are played at Hertz Arena.
The Everblades were founded in 1998. They play in the South Division of the Eastern Conference in the ECHL. They have failed to qualify for the playoffs just once in team history (2013–14) and have made seven appearances in the Kelly Cup finals, winning in 2012, 2022, 2023, and 2024; [1] the latter three appearances constituted the first three-peat in ECHL history. [2]
The team was founded in 1998 by Craig Brush, Peter Karmanos Jr., and Thomas Thewes and was named based on the Florida Everglades. The Everblades' logo features a gator-head design fused in the form of an ice skate. Barnstorm Creative Group, a Vancouver graphic design company, designed the logo. Barnstorm was contacted by Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos Jr., who came up with the idea of choosing the Everblades' colors as blue and green, in tribute to the Hartford Whalers team that Karmanos moved to Raleigh, North Carolina. The Everblades' inaugural home opener featured a pre-game ceremony in which a large alligator was brought onto the ice to pay tribute to the team's name and logo, as well as Florida's vast population of reptile species. The Everblades won their first Kelly Cup on May 23, 2012, against the Las Vegas Wranglers. [3] Brandon MacLean scored the championship-winning-goal in overtime during game five. [4] Everblades goaltender, John Muse, was named the most valuable player of the 2012 Kelly Cup playoffs. [5]
In game five of the 2004 American Conference finals, the Everblades faced the Reading Royals in the final game of an epic series. Florida won the first two games at home, but Reading evened the series at home, the next two of the best-of-five series. In game five, the score was tied at the end of regulation, 2–2, so the game was sent to overtime. John McNabb of the Everblades scored on a breakaway to defeat the Royals in front of a record crowd of 7,080 fans at Hertz Arena.[ citation needed ]
One famous event that stands out among Blades' fans was during the 2005 ECHL playoffs. With the Everblades hosting the Greenville Grrrowl on April 22, 2005, for the first game of the American Conference semifinals, the teams engaged in a third-period line brawl that would see both teams combine for 197 minutes in penalties.
The brawl stemmed from previous incidents throughout the game. Prior to the brawl, Everblades forward Greg Hornby checked Greenville's Vladimir Gusev hard into the boards behind the net, causing Gusev to leave the game injured. As a result, the pace of the game, as well as checking, would pick up.
With the Blades up 4–1 with under six minutes to play in the third period, Greenville pest Krys Barch screened the net during a Greenville shooting attempt. Everblades defenceman Tim O'Connell checked Barch from behind numerous times, hoping to clear him from in front of the net. Barch, having been fed up with being pressured, turned around, attempting to sucker-punch O'Connell. Instead, O'Connell quickly skated away from the crease before Barch turned around. Barch ended up punching Everblades goalie Tyler MacKay. O'Connell then jumped on top of Barch, and all the players on the ice dropped the gloves for a wild line brawl that saw Florida goalie MacKay and others getting ejected for fighting.
After the mayhem, Craig Kowalski took MacKay's place as netminder. Shortly thereafter, the Everblades' Simon Tremblay fought Greenville's Adam Nightingale as the last fight of the evening. The Everblades went on to win the game, 4–1, and eventually to sweep the series, three games to none. Barch was assessed a one-game suspension for his role in the brawl. [6]
Game two featured no fights and the Everblades won in overtime, 3–2.
Florida won the 2012 Kelly Cup playoffs with a 4–1 victory at home in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 7,290. [7] The first period saw Las Vegas Wranglers goalie Joe Fallon beaten by Justin Shugg and Mike Ratchuk, but Las Vegas edged back to even the score by the third, with Ash Goldie and Peter MacArthur beating John Muse to force the overtime. [8] At 4:54 into the overtime, after Ryan Donald passed to Matt Beca, who in turn sent the puck to Brandon MacLean, who beat Fallon and secured the victory. [9]
The win earned Florida the 2012 Kelly Cup and secured a perfect home record of 11–0 in the postseason (two victories over Greenville and three each over Elmira, Kalamazoo, and Las Vegas). Additionally, John Muse earned the Kelly Cup Finals MVP award.
In April 2013, owner Peter Karmanos, Jr. announced he would be selling the team along with Germain Arena to "simplify things" in his life, as he had just retired from the company he founded, Compuware. [10] The team was made for sale and was being shopped by Park Lane, a sports investment-banking firm that specializes in the sale of sports teams. [11] In 2018, Karmanos gave up majority control of the Hurricanes to new majority owner Thomas Dundon. After the 2018–19 season, the Everblades dropped the Hurricanes affiliation for the first time and partnered with the Nashville Predators. [12] It was then announced on August 5, 2019, that Karmanos had sold both the team and arena to David Hoffmann, a Naples, Florida, resident and real estate investor. [13] Starting in the 2022–23 season, the Everblades ended their affiliation with the Predators and entered a multi-year agreement with the Florida Panthers. [14] On June 13, 2024, team president Craig Brush announced that the team would not be renewing its agreement with the Panthers. [15] On July 10 of that year, the Everblades announced a new multi-year agreement with the St. Louis Blues. [16]
Through the Everblades' history, they have had five anniversary logos: the fifth anniversary logo in 2002–03, the 10th anniversary logo in 2007–08, the 15th anniversary logo in 2012–13, the 20th anniversary logo in 2017–18, and the 25th anniversary logo in 2022–23.
Season | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finish | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | Pct | GF | GA | Head coach | GP | W | L | Result | |||
1998–99 | Southern | Southeast | 2nd | 70 | 45 | 20 | 0 | 5 | 95 | 0.679 | 253 | 180 | Bob Ferguson | 6 | 3 | 3 | Won conference quarterfinal 3–0 vs. Birmingham Lost conference semifinal 0–3 vs. Mississippi |
1999–00 | Southern | Southeast | 1st | 70 | 53 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 108 | 0.771 | 277 | 181 | Bob Ferguson | 5 | 2 | 3 | Lost conference quarterfinal 2–3 vs. Augusta |
2000–01 | Southern | Southeast | 2nd | 72 | 38 | 26 | 0 | 8 | 84 | 0.583 | 236 | 242 | Bob Ferguson | 5 | 2 | 3 | Lost conference quarterfinal 2–3 vs. Pee Dee |
2001–02 | Southern | Southeast | 5th | 72 | 37 | 27 | 0 | 8 | 82 | 0.569 | 207 | 221 | Gerry Fleming | 6 | 3 | 3 | Won division wildcard 1–0 vs. South Carolina Lost conference quarterfinal 2–3 vs. Greenville |
2002–03 | Southern | Southeast | 4th | 72 | 35 | 23 | 0 | 14 | 84 | 0.583 | 239 | 243 | Gerry Fleming | 1 | 0 | 1 | Lost division wildcard 0–1 vs. Greenville |
2003–04 | Eastern | Southern | 3rd | 72 | 37 | 25 | 0 | 10 | 84 | 0.583 | 239 | 221 | Gerry Fleming | 18 | 10 | 8 | Won division semifinal 3–2 vs. Roanoke Won Division Finals 3–0 vs. South Carolina Won conference final 3–2 vs. Reading Lost Kelly Cup final 1–4 vs. Idaho |
2004–05 | American | South | 2nd | 72 | 42 | 20 | 4 | 6 | 94 | 0.653 | 237 | 192 | Gerry Fleming | 19 | 12 | 7 | Won conference quarterfinal 3–1 vs. South Carolina Won in Conference Semifinal 3–0 vs. Greenville Won conference final 4–2 vs. Charlotte Lost Kelly Cup final 2–4 vs. Trenton |
2005–06 | American | South | 2nd | 72 | 48 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 100 | 0.694 | 267 | 208 | Gerry Fleming | 8 | 4 | 4 | Won division semifinal 3–1 vs. Greenville Lost division final 1–3 vs. Gwinnett |
2006–07 | American | South | 1st | 72 | 44 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 94 | 0.653 | 272 | 212 | Gerry Fleming | 16 | 10 | 6 | Won division semifinal 3–0 vs. Charlotte Won division final 4–2 vs. Texas Lost conference final 3–4 vs. Dayton |
