ECHL Format Explained
How the ECHL is structured: 30 teams, two conferences, four divisions, 72 games, and the rules that decide overtime and the standings.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ECHL?
The ECHL is a professional ice hockey league based in North America and the only AA-level league in pro hockey, sitting one tier below the American Hockey League (AHL) and two tiers below the National Hockey League (NHL). It is recognized by the NHL as a development league and most NHL franchises maintain an ECHL affiliate where lower-level prospects develop before being called up to the AHL.
How many teams are in the ECHL?
The ECHL currently has 30 active franchises spread across the United States and Canada. They are organized into two conferences and four divisions: the Eastern Conference (North and South divisions) and the Western Conference (Central and Mountain divisions).
How is the ECHL organized into conferences and divisions?
The Eastern Conference contains the North Division (including teams like Wheeling, Maine, Adirondack, Reading, Worcester, Trois-Rivières, Norfolk, and Greensboro) and the South Division (Florida, South Carolina, Atlanta, Savannah, Jacksonville, Greenville, and Orlando). The Western Conference contains the Central Division (Fort Wayne, Toledo, Bloomington, Indy, Kalamazoo, Cincinnati, and Iowa) and the Mountain Division (Idaho, Kansas City, Allen, Wichita, Tulsa, Utah, Rapid City, and Tahoe).
How long is the ECHL regular season?
Each ECHL team plays a 72-game regular season that runs from mid-October through mid-April. The schedule is built primarily on intra-divisional matchups, with fewer inter-conference games due to travel distance, especially between Eastern teams and Mountain Division clubs.
How are points awarded in the ECHL standings?
ECHL teams earn 2 points for a win (in regulation, overtime, or shootout), 1 point for an overtime loss (OTL), 1 point for a shootout loss (SOL), and 0 points for a regulation loss. Standings within a division are sorted by total points, with tiebreakers including regulation wins (RW), regulation-plus-overtime wins (ROW), and head-to-head record.
How does ECHL overtime work in the regular season?
If a regular-season game is tied after 60 minutes of regulation, teams play a 5-minute sudden-death overtime period at 3-on-3. If the game is still tied after overtime, it is decided by a 3-round shootout. The winning team earns 2 points; the losing team gets 1 point regardless of whether it lost in OT or the shootout.
How does ECHL playoff overtime work?
Playoff overtime is different. Tied playoff games are decided by sudden-death 20-minute periods at 5-on-5 (full strength), played continuously until a goal is scored. There are no shootouts in the playoffs.
How many teams make the ECHL playoffs?
Sixteen teams qualify for the Kelly Cup playoffs — the top four teams from each of the four divisions. See our Kelly Cup playoffs guide for full bracket structure and round formats.
What is the ECHL's relationship to the NHL and AHL?
The ECHL is the AA-level affiliate league for NHL franchises. NHL teams typically affiliate with one AHL team and one ECHL team, and players can be assigned downward (NHL to AHL, AHL to ECHL) or recalled upward depending on injuries, performance, and development needs. See our ECHL vs AHL vs NHL guide for a deeper comparison.