Home
News
Eagles claim Taylor Trophy as Western Conference champions

Eagles claim Taylor Trophy as Western Conference champions

Sunday, May 21st

The Colorado Eagles won the Bruce Taylor Trophy as ECHL Western Conference champions on Saturday with a 6-3 win over the Toledo Walleye in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Colorado advances to the 2017 Kelly Cup Finals where it will meet the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between Manchester and South Carolina. The Stingrays lead that series 3 games to 2 with Game 6 set for Monday at Manchester.

Trailing 3-1 midway through the second period on Saturday, the Eagles reeled off four consecutive goals to take control of the game. Cam Maclise scored a pair of goals while Matt Register (3a), Ryan Harrison (2a) and Jake Marto (2a) all had multi-point games as well.

Register led Colorado in the series with eight points (1g-7a) while Alex Belzile, who leads all players in the postseason with 24 points (14g-10a), scored a team-best four goals in the series.

The trophy is named in recognition of Bruce Taylor, who was the founding father of the West Coast Hockey League. In the early 1990s, Taylor purchased teams in Fresno, Reno and Bakersfield and in 1995 joined them with teams in Anchorage, Fairbanks and San Diego to form the West Coast Hockey League. The Taylor Cup was presented to the playoff champion in the WCHL from the league’s inaugural season in 1995-96 until the league ceased operations following the 2002-03 season. Taylor’s ownership in hockey began in 1983 with the purchase of the Burnaby Bluehawks of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League and continued with the purchase of the Richmond Sockeyes in the BCJHL and the New Westminster Royals in the BCJHL.

Taylor Trophy Champions

2017 Colorado Eagles 2016 Allen Americans2015 Allen Americans2014 Alaska Aces2013 Stockton Thunder2012 Las Vegas Wranglers 2011 Alaska Aces 2010 Idaho Steelheads 2009 Alaska Aces 2008 Las Vegas Wranglers 2007 Idaho Steelheads 2006 Alaska Aces 2005 Trenton Titans 2004 Idaho Steelheads 2003 Columbia Inferno 2002 Greenville Grrrowl 2001 South Carolina Stingrays 2000 Louisiana IceGators 1999 Mississippi Sea Wolves 1998 Pensacola Ice Pilots