2007–08 | American | South | 4th | 72 | 39 | 25 | 4 | 4 | 86 | 0.597 | 230 | 198 | Gerry Fleming | 3 | 0 | 3 | Lost division quarterfinal 0–3 vs. Columbia |
2008–09 1 | American | South | 1st | 71 | 49 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 103 | 0.725 | 269 | 187 | Malcolm Cameron | 11 | 6 | 5 | Won division semifinal 4–1 vs. Gwinnett Lost division final 2–4 vs. South Carolina |
2009–10 | American | South | 3rd | 72 | 38 | 25 | 4 | 5 | 85 | 0.590 | 234 | 221 | Malcolm Cameron | 9 | 3 | 6 | Won conference quarterfinal 3–2 vs. Elmira Lost conference semifinal 0–4 vs. Reading |
2010–11 | Eastern | South | 3rd | 72 | 37 | 30 | 1 | 4 | 79 | 0.549 | 236 | 222 | Greg Poss | 4 | 1 | 3 | Lost conference quarterfinal 1–3 vs. Kalamazoo |
2011–12 | Eastern | South | 3rd | 72 | 39 | 26 | 2 | 5 | 85 | 0.590 | 260 | 218 | Greg Poss | 18 | 15 | 3 | Won conference quarterfinal 3–0 vs. Greenville Won conference semifinal 4–1 vs. Elmira Won conference final 4–1 vs. Kalamazoo Won Kelly Cup final 4–1 vs. Las Vegas |
2012–13 | Eastern | South | 2nd | 72 | 39 | 22 | 4 | 7 | 89 | 0.618 | 260 | 241 | Greg Poss | 13 | 7 | 6 | Won conference quarterfinal 4–2 vs. Elmira Lost conference semifinal 3–4 vs. Reading |
2013–14 | Eastern | South | 4th | 72 | 37 | 27 | 3 | 5 | 82 | 0.569 | 240 | 222 | Greg Poss | Did not qualify for 2014 Kelly Cup playoffs | |||
2014–15 | Eastern | East | 1st | 72 | 49 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 105 | 0.729 | 267 | 208 | Greg Poss | 12 | 6 | 6 | Won division semifinal 4–2 vs. Orlando Lost division final 2–4 vs. South Carolina |
2015–16 | Eastern | South | 2nd | 72 | 46 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 95 | .660 | 226 | 175 | Greg Poss | 6 | 2 | 4 | Lost conference quarterfinals 2–4 vs. Wheeling |
2016–17 | Eastern | South | 1st | 72 | 46 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 97 | .674 | 275 | 219 | Brad Ralph | 12 | 5 | 7 | Won division semifinal 4–3 vs. Orlando Lost division final 1–4 vs. South Carolina |
2017–18 | Eastern | South | 1st | 72 | 53 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 112 | .778 | 261 | 171 | Brad Ralph | 21 | 15 | 6 | Won division semifinal 4–0 vs. Atlanta Won division final 4–1 vs. Orlando Won conference final 4–1 vs. Adirondack Lost Kelly Cup final 3–4 vs. Colorado |
2018–19 | Eastern | South | 1st | 72 | 50 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 106 | .736 | 276 | 181 | Brad Ralph | 16 | 9 | 7 | Won division semifinal 4–2 vs. Jacksonville Won division final 4–1 vs. Orlando Lost conference final 1–4 vs. Newfoundland |
2019–20 2 | Eastern | South | — | 62 | 43 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 92 | .742 | 227 | 156 | Brad Ralph | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
2020–21 | Eastern | — | 1st | 69 | 42 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 92 | .667 | 233 | 193 | Brad Ralph | 5 | 2 | 3 | Lost conference semifinal 2–3 vs. South Carolina |
2021–22 | Eastern | South | 1st | 72 | 42 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 94 | .653 | 243 | 187 | Brad Ralph | 20 | 16 | 4 | Won division semifinal 4–2 vs. Greenville Won division final 4–0 vs. Jacksonville Won conference final 4–1 vs. Newfoundland Won Kelly Cup Final 4–1 vs. Toledo |
2022–23 | Eastern | South | 4th | 72 | 38 | 25 | 4 | 5 | 85 | .590 | 225 | 213 | Brad Ralph | 22 | 16 | 6 | Won division semifinal 4–2 vs. South Carolina Won division final 4–2 vs. Jacksonville Won conference final 4–2 vs. Newfoundland Won Kelly Cup final 4–0 vs. Idaho |
2023–24 | Eastern | South | 3rd | 72 | 40 | 23 | 7 | 2 | 89 | .618 | 224 | 186 | Brad Ralph | 18 | 16 | 7 | Won division semifinal 4–3 vs. Jacksonville Won division final 4–1 vs. Orlando Won conference final 4–2 vs. Adirondack Won Kelly Cup final 4–1 vs. Kansas City |
Totals | 1,854 | 1,106 | 559 | 69 | 120 | 2,401 | .648 | 6,413 | 5298 | — | 274 | 165 | 114 | 24 Playoff Appearances |
1 The 2008–09 team played 71 games because of scheduling changes caused by the Augusta Lynx and Fresno Falcons ceasing operations mid-season. Four of the five teams (Florida, Charlotte, South Carolina, Mississippi) played 71 games, with Gwinnett playing 72.
2The 2019–20 ECHL season was suspended on March 12, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rest of the season was cancelled on March 14, 2020.
No. | Player | Position | Career | No. retirement |
---|---|---|---|---|
9 | Ernie Hartlieb | LW | 2004–2011 | October 19, 2012 |
10 | Reggie Berg | C | 1999–2007 | October 19, 2007 |
14 | Tom Buckley | C | 1999–2004 | October 19, 2007 |
Berg and Buckley's numbers were retired during a pre-game ceremony on October 19, 2007, as the Everblades hosted the Mississippi Sea Wolves, in what would be the Sea Wolves' first official regular season game after being placed on a two-year hiatus due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Banners made with their jersey numbers were hung to the rafters of Germain Arena.
Hartlieb's number was retired in a ceremony before a game against the Orlando Solar Bears on October 19, 2012. Hartlieb was presented with an ECHL Championship ring (he filled in on with the team in the 2011–12 regular season, but did not appear in the playoffs), and hoisted the Kelly Cup. A banner made with his number was hung to the rafters of Germain Arena next to Berg and Buckley's. [17]
Florida Everblades alumni that advanced to play in the NHL after playing for the club:
Florida Everblades that played in the NHL before playing with the team:
Individual records
Individual streaks
Former Florida Everblades goalie Marc Magliarditi was inducted into the ECHL's Hall of Fame on January 23, 2013. [20] Magliarditi played for the Everblades from 1998 through 2001. [21]
Florida Everblades President and General Manager Craig Brush was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame on February 5, 2016. Brush has served as the team's President and General Manager since the team's inception in 1998 and he oversees all aspects of both the hockey club and the sports complex. Brush also served as the Chairman of the ECHL Board of Governors for three seasons from 2003 through 2006.
The Everblades have won the E.A. Gingher Memorial Trophy five times, in 2004, 2005, 2012, 2018 and 2022. In 2004, the trophy was given to the champion of the Eastern Conference; the Everblades beat the Reading Royals 3–2 to win the conference but lost the Kelly Cup to the Idaho Steelheads. In 2005, the Gingher trophy was given to the American Conference champion. The Everblades beat the Charlotte Checkers 4–2 to win the conference before losing to the Trenton Titans in the Cup finals. In 2012, the Everblades won the Gingher Memorial Trophy by defeating the Kalamazoo Wings 4–1 in the Eastern Conference finals and went on to win the Kelly Cup over the Las Vegas Wranglers. In 2018, the Everblades went 12–2 through three rounds of conference playoffs and won the Gingher Memorial Trophy before losing the Kelly Cup in seven games to the Colorado Eagles. In 2022, the Everblades went 12–3 through three rounds of conference playoffs and won the Gingher Memorial Trophy by defeating the Newfoundland Growlers 4–1 in the Eastern Conference finals and went on to win the Kelly Cup in five games against the Toledo Walleye.
