Toledo captures Bruce Taylor Trophy as Western Conference champions

The Toledo Walleye captured the Bruce Taylor Trophy as ECHL Western Conference champions on Saturday with a 5-2 win over the Kansas City Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
 
Toledo wins the series 4 games to 1, and advances to the 2025 Kelly Cup Finals, where it will meet the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals. Trois-Rivières leads Florida in that series 3 games to 2, with Game 6 set for Tuesday at Florida.
 
Brandon Hawkins notched three points (1g-2a), Matt Anderson and Trenton Bliss both scored a pair of goals and Jan Bednar stopped 23 Kansas City shots to record in the win in goal in Game 5.
 
The Walleye advance to the Kelly Cup Finals for the third time in their last five postseason appearances after falling to Newfoundland in six games in 2019 and to Florida in five games in 2022. It is the fifth visit to the final round of the ECHL playoffs for a Toledo team as the Toledo Storm won back-to-back Riley Cup championships in 1993 and 1994.
 
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.

Bruce Taylor Trophy Champions
2025    Toledo Walleye
2024    Kansas City Mavericks
2023    Idaho Steelheads
2022    Toledo Walleye
2021    Fort Wayne Komets
2020    Trophy not awarded due to COVID-19
2019    Toledo Walleye
2018    Colorado Eagles
2017    Colorado Eagles         
2016    Allen Americans        
2015    Allen Americans        
2014    Alaska Aces   
2013    Stockton Thunder      
2012    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
 
About the ECHL
 
Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 29 teams in 22 states and one Canadian province for its 37th season in 2024-25. There have been 768 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 16 who have made their NHL debuts in the 2024-25 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 29 of the 32 NHL teams in 2024-25, marking the 27th 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.