North Division Semifinals (Best of Seven)
#1 Wheeling Nailers (46-20-6) vs. #4 Reading Royals (36-26-10)
Series Matchup Sheet
Wheeling enters the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive season off of its first division title since 2003-04 while Reading is in the postseason for the fourth time in five years. The two teams are meeting in the playoffs for the fourth time, with the Nailers coming out on top in two of the three previous series, including the last meeting in 2016.
The Nailers went 46-20-6 in the regular season, and were one of three teams to win at least 22 games both at home and on the road. Connor Lockhart (21g-34a) and Brent Johnson (12g-43a) shared the team lead with 55 points. Johnson, who was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team, led all ECHL defensemen in scoring this season. Taylor Gauthier was tied for the ECHL lead with a .929 save percentage and ranked third with a 2.09 goals-against average while going 21-9-5 in 36 appearances.
The Royals posted a 36-26-10 mark during the regular season, including a 23-9-4 record on home ice. Ben Meehan, who also earned a spot on the ECHL All-Rookie Team, led the team with 46 points (12g-34a) while Carson Golder had a team-best 17 goals. Keith Petruzzelli was tied for second in the league with four shutouts while posting a 17-16-6 record with a 2.59 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.
Wheeling went 7-7-1 against the Royals in the regular season while Reading went 8-6-1. Both teams found success away from home with the Nailers going 5-3-0 and the Royals going 5-2-0. Lockhart led Wheeling with four goals in the season series while Johnson posted a team-leading 11 points (1g-10a). Kyle Haskins and Connor McMenamin led the Royals with four goals with Haskins leading the team with nine points.
Game 1 – Friday, April 24 at 7:10 p.m. ET at Wheeling
Game 2 – Saturday, April 25 at 7:10 p.m. ET at Wheeling
Game 3 – Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. ET at Reading
Game 4 – Friday, May 1 at 7 p.m. ET at Reading
Game 5 – Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. ET at Reading (If Necessary)
Game 6 – Monday, May 4 at 7:10 p.m. ET at Wheeling (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Wednesday, May 6 at 7:10 p.m. ET at Wheeling (If Necessary)
#2 Maine Mariners (42-21-9) vs. #3 Adirondack Thunder (37-24-11)
Series Matchup Sheet
Both Maine and Adirondack return to the postseason after not qualifying in 2025. The Thunder defeated the Mariners in seven games in the 2024 North Division Semifinals.
Maine used a 21-6-2 finish to the regular season to finish in second place in the North Division. Brooklyn Kalmikov (21g-41a) and Max Andreev (19g-43a) shared the team lead with 62 points each, while Robert Cronin ranked fourth among ECHL rookies with 56 points (19g-37a). The Mariners feature a strong duo in net, as Brad Arvantis was tied for the league lead with a .929 save percentage while finishing fourth with a 2.17 goals-against average and Luke Cavallin, the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player with Trois-Rivières, ranked seventh with a 2.35 goals-against average.
Adirondack was led in the regular season by All-ECHL Second Team selection Brannon McManus, who was eighth in the league with 67 points (31g-36a) in 72 games. Jeremy Broduer was tied for fifth with 23 wins, to go along with a 2.69 goals-against average and a save percentage of .908.
Adirondack was 10-2-3 against the Mariners in the season series while Maine was 5-5-5 against the Thunder. Eight of the 15 matchups, including each of the last four, were decided in either overtime or a shootout. Tyson Fawcett’s seven goals led the Thunder while McManus had a team-best 13 points (6g-7a) during the regular-season series. Cronin was Maine’s offensive leader with five goals and 13 points.
Game 1 – Friday, April 24 at 6 p.m. ET at Maine
Game 2 – Saturday, April 25 at 6 p.m. ET at Maine
Game 3 – Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. ET at Adirondack
Game 4 – Friday, May 1 at 7 p.m. ET at Adirondack
Game 5 – Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. ET at Adirondack (If Necessary)
Game 6 – Tuesday, May 5 at 7 p.m. ET at Maine (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Wednesday, May 6 at 7 p.m. ET at Maine (If Necessary)
South Division Semifinals (Best of Seven)
#1 Florida Everblades (49-13-10) vs. #4 Savannah Ghost Pirates (35-33-4)
Series Matchup Sheet
Florida enters the postseason for the 11th consecutive season while Savannah has qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the first time in its four-season history.
The Everblades captured the South Division title for the fifth time in the last 10 years, and set an ECHL record with 1.97 goals-against per game, becoming the first team in league history to allow less than two goals per game. Anthony Romano led Florida with 26 goals and 62 points while All-ECHL Second Team selection Jordan Sambrook led the league with a single-season record +62 rating. All-ECHL First Team goaltender Cam Johnson led the league with 31 wins and a 1.84 goals-against average.
Savannah was led during the season by Nicholas Zabaneh, who scored 27 goals and added 24 assists for 51 points, while leading the ECHL with five shorthanded goals. In goal, Vinnie Purpura went 22-17-0 in 39 outings this season with two shutouts, a 2.64 goals-against average and a save percentage of .914.
Florida went 7-2-1 against the Ghost Pirates in the regular season with Savannah going 3-6-1.
Game 1 – Friday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Florida
Game 2 – Saturday, April 25 at 7 p.m. ET at Florida
Game 3 – Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. ET at Savannah
Game 4 – Friday, May 1 at 7 p.m. ET at Savannah
Game 5 – Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. ET at Savannah (If Necessary)
Game 6 – Monday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Florida (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Tuesday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Florida (If Necessary)
#2 South Carolina Stingrays (45-23-4) vs. #3 Atlanta Gladiators (44-23-5)
Series Matchup Sheet
South Carolina is in the postseason for the 29th time in team history while Atlanta returns to the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2022. The two teams have split their previous four playoff matchups.
The Stingrays were second in the regular season with 26 home wins. South Carolina was led offensively by All-ECHL First Team selection Simon Pinard who was tied for fourth in the league with 73 points (30g-43a). Seth Eisele appeared in 29 games during the regular season posting a record of 18-7-1 with three shutouts, a 2.37 goals-against average and a save percentage of .919.
Alex Young paced Atlanta in the regular season with 59 points (27g-32a). All-ECHL First Team defenseman Chad Nychuk was tied for sixth among blueliners with 53 points (8g-45a) while Isak Walther was ninth among rookies with 23 goals. Ethan Haider and ECHL All-Rookie Team selection T.J. Semptimphelter split time in goal during the regular season. Haider was fourth in the league with 24 wins while Semptimphelter ranked fifth with a 2.28 goals-against average.
South Carolina was 5-3-1 in the regular-season series while Atlanta went 4-3-2. Kyler Kupka paced the Stingrays in the head-to-head meetings with 11 points (3g-8a) with Eisele going 3-1-0 with a 2.17 goals-against average. Young’s eight points (3g-5a) led the Gladiators against South Carolina while Haider went 3-0-1 with a 2.60 goals-against average.
Game 1 – Friday, April 24 at 7:05 p.m. ET at South Carolina
Game 2 – Saturday, April 25 at 6:05 p.m. ET at South Carolina
Game 3 – Monday, April 27 at 7:10 p.m. ET at Atlanta
Game 4 – Tuesday, April 28 at 7:10 p.m. ET at Atlanta
Game 5 – Friday, May 1 at 7:05 p.m. ET at South Carolina (If Necessary)
Game 6 – Monday, May 4 at 7:10 p.m. ET at Atlanta (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Tuesday, May 5 at 7:05 p.m. ET at South Carolina (If Necessary)
Central Division Semifinals (Best of Seven)
#1 Fort Wayne Komets (45-17-10) vs. #4 Indy Fuel (34-27-11)
Series Matchup Sheet
Intrastate rivals Fort Wayne and Indy meet in the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the first time.
The Komets captured the Central Division title, marking their first regular-season division championship in 10 years. Fort Wayne posted the league’s second-best road record during the regular season, going 25-4-7 away from Memorial Coliseum. Austin Magera led the Komets, and was tied for third in the league, with 32 goals, while Kirill Tyutyayev posted a team-leading 68 points (22g-46a). Samuel Jonsson led the ECHL with five shutouts, en route to a 21-8-2 record. Fellow goaltender Nathaniel Day went 22-9-8 in his 39 appearances.
Indy has reached the postseason for the fourth consecutive season and for the fifth time in six years. Defenseman Matt Petgrave led the Fuel in scoring with 48 points (12g-36a) while Mitchell Weeks went 20-15-7 with a 2.46 goals-against average and finished third in the league with 2,585 minutes played.
Fort Wayne was 9-2-1 in the regular-season series while Indy went 3-5-4. Tyutyayev paced the Komets with 13 points (5g-8a) with Day going 5-0-0 in his five outings in the season series. Indy was led by Jesse Tucker’s eight points (3g-5a) while Weeks went 3-4-2 with a 2.32 goals-against average.
Game 1 – Friday, April 24 at 7:35 p.m. ET at Fort Wayne
Game 2 – Saturday, April 25 at 7:35 p.m. ET at Fort Wayne
Game 3 – Tuesday, April 28 at 7:05 p.m. ET at Indy
Game 4 – Wednesday, April 29 at 7:05 p.m. ET at Indy
Game 5 – Sunday, May 3 at 5:05 p.m. ET at Fort Wayne (If Necessary)
Game 6 – Tuesday, May 5 at 7:05 p.m. ET at Indy (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Wednesday, May 6 at 7:35 p.m. ET at Fort Wayne (If Necessary)
#2 Toledo Walleye (43-17-12) vs. #3 Bloomington Bison (37-30-5)
Series Matchup Sheet
Toledo is making its 10th consecutive postseason appearance while Bloomington has reached the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the first time in team history.
The Walleye surpassed the 40-win mark for the 10th consecutive complete season. All-ECHL First Team selection Brandon Hawkins finished second in the regular season with 35 goals and 78 points while Tanner Kelly was tied for sixth among rookies with 50 points (25g-25a). Carter Gylander posted a 20-9-5 record in 34 appearances to go along with a 2.78 goals-against average and .901 save percentage.
Bloomington used a 7-3-0 record over its final 10 games to qualify for the postseason in its second ECHL season. All-ECHL Second Team defenseman Nikita Sedov led the Bison in the regular season, while ranking second among ECHL blueliners, with 59 points (13g-46a) in 68 games. In goal, Dryden McKay was tied for second in the league with 25 wins and tied for 10th with a .917 save percentage.
Toledo was 5-2-2 against the Bison in the regular season with Bloomington going 4-5-0 against the Walleye. Hawkins’ seven goals led the way for Toledo in the head-to-head series while his nine points were tied with Tanner Dickinson (2g-7a) for the team lead. Sullivan Mack paced Bloomington in the regular-season matchups with four goals and seven points.
Game 1 – Thursday, April 23 at 7:15 p.m. ET at Toledo
Game 2 – Saturday, April 25 at 7:15 p.m. ET at Toledo
Game 3 – Monday, April 27 at 7 p.m. CT at Bloomington
Game 4 – Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. CT at Bloomington
Game 5 – Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. CT at Bloomington (If Necessary)
Game 6 – Sunday, May 3 at 5:15 p.m. ET at Toledo (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Tuesday, May 5 at 7:15 p.m. ET at Toledo (If Necessary)
Mountain Division Semifinals (Best of Seven)
#1 Kansas City Mavericks (55-12-5) vs. #4 Tahoe Knight Monsters (35-30-7)
Series Matchup Sheet
Kansas City and Tahoe meet in the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive season after the Mavericks prevailed 4 games to 0 in the 2025 Mountain Division Finals.