In the 1999–00, 2008–09, 2017–18, and 2020–21 seasons, the Everblades won the Brabham Cup, a trophy given to the team that has the best regular season record in the league. The Everblades took the trophy with 108 points in 1999–2000 and 112 points in 2017–18. [22] The 2008–09 and 2020–21 trophies were awarded to the team with the best points percentage due to imbalanced schedules, where the Everblades had 0.725 and 0.667 winning percentages, respectively.
The Florida Everblades won the Kelly Cup in 2012 taking the series 4 games to 1 over the Las Vegas Wranglers. [23] A decade later, they won the Cup in 2022 in another five game series, defeating the Toledo Walleye 4 games to 1. [24] The Everblades would repeat as champions in 2023 4 games to none over the Idaho Steelheads. [25] In 2024, the Everblades became the first team to win three straight Kelly Cups by defeating the Kansas City Mavericks 4 game to 1. [26]
1998–99: John Brophy Award (Bob Ferguson) [27] [28]
1999–00: Brabham Cup [29]
John Brophy Award (Bob Ferguson) [27] [28]
Plus Performer Award (Andy MacIntyre) [30] [31]
2000–01: Executive of the Year (Craig Brush) [32]
2003–04: Gingher Memorial Trophy [33]
2004–05: Gingher Memorial Trophy [33]
Reebok Goaltender of the Year (Chris Madden) [34]
2005–06: Sportsmanship Award (Steve Saviano) [35] [36]
Reebok Equipment Manager of the Year (John Jennings) [37]
2008–09: Brabham Cup [29]
CCM U+ Most Valuable Player (Kevin Baker) [38]
Leading Scorer (Kevin Baker) [39]
2011–12: Gingher Memorial Trophy [40]
Kelly Cup [4]
Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player (John Muse) [41]
2012–13: Leading Scorer (Mathieu Roy)
2015–16: ECHL CCM Rookie of the Year (Matt Willows)
ECHL Community Service Award (Rob Florentino)
2017–18: Brabham Cup
Gingher Memorial Trophy
John Brophy Award (Brad Ralph)
2020–21: Brabham Cup
Goaltender of the Year (Jake Hildebrand) [42]
Plus Performer Award (John McCarron)
2021–22: Gingher Memorial Trophy
Kelly Cup
Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player (Cam Johnson)
2022–23: Gingher Memorial Trophy
Kelly Cup
Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player (Cam Johnson)
2023–24: Gingher Memorial Trophy
Kelly Cup
Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player (Oliver Chau)
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The Las Vegas Wranglers were a professional ice hockey team based in Las Vegas Valley. The Wranglers were members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the ECHL. The Wranglers were founded as an expansion franchise in 2003 following the ECHL's takeover of the West Coast Hockey League.
The Stockton Thunder were a minor league professional ice hockey team that was based in Stockton, California, and a member of the ECHL. The Stockton Arena was their home ice, with a capacity of 9,737. The team was an affiliate team of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League in their final two seasons. The team was purchased by the Calgary Flames and relocated to Glens Falls, New York, as the Flames relocated their American Hockey League team to Stockton to become the Stockton Heat.
The Cincinnati Cyclones are an ice hockey team based in Cincinnati. The team is a member of the ECHL. Originally established in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at Heritage Bank Center.
