Series Matchup Sheet 

2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs Bracket 

Playoff Leaders

Download the 2026 Kelly Cup Finals Media Guide

The battle to determine the national “AA” hockey champion begins Friday when the Western Conference champion Kansas City Mavericks host the Eastern Conference champion Florida Everblades in Game 1 of the 2026 Kelly Cup Finals at 7:05 p.m. CT at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri.

Celebrating its 38th Season in 2025-26, the ECHL is the Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League and is the third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League.

The Kelly Cup trophy is named for Patrick J. Kelly, who presents it each year to the postseason champion. Kelly was one of the founding fathers of the ECHL and was the second inductee into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2008. Kelly served as Commissioner for the league’s first eight seasons and was named Commissioner Emeritus in 1996, a title that he continues to hold. Kelly, who celebrates his 73rd season in professional hockey in 2025-26, coached 1,900 career games and had 935 wins. Kelly coached in the Eastern Hockey League, the Southern Hockey League and the National Hockey League where he was the only coach to ever lead the Colorado Rockies to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Game 2 will be Saturday at 6:05 p.m. CT at Kansas City before the series shifts to Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida, where the Everblades will host Game 3 on Wednesday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET and Game 4 on Friday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Game 5, if necessary, would be at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 13. The series would return to Kansas City, if necessary, for Game 6 on Monday, June 15 at 7:05 p.m. CT and Game 7 on Wednesday, June 17 at 7:05 p.m. CT.

The ECHL is the primary development league for the AHL and the NHL. The ECHL and the AHL are the only two minor professional hockey leagues that are recognized in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL and the National Hockey League Players' Association. The CBA states that any player on an NHL entry-level contract designated for assignment to a minor league must report if assigned to a team in the ECHL or the AHL. A player on an NHL entry-level contract assigned to a minor professional league other than the ECHL or the AHL is not required to report and can request reassignment to a team in the ECHL or the AHL.
 
Kansas City is the ECHL affiliate of the Seattle Kraken while Florida is the ECHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues.

How they got here 

Kansas City captured the Mountain Division regular-season title for the third consecutive season, and the Brabham Cup as ECHL regular-season champion for the second time in three seasons, with a 55-12-5 record for 115 points. The Mavericks swept Tahoe in the Mountain Division Semifinals and Allen in the Mountain Division Finals before eliminating Fort Wayne 4 games to 2 in the Western Conference Finals.
 
Florida won the South Division regular-season title, and finished second overall in the league, with a 49-13-10 record for 108 points. The Everblades defeated Savannah in four games in the South Division Semifinals before back-to-back five game victories against South Carolina in the South Division Finals and Wheeling in the Eastern Conference Finals.
 
This series marks just the second time in ECHL history that the top two teams from the regular season meet in the Finals, joining 1993 when Toledo - which finished second in the regular season - defeated regular-season champion Wheeling in six games in the Riley Cup Finals.
 
Everblades look to extend record, Mavericks chase first title
 
Florida is appearing in the Kelly Cup Finals for the eighth time in team history, extending its ECHL record for most Finals appearances. The Everblades have won a league record four championships (2012, 2022, 2023 and 2024) and are seeking their fourth title in five seasons.
 
Kansas City is in search of the first championship in team history. The Mavericks are in the Kelly Cup Finals for the second time in three seasons after falling to Florida in five games in 2024.
 
This marks just the second Finals rematch in the ECHL’s 38-season history. Florida and Idaho met in the Kelly Cup Finals in both 2004 and 2023.
 
Success at home and on the road
 
During the 2025-26 regular season, Kansas City and Florida were the only teams to win at least 24 games both at home and on the road. The dual success has carried through during the playoffs for both teams.
 
The Mavericks were 27-8-1 at Cable Dahmer Arena in the regular season, and were even better on the road, with a 28-4-4 mark. The 28 road wins are the second most in a single-season in ECHL history while the four regulation losses are tied for the fewest in a season all-time. Through three rounds of the playoffs, Kansas City is 6-1 both at home and on the road.
 
The Everblades posted a 25-5-6 mark during the regular season at Hertz Arena while going 24-8-4 away from home. Florida has yet to lose on home ice during the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs, going 6-0 while outscoring its opponents 18-4. On the road in the postseason, Florida is 6-2 and has outscored its opposition 32-16.
 