The Mavericks captured the Mountain Division title for the third straight season, and the Brabham Cup as ECHL regular-season champions for the second time in three seasons. Kansas City’s 55 wins and 115 points are both tied for the third most in a single-season in ECHL history while its 28 road wins are the second most all-time. ECHL Defenseman of the Year Marcus Crawford led the ECHL in scoring with 86 points (14g-72a) while ECHL All-Rookie Team selection Jackson Jutting paced all first-year players with 30 goals and was tied for second with 59 points. All-ECHL Second Team goaltender Jack LaFontaine went 22-2-4 in 29 appearances and finished second in the league with a 1.97 goals-against average and third with a .928 save percentage.
The Knight Monsters were second in the regular season in offense, averaging 3.57 goals per game. Devon Paliani was tied for third in the league with 32 goals and was tied for ninth with 65 points while Trent Swick was tied for sixth among rookies with 25 goals and 50 points.
Kansas City was 6-1-0 against the Knight Monsters during the regular season while Tahoe went 1-5-1 against the Mavericks. Bobo Carpenter’s six goals led the Mavericks while Crawford tallied a team-leading 11 points (2g-9a). Paliani was Tahoe’s top offensive performer in the head-to-head meetings with five goals and 10 points.
Game 1 – Friday, April 24 at 7:05 p.m. CT at Kansas City
Game 2 – Saturday, April 25 at 6:05 p.m. CT at Kansas City
Game 3 – Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. PT at Tahoe
Game 4 – Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. PT at Tahoe
Game 5 – Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. PT at Tahoe (If Necessary)
Game 6 – Monday, May 4 at 7:05 p.m. CT at Kansas City (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Wednesday, May 6 at 7:05 p.m. CT at Kansas City (If Necessary)
#2 Allen Americans (43-23-6) vs. #3 Idaho Steelheads (42-23-7)
Series Matchup Sheet
Both Allen and Idaho return to the Kelly Cup Playoffs after failing to qualify last season. This is the fifth all-time postseason meeting between the teams with the Steelheads winning each of the last three matchups.
The Americans used an 11-0-1 streak to end the regular season to edge out Idaho for home-ice advantage in the series. All-ECHL First Team selection Danny Katic led the league in the regular season with 38 goals and was sixth with 70 points while ECHL Sportsmanship Award winner Brayden Watts led Allen and was third in the league with 75 points (24g-51a). Marco Costantini posted a 20-8-4 record in 33 outings with two shutouts, a 2.83 goals-against average and a save percentage of .917.
Idaho has won its first-round series in each of its last four playoff appearances. Brendan Hoffmann, who was named to the All-ECHL Second Team despite being loaned to San Jose of the American Hockey League in February, led the Steelheads with 32 goals and 51 points in 44 games while Kaleb Pearson ranked second among ECHL rookies with 28 goals. Jake Barczewski went 15-7-2 with a 2.54 goals-against average in 25 appearances.
Allen was 1-4-2 against the Steelheads in the regular season while Idaho went 6-1-0 against the Americans. The Steelheads won each of the six meetings in Boise, and over the last five seasons, are 22-2-0 against Allen in Boise. Michael Gildon’s four goals led the Americans against Idaho while Hank Crone had a team-leading seven points (2g-5a). Pearson paced Idaho offensively in the eight meetings with six goals and eight points.
Game 1 – Thursday, April 23 at 7:10 p.m. CT at Allen
Game 2 – Friday, April 24 at 7:10 p.m. CT at Allen
Game 3 – Sunday, April 26 at 4:10 p.m. MT at Idaho
Game 4 – Monday, April 27 at 7:10 p.m. MT at Idaho
Game 5 – Tuesday, April 28 at 7:10 p.m. MT at Idaho (If Necessary)
Game 6 – Saturday, May 2 at 7:10 p.m. CT at Allen (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Sunday, May 3 at 4:10 p.m. CT at Allen (If Necessary)
