The final spot in the Division Finals round of the 2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs will be determined tonight when the Cincinnati Cyclones host the Fort Wayne Komets in the 52nd Game 7 in ECHL postseason history. The winner of tonight's game advances to meet the Toledo Walleye in the Central Division Finals.
Cincinnati is playing in a Game 7 for the seventh time, with a 4-2 record in their previous six games, while Fort Wayne is 1-3 all-time in ECHL Game 7s, with the Komets only win coming against Cincinnati in the 2016 Western Conference Quarterfinals.
The Komets are the 17th team in ECHL postseason history to force a Game 7 after trailing a series 3 games to 1. Eight of the previous 16 teams to have forced a Game 7 in that situation won the series. Fort Wayne is also looking to become the third team in ECHL history to win Games 6 and 7 of a series on the road, joining Newfoundland (vs. Reading in 2022 North Division Finals) and Wheeling (vs. South Carolina in 2016 Eastern Conference Finals).
The home team is 35-16 all-time in ECHL Game 7s and has won 22 of the last 31. Eleven Game 7s have gone beyond regulation, with four being decided in two overtimes and one in three overtimes. The home team has won eight of the 11 games decided in overtime.
Game 7s in ECHL History
| DATE | TEAMS | ROUND |
| May 16, 2022 | NEWFOUNDLAND 4 at Reading 2 | DF |
| May 4, 2022 | Tulsa 2 at UTAH 5 | DSF |
| May 3, 2022 | WHEELING 3 at Fort Wayne 2 | DSF |
| May 3, 2022 | Cincinnati 2 at TOLEDO 4 | DSF |
| May 3, 2022 | Trois-Rivières 2 at NEWFOUNDLAND 5 | DSF |
| May 22, 2019 | TOLEDO 6 at Tulsa 2 | CF |
| April 24, 2019 | Kansas City 2 at TULSA 6 | DSF |
| June 9, 2018 | COLORADO 3 at Florida 2 | KCF |
| May 23, 2018 | Fort Wayne 3 at COLORADO 4 (OT) | CF |
| April 25, 2018 | Allen 1 at IDAHO 4 | DSF |
| May 24, 2017 | SOUTH CAROLINA 4 at Manchester 3 | CF |
| April 26, 2017 | Orlando 4 at FLORIDA 7 | DSF |
| April 25, 2017 | Kalamazoo 1 at TOLEDO 3 | DSF |
| May 24, 2016 | WHEELING 5 at South Carolina 2 | CF |
| May 11, 2016 | Adirondack 2 at SOUTH CAROLINA 3 (2 OT) | CSF |
| May 11, 2016 | Reading 3 at WHEELING 4 (OT) | CSF |
| April 27, 2016 | Idaho 2 at ALLEN 3 (OT) | CQF |
| April 27, 2016 | Cincinnati 0 at FORT WAYNE 2 | CQF |
| April 26, 2016 | READING 4 at Toledo 1 | CQF |
| June 14, 2015 | South Carolina 1 at ALLEN 6 | KCF |
| May 27, 2015 | SOUTH CAROLINA 1 at Toledo 0 (3 OT) | CF |
| May 27, 2015 | Ontario 1 at ALLEN 3 | CF |
| May 13, 2015 | Fort Wayne 2 at TOLEDO 5 | DF |
| April 29, 2015 | Quad City 1 at RAPID CITY 2 | DSF |
| April 29, 2015 | Wheeling 1 at TOLEDO 2 (OT) | DSF |
| April 29, 2015 | Reading 2 at SOUTH CAROLINA 3 | DSF |
| April 28, 2015 | Colorado 2 at ONTARIO 4 | DSF |
| May 1, 2013 | Florida 1 at READING 4 | CSF |
| April 14, 2013 | Las Vegas 4 at STOCKTON 6 | CQF |
| April 27, 2011 | WHEELING 4 at Greenville 3 (OT) | CSF |
| May 12, 2010 | Reading 0 at CINCINNATI 1 | CF |
| April 28, 2010 | CINCINNATI 2 at Charlotte 1 | CSF |
| June 5, 2009 | SOUTH CAROLINA 4 at Alaska 2 | KCF |
| May 6, 2009 | Stockton 1 at LAS VEGAS 5 | DF |
| April 22, 2009 | STOCKTON 5 at Ontario 4 | DSF |
| April 22, 2009 | Bakersfield 1 at LAS VEGAS 5 | DSF |
| April 21, 2009 | ELMIRA 5 at Trenton 3 | DSF |
| April 20, 2009 | Wheeling 1 at CINCINNATI 2 (2 OT) | DSF |
| May 5, 2008 | Reading 1 at CINCINNATI 6 | DF |
| May 18, 2007 | DAYTON 3 at Florida 1 | CF |
| May 3, 2007 | Cincinnati 3 at DAYTON 5 | DF |
| May 22, 2006 | Fresno 2 at ALASKA 3 (2 OT) | CF |
| May 6, 2006 | Bakersfield 2 at FRESNO 4 | DF |
| April 22, 2006 | Long Beach 3 at BAKERSFIELD 4 | DSF |
| April 19, 2006 | Idaho 2 at LAS VEGAS 6 | DSF |
| May 16, 2005 | TRENTON 2 at Alaska 0 | CF |
| May 3, 2003 | Cincinnati 2 at ATLANTIC CITY 3 | CF |
| May 13, 2001 | Peoria 3 at TRENTON 4 | CF |
| May 30, 1999 | Richmond 3 at MISSISSIPPI 4 (2 OT) | KCF |
| March 31, 1992 | Roanoke Valley 2 at GREENSBORO 6 | 1st |
| April 12, 1989 | CAROLINA 7 at Johnstown 4 | RCF |
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