Working overtime

The 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs have seen 14 overtime games through three rounds. The record for overtime games in a single postseason is 26, which was set in the 2008 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Kansas City is 2-0 in games that have gone beyond regulation in the postseason while Florida is 0-1.
 
Scoring leaders on both sides 

Bobo Carpenter leads Kansas City in the playoffs with nine goals, and is tied with Jack Randl (3g-11a) for the team lead with 14 points. Jackson Jutting leads rookies in the postseason with seven goals while ranking second among first-year players with 11 points.
 
Florida’s Anthony Romano leads all players through three rounds with 11 goals, and paces the Everblades with 14 points. Cole Moberg is tied for first among defensemen with three goals while his 10 points are tied for second among blueliners.
 
Between the pipes

Kansas City has gone with a rotation in goal with Jack LaFontaine and Dylan Wells both seeing action in seven contests. Wells ranks third with a 1.94 goals-against average and fourth with a .928 save percentage while LaFontaine is eighth with a 2.44 goals-against average.

Cam Johnson has played every minute of the postseason for Florida, allowing two goals or less in 12 of his 14 appearances. Johnson leads all goaltenders with a 1.35 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage while his three shutouts are tied for the playoff lead. Johnson has been a part of Florida’s last three Kelly Cup championship teams - winning Playoff MVP honors in 2022 and 2023 - and is the ECHL’s all-time leader in postseason appearances by a goaltender (92), wins (69) and shutouts (16).
 
Behind the Benches

Kansas City’s Tad O’Had has led the Mavericks to four consecutive Kelly Cup Playoffs appearances, and to the Kelly Cup Finals for the second time in three years. He is 255-136-41 in the regular season and 36-19 in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
 
Florida’s Brad Ralph is the ECHL’s all-time postseason leader in games coached (182) and wins (117). He led the Everblades to Kelly Cup championships in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and is coaching in the Kelly Cup Finals for the sixth time in his career.
Name already on Kelly Cup 
 
Fifteen players and one coach participating in the 2026 Kelly Cup Finals have their name engraved on the Kelly Cup. Kansas City’s Bobo Carpenter was on Florida’s 2024 championship team, Jake McLaughlin was on Florida’s 2022 title squad, Jakov Novak won a title with Trois-Rivières in 2025 and Zach Uens was a part of Florida’s 2023 and 2024 championship teams. Nine Everblades players, along with Head Coach Brad Ralph, have won previous titles with Florida - Zach Berzolla (2024), Ben Brar (2024), Oliver Chau (2023 and 2024), Cam Johnson (2022, 2023 and 2024), Logan Lambdin (2023 and 2024), Jesse Lansdell (2024), Cole Moberg (2023 and 2024), Jordan Sambrook (2022 and 2024), Riese Zmolek (2024) and Head Coach Brad Ralph (2022, 2023 and 2024). Florida’s Oliver Cooper won a championship with Fort Wayne in 2021 while Hudson Elynuik captured the 2019 title with Newfoundland. There are 71 players who have won multiple Kelly Cup championships since the trophy was introduced in 1997.
 
Players returning to Finals

In addition to the players who have previously won Kelly Cup titles, five players from Kansas City, along with Head Coach Tad O’Had, participated in the 2024 Finals with the Mavericks: Casey Carreau, David Cotton, Ryan Jones, Jack LaFontaine and Nolan Sullivan.
 
FloHockey broadcasts Kelly Cup Finals 

For the 22nd year in a row every game of the Kelly Cup Finals will be available online, through FloHockey, which is in its sixth season of streaming every ECHL regular season and postseason game.

2026 Kelly Cup Finals Schedule

Game 1 – Friday, June 5 at 7:05 p.m. CT at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri
Game 2 – Saturday, June 6 at 6:05 p.m. CT at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri
Game 3 – Wednesday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida
Game 4 – Friday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida
Game 5 – Saturday, June 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida *
Game 6 – Monday, June 15 at 7:05 p.m. CT at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri *
Game 7 – Wednesday, June 17 at 7:05 p.m. CT at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri *
 
* - If Necessary

Kelly Cup Champions
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