Florida wins 2023 Kelly Cup title

Everblades capture ECHL championship for second consecutive season

ESTERO, Fla. – The Florida Everblades captured the 2023 Kelly Cup championship on Friday with a 4-3 win over the Idaho Steelheads in Game 4 of the 2023 Kelly Cup Finals in front of a standing-room only crowd of 7,885 fans at Hertz Arena. 

Florida, which was appearing in the Kelly Cup Finals for the sixth time (tied for most in ECHL history), won the Kelly Cup title for the second consecutive season and the third time overall. The Everblades become the fifth team in ECHL history to claim back-to-back titles, joining Hampton Roads (1991 and 1992), Toledo (1993 and 1994), Allen (2015 and 2016) and Colorado (2017 and 2018) while their third championship ties Hampton Roads, South Carolina and Alaska for the most in League history. 

Everblades’ goaltender Cam Johnson earned the June M. Kelly Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award as the Most Valuable Player of the 2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Johnson becomes the first player in ECHL history to win the postseason MVP award in consecutive seasons and he joins Nick Vitucci and Dave Gagnon as the only players to win the award twice over their career. 

2023 Kelly Cup Finals
Game 1 – FLORIDA 3 at Idaho 2 (OT)
Game 2 – FLORIDA 5 at Idaho 3
Game 3 – Idaho 0 at FLORIDA 1
Game 4 – Idaho 3 at FLORIDA 4

Kelly Cup Champions
2023 – Florida defeated Idaho, 4 games to 0
2022 – Florida defeated Toledo, 4 games to 1
2021 – Fort Wayne defeated South Carolina, 3 games to 1
2020 – Playoffs were canceled due to COVID-19
2019 – Newfoundland defeated Toledo, 4 games to 2
2018 – Colorado defeated Florida, 4 games to 3
2017 – Colorado defeated South Carolina, 4 games to 0
2016 – Allen defeated Wheeling, 4 games to 2
2015 – Allen defeated South Carolina, 4 games to 3
2014 – Alaska defeated Cincinnati, 4 games to 2
2013 – Reading defeated Stockton, 4 games to 1
2012 – Florida defeated Las Vegas, 4 games to 1
2011 – Alaska defeated Kalamazoo, 4 games to 1
2010 – Cincinnati defeated Idaho, 4 games to 1
2009 – South Carolina defeated Alaska, 4 games to 3
2008 – Cincinnati defeated Las Vegas, 4 games to 2
2007 – Idaho defeated Dayton, 4 games to 1
2006 – Alaska defeated Gwinnett, 4 games to 1
2005 – Trenton defeated Florida, 4 games to 2
2004 – Idaho defeated Florida, 4 games to 1
2003 – Atlantic City defeated Columbia, 4 games to 1
2002 – Greenville defeated Dayton, 4 games to 0
2001 – South Carolina defeated Trenton, 4 games to 1
2000 – Peoria defeated Louisiana, 4 games to 2
1999 – Mississippi defeated Richmond, 4 games to 3
1998 – Hampton Roads defeated Pensacola, 4 games to 2
1997 – South Carolina defeated Louisiana, 4 games to 1 

Riley Cup Champions
1996 – Charlotte defeated Jacksonville, 4 games to 0
1995 – Richmond defeated Greensboro, 4 games to 1
1994 – Toledo defeated Raleigh, 4 games to 1
1993 – Toledo defeated Wheeling, 4 games to 2
1992 – Hampton Roads defeated Louisville, 4 games to 0
1991 – Hampton Roads defeated Greensboro, 4 games to 1
1990 – Greensboro defeated Winston-Salem, 4 games to 1
1989 – Carolina defeated Johnstown, 4 games to 3 

About the ECHL 

Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 28 teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces for its 35th season in 2022-23. There have been 740 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 13 who have made their NHL debut in the 2022-23 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 28 of the 32 NHL teams in 2022-23, marking the 26th consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook.