The Kansas City Mavericks captured the Bruce Taylor Trophy as ECHL Western Conference champions on Tuesday with a 4-3 overtime win over the Fort Wayne Komets in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals.
 
Schedule announced for 2026 Kelly Cup Finals
 
Kansas City wins the series 4 games to 2, and advances to the 2026 Kelly Cup Finals, where it will meet the Florida Everblades. The Mavericks advance to the Kelly Cup Finals for the second time in three seasons after falling to Florida 4 games to 1 in the 2024 Kelly Cup Finals.
 
Jakov Novak, who scored the overtime game-winning goal on Tuesday, led Kansas City in the series with five goals, while David Cotton (3g-3a), Landon McCallum (2g-4a) and Marcus Crawford (1g-5a) shared the team lead with six points each.
 
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
2026    Kansas City Mavericks
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 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 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.