INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – The Florida Everblades captured the 2026 Kelly Cup title with a 5-4 double overtime win over the Kansas City Mavericks in Game 6 of the 2026 Kelly Cup Finals in front of a standing-room only crowd of 5,786 fans at Cable Dahmer Arena.
 
Florida extends its ECHL record by winning its fifth championship, and its fourth in the last five seasons. It is the first time that the Everblades have captured the title on the road, after winning each of their previous four championships on home ice.
 
Everblades’ goaltender Cam Johnson earned the June M. Kelly Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award as the Most Valuable Player of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs for the third time in his career. Johnson, who also received the award in 2022 and 2023, went 16-3 during the postseason with a 1.93 goals-against average and .921 save percentage.
 
2026 Kelly Cup Finals
Game 1 – Florida 0 at Kansas City 6
Game 2 – Florida 2 at Kansas City 5
Game 3 – Kansas City 1 at Florida 2 (OT)
Game 4 – Kansas City 2 at Florida 3 (OT)
Game 5 – Kansas City 2 at Florida 5
Game 6 – Florida 5 at Kansas City 4 (2 OT)
 
Kelly Cup Champions
2026 – Florida defeated Kansas City, 4 games to 2
2025 – Trois-Rivières defeated Toledo, 4 games to 1
2024 – Florida defeated Kansas City, 4 games to 1
2023 – Florida defeated Idaho, 4 games to 0
2022 – Florida defeated Toledo, 4 games to 1
2021 – Fort Wayne defeated South Carolina, 3 games to 1
2020 – Playoffs were canceled due to COVID-19
2019 – Newfoundland defeated Toledo, 4 games to 2
2018 – Colorado defeated Florida, 4 games to 3
2017 – Colorado defeated South Carolina, 4 games to 0 
2016 – Allen defeated Wheeling, 4 games to 2
2015 – Allen defeated South Carolina, 4 games to 3
2014 – Alaska defeated Cincinnati, 4 games to 2
2013 – Reading defeated Stockton, 4 games to 1
2012 – Florida defeated Las Vegas, 4 games to 1
2011 – Alaska defeated Kalamazoo, 4 games to 1
2010 – Cincinnati defeated Idaho, 4 games to 1
2009 – South Carolina defeated Alaska, 4 games to 3
2008 – Cincinnati defeated Las Vegas, 4 games to 2
2007 – Idaho defeated Dayton, 4 games to 1
2006 – Alaska defeated Gwinnett, 4 games to 1
2005 – Trenton defeated Florida, 4 games to 2
2004 – Idaho defeated Florida, 4 games to 1
2003 – Atlantic City defeated Columbia, 4 games to 1
2002 – Greenville defeated Dayton, 4 games to 0
2001 – South Carolina defeated Trenton, 4 games to 1
2000 – Peoria defeated Louisiana, 4 games to 2
1999 – Mississippi defeated Richmond, 4 games to 3
1998 – Hampton Roads defeated Pensacola, 4 games to 2
1997 – South Carolina defeated Louisiana, 4 games to 1
 
Riley Cup Champions
1996 – Charlotte defeated Jacksonville, 4 games to 0
1995 – Richmond defeated Greensboro, 4 games to 1
1994 – Toledo defeated Raleigh, 4 games to 1
1993 – Toledo defeated Wheeling, 4 games to 2
1992 – Hampton Roads defeated Louisville, 4 games to 0
1991 – Hampton Roads defeated Greensboro, 4 games to 1
1990 – Greensboro defeated Winston-Salem, 4 games to 1
1989 – Carolina defeated Johnstown, 4 games to 3
 
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 782 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 14 who made their NHL debuts in the 2025-26 season. The ECHL had 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.