Kelly Cup Playoffs Explained
16 teams. Four rounds. Best-of-seven series with sudden-death overtime and no shootouts. Here's how the ECHL's championship is decided.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Kelly Cup?
The Kelly Cup is the championship trophy awarded each season to the playoff champion of the ECHL. It is the ECHL's equivalent of the Stanley Cup (NHL) or Calder Cup (AHL). The trophy is named after Patrick J. Kelly, a co-founder of the league.
How many teams make the Kelly Cup playoffs?
Sixteen teams qualify for the Kelly Cup playoffs — the top four teams from each of the four divisions (North, South, Central, Mountain). The remaining teams in each division are eliminated and play out the rest of the regular season for draft positioning and development.
How are first-round playoff matchups decided?
Within each division, the top four seeds are paired by seed: the 1 seed plays the 4 seed, and the 2 seed plays the 3 seed. The higher seed in each matchup has home-ice advantage for the series. Cross-division matchups are not used in the first round.
How long is each playoff round?
Every round of the Kelly Cup playoffs is a best-of-seven series — the first team to win four games advances. There are four rounds: Division Semifinals, Division Finals, Conference Finals, and the Kelly Cup Finals.
How does home-ice advantage work in the playoffs?
The higher-seeded team holds home-ice advantage. The standard format is 2-2-1-1-1 — games 1, 2, 5, and 7 are played at the higher seed's arena, while games 3, 4, and 6 are at the lower seed's arena. Games 5, 6, and 7 are only played if needed.
How does overtime work in the Kelly Cup playoffs?
Playoff overtime is sudden death at full strength (5-on-5). Teams play continuous 20-minute periods until a goal is scored — there are no shootouts in the playoffs. A single goal ends the game no matter how long it takes; some playoff games have stretched into multiple OT periods.
How are the conferences structured in later rounds?
After the Division Semifinals, the two winners within each division meet in the Division Finals. The two division-final winners in each conference then meet in the Conference Finals. The Eastern Conference champion and Western Conference champion meet in the Kelly Cup Finals.
Who has won the most Kelly Cups?
The Florida Everblades have won the Kelly Cup four times — including back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023, plus a third in 2024 — making them the most successful franchise in modern ECHL playoff history. Other multiple-time champions include the South Carolina Stingrays, Toledo Walleye, and Alaska Aces.
When are the Kelly Cup playoffs played?
The Kelly Cup playoffs begin in mid-April after the regular season ends and typically conclude in mid-to-late June. The full bracket and current series scores are available on our playoffs page.