Growlers capture ECHL title in their first season of existence

The Newfoundland Growlers captured the 2019 Kelly Cup championship on Tuesday with a 4-3 win over the Toledo Walleye in Game 6 of the 2019 Kelly Cup Finals presented by SmileDirectClub in front of a standing-room only crowd of 6,329 fans at Mile One Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Newfoundland, which joined the ECHL as an expansion team prior to the 2018-19 season, becomes the first team to claim the ECHL title in its first season of existence since the Greensboro Monarchs in 1990.

Growlers’ forward Zach O’Brien earned the June M. Kelly Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award. O’Brien led all players in the 2019 Kelly Cup Playoffs with 16 goals and 29 points. The 16 goals are tied for the second most in a single postseason in ECHL history, just one behind the league record of 17, which was set by Richmond’s Blaine Moore in 1995 and matched by Peoria’s J.F. Boutin in 2000.

The Playoffs Most Valuable Trophy was renamed earlier this year in honor of June M. Kelly, the wife of ECHL Commissioner Emeritus Patrick J. Kelly, whom the Kelly Cup is named after. Mrs. Kelly was an integral part of the ECHL behind the scenes during her husband’s tenure as Commissioner from the League’s inaugural season in 1988-89 through his retirement following the 1995-96 season.

Hudson Elynuik led the Growlers in the series with eight points (2g-6a) while Kestner had a team-high three goals. Shane Berschbach (4g-3a) and Matt Register (0g-7a) paced the Walleye with seven points each.

2019 Kelly Cup FinalsGame 1 – Toledo 3 at NEWFOUNDLAND 4 (OT)Game 2 – Toledo 1 at NEWFOUNDLAND 2 (OT)Game 3 – Newfoundland 1 at TOLEDO 4Game 4 – NEWFOUNDLAND 4 at Toledo 2Game 5 – Newfoundland 2 at TOLEDO 3Game 6 – Toledo 3 at NEWFOUNDLAND 4

Kelly Cup Champions2019 – Newfoundland defeated Toledo, 4 games to 22018 – Colorado defeated Florida, 4 games to 32017 – Colorado defeated South Carolina, 4 games to 02016 – Allen defeated Wheeling, 4 games to 22015 – Allen defeated South Carolina, 4 games to 32014 – Alaska defeated Cincinnati, 4 games to 22013 – Reading defeated Stockton, 4 games to 12012 – Florida defeated Las Vegas, 4 games to 12011 – Alaska defeated Kalamazoo, 4 games to 12010 – Cincinnati defeated Idaho, 4 games to 12009 – South Carolina defeated Alaska, 4 games to 32008 – Cincinnati defeated Las Vegas, 4 games to 22007 – Idaho defeated Dayton, 4 games to 12006 – Alaska defeated Gwinnett, 4 games to 12005 – Trenton defeated Florida, 4 games to 22004 – Idaho defeated Florida, 4 games to 12003 – Atlantic City defeated Columbia, 4 games to 12002 – Greenville defeated Dayton, 4 games to 02001 – South Carolina defeated Trenton, 4 games to 12000 – Peoria defeated Louisiana, 4 games to 21999 – Mississippi defeated Richmond, 4 games to 31998 – Hampton Roads defeated Pensacola, 4 games to 21997 – South Carolina defeated Louisiana, 4 games to 1

Riley Cup Champions1996 – Charlotte defeated Jacksonville, 4 games to 01995 – Richmond defeated Greensboro, 4 games to 11994 – Toledo defeated Raleigh, 4 games to 11993 – Toledo defeated Wheeling, 4 games to 21992 – Hampton Roads defeated Louisville, 4 games to 01991 – Hampton Roads defeated Greensboro, 4 games to 11990 – Greensboro defeated Winston-Salem, 4 games to 11989 – Carolina defeated Johnstown, 4 games to 3

About the ECHL

Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 27 teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces for its 31st season in 2018-19. There have been 661 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 19 who made their NHL debuts in the 2018-19 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 25 of the 31 NHL teams in 2018-19, marking the 22nd consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook.