The Kansas City Mavericks clinched the 2025-26 Brabham Cup championship on Saturday by virtue of Florida’s 2-1 overtime loss at Jacksonville.
 
The Brabham Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the ECHL team that finishes with the best record in the regular season. The recipient is guaranteed home-ice advantage throughout its participation in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.  
 
Kansas City is 52-10-4 for 108 points entering Saturday’s game at Idaho. With six games left in the season, the Mavericks are six wins shy of tying the ECHL single-season record for wins and 11 points shy of tying the league’s single-season points record.
 
This is the second time in three seasons, and third time overall, that the Mavericks have captured the ECHL regular-season championship. In 2023-24, Kansas City went 54-12-6 for 112 points, setting an ECHL record in the process for most road wins in a season with 29, and reaching the Kelly Cup Finals. The Mavericks also won the Brabham Cup in 2015-16 after finishing the regular season 52-15-5 for 109 points.
 
Kansas City has won the Central Division title in each of the last three seasons. After reaching the Kelly Cup Finals in 2024, the Mavericks advanced to the Western Conference Finals last season. The Mavericks will be participating in the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the sixth time since joining the ECHL in 2014-15, and for the fourth consecutive season.
 
The award is named in recognition of Henry Brabham, who founded the ECHL in 1988-89 with five teams in four states. Brabham, who was the first inductee into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2008, owned three of the original five teams. The dedication of the Virginia businessman was crucial to the league surviving to span from coast-to-coast while advancing over 770 players and countless coaches, on-ice officials and front office personnel to the National Hockey League.  
 
Brabham Cup Champions
2025-26           Kansas City Mavericks
2024-25           South Carolina Stingrays        109 points
2023-24           Kansas City Mavericks           114 points
2022-23           Idaho Steelheads                     119 points
2021-22           Toledo Walleye                       .708 points percentage
2020-21           Florida Everblades                  .667 points percentage
2019-20           Trophy not awarded due to COVID-19
2018-19           Cincinnati Cyclones                110 points
2017-18           Florida Everblades                  112 points
2016-17           Toledo Walleye                       106 points
2015-16           Missouri Mavericks                109 points
2014-15           Toledo Walleye                       107 points
2013-14           Alaska Aces                            97 points
2012-13           Alaska Aces                            106 points
2011-12           Alaska Aces                            97 points        
2010-11           Alaska Aces                            97 points
2009-10           Idaho Steelheads                     103 points
2008-09           Florida Everblades                  103 points
2007-08           Cincinnati Cyclones                115 points
2006-07           Las Vegas Wranglers              106 points
2005-06           Alaska Aces                            113 points
2004-05           Pensacola Ice Pilots                107 points
2003-04           San Diego Gulls                      108 points
2002-03           Toledo Storm                          104 points
2001-02           Louisiana Ice Gators               116 points
2000-01           Trenton Titans                         104 points
1999-00           Florida Everblades                  108 points
1998-99           Pee Dee Pride                         106 points
1997-98           Louisiana Ice Gators               96 points
1996-97           South Carolina Stingrays        100 points
1995-96           Richmond Renegades             105 points
1994-95           Wheeling Thunderbirds          97 points
1993-94           Knoxville Cherokees              94 points
1992-93           Wheeling Thunderbirds          88 points
1991-92           Toledo Storm                          95 points
1990-91           Knoxville Cherokees              97 points
1989-90           Winston-Salem Thunderbirds 82 points
1998-89           Erie Panthers                           77 points
 
About the ECHL
 
Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 30 teams in 23 states and one Canadian province for its 38th season in 2025-26. There have been 778 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 10 who have made their NHL debuts in the 2025-26 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 30 of the 32 NHL teams in 2025-26, marking the 28th 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.