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The ECHL presents numerous annual awards to recognize its teams, players, front office staff, and media contributors. The first awards were given out in recognition of the achievements of the league's teams and players in the league's inaugural season of 1989 and included the Jack Riley Cup and Brabham Cup awarded to the league's teams and the Most Valuable Player, Playoffs Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Defenseman of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Leading Scorer awards to the league's players. The league has added many other awards since the league's inception including, the Goaltender of the Year award in 1994, the Sportsmanship Award in 1997, separate titles for each of its conference playoff champions in 1998, and the Plus Performer Award in 2000.
The 2009 Kelly Cup Playoffs of the ECHL began on April 9, 2009. The 16 teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played a best-of-7 series for division semifinals, finals and conference finals. The conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the Kelly Cup.
The 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs of the ECHL began April 5, 2010. 15 teams qualified, eight from the American Conference and seven from the National Conference. In the American conference, the winners of each of the three divisions plus the five teams with the highest point totals from the teams remaining qualified. Due to the National Conference's membership being limited to only eight teams, the two division winners and the five teams with the highest point totals from the teams remaining qualified, with the division winner with the highest point total receiving a bye to the conference semifinals.
The 2011 Kelly Cup Playoffs of the ECHL started on April 4, 2011 following the end of the 2010–11 ECHL regular season. The playoff format remains unchanged from that of the 2010 postseason, with the exception of the changed conference names. 15 teams will qualify for the playoffs, being the top seven teams from the Western Conference and the top eight teams from the Eastern Conference.
John Roger Muse is an American ice hockey goaltender who is currently with the Worcester Railers in the ECHL. Muse was most recently with the Glasgow Clan in the UK Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). He also previously played with Rødovre Mighty Bulls in the Danish Metal Ligaen, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The 2012 Kelly Cup Playoffs of the ECHL started on April 2, 2012 following the end of the 2011–12 ECHL regular season. The playoff format remains unchanged from that of the 2011 postseason. 15 teams qualified for the playoffs, being the top seven teams from the Western Conference and the top eight teams from the Eastern Conference.
The 2013 Kelly Cup Playoffs of the ECHL started on April 5, 2013, following the end of the 2012–13 ECHL regular season. The playoff format changed from that of the 2012 postseason; 16 teams qualified for the playoffs, the top eight teams from both the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference. First-round series were scheduled as best-of-seven, where in prior years they were best-of-five.
The 2014–15 ECHL season was the 27th season of the ECHL. The regular season schedule ran from October 17, 2014, to April 11, 2015, with the Kelly Cup playoffs following. Twenty-eight teams in 20 states and one Canadian province each played a 72-game schedule. Ten days prior to the start of the season, the league was significantly expanded on October 7, 2014, after the ECHL had accepted the Central Hockey League's remaining seven teams as members for the 2014–15 season.
The 2018 Kelly Cup playoffs of the ECHL began in April 2018 following the conclusion of the 2017–18 ECHL regular season. The Kelly Cup was won by the Colorado Eagles, in their last season in the ECHL before joining the American Hockey League, in seven games over the regular season champions, the Florida Everblades.
The 2019 Kelly Cup playoffs of the ECHL began in April 2019 following the conclusion of the 2018–19 ECHL regular season. The Kelly Cup was won by the expansion Newfoundland Growlers in six games over the Toledo Walleye.
The 2019–20 ECHL season was the 32nd season of the ECHL. The regular season began in October 2019 to and was set to conclude in April 2020 with the Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. Twenty-six teams in 19 states and two Canadian provinces were each scheduled for 72 games.
The 2022–23 ECHL season was the 35th season of the ECHL. The regular season began on October 21, 2022, and ended on April 16, 2023, with the 2023 Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. 28 teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces played 72 games.
The 2023 Kelly Cup playoffs of the ECHL hockey league began on April 19, 2023, following the conclusion of the 2022–23 ECHL regular season and ended on June 9 with the Florida Everblades winning their second consecutive Kelly Cup and third overall over the Idaho Steelheads in four games.
The 2024 Kelly Cup playoffs of the ECHL hockey league began on April 17, 2024, following the conclusion of the 2023–24 ECHL regular season and ended on June 8, with the Florida Everblades winning 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.