DID YOU KNOW - In the 39 year ECHL history, over 780 players have gone on to the NHL, including 14 in 2025-26. - 2026 Stanley Cup Champion, Carolina, had 7 employees with ECHL experience. - A record number of NHL/AHL contracted players were assigned to ECHL teams in 2025-26.

It’s only opening weekend but already some noteworthy performances: - Idaho leads ECHL with 6 points (3-0) in 3 road games. - Trois Rivières scored 12 goals in 2 games. - Norfolk allowed 4 goals in 3 games. - Kansas City, 3 time Mountain Division champions, lost twice at home.

It’s that time of the season when all 30 ECHL teams think they can win a Kelly Cup. That will change soon. Most recent ECHL champions. 2026, 2024, 2023 & 2022: Florida 2025: Trois Rivières 2021: Fort Wayne 2019: Newfoundland 2018 & 2017: Colorado 2016 & 2015: Allen

As 2026-27 ECHL season begins tonite here are some league averages, plus high and low teams from 2025-26: Attendance 5018 9198 JAX to 1626 IA PIMS per game 12.34 16.61 SC to 8.44 TOL Points % when scoring 1st .738 .932 KC to .482 IA Ave goals scored 3.03 3.72 ALN to 2.53 IND

Who gets the most help? Here are number of NHL/AHL contracted players assigned to each ECHL team as season begins: 12: RC, SC 9: CIN, FLA, KC 8: GVL, IND, NM 7: FW, MNE, TAH 6: ADK, BLM, KAL 5: ALN, ATL, SAV, TRE 4: GSO, ORL, REA, TOL, TR, TUL, WIC 3: JAX 2: IDH, WHL, WOR 0: NOR

All ECHL fans know the Kelly Cup, but not all know Patrick J Kelly (age 91). A few highlights: Co-founder & 1st ECHL Commissioner (8 years) Coached in 8 different leagues including NHL (Colorado) Won 6 championships, 3 different leagues Inducted into 1st ECHL HOF class, 2008

ECHL preseason stats: 21 teams & 493 players have played preseason games (1 or 2) LEADERS Goals: 3, Liam McLinskey, SAV Assists: 3, Tristan Amonte, SAV & Brent Johnson, FLA PIM: 24, Skate Skalde, SAV Shots: 9, Nick Nardella, TUL Team Goals: 11, MNE PIM: 49, MNE PP%: 66.7%, SAV

ECHL team changes last 6 seasons: 2021-22 (27 teams) Iowa & Trois Rivières added Brampton deleted 2022-23 Savannah added 2023-24 Newfoundland deleted 2024-25 Bloomington & Tahoe added 2025-26 Greensboro added 2026-27 (30 teams) New Mexico & Trenton added Iowa & Utah deleted

All-time single season road win record is dominated by Kansas City and Western Conference teams: 29: Kansas City, 2023-24 28: Kansas City, 2025-26 26: Kansas City, 2024-25 26: Idaho, 2022-23 26: Toledo, 2022-23 26: Cincinnati, 2007-08 26: Texas, 2007-08 26: Louisiana, 2001-02

ECHL FACTS - 39th Season - 30 Markets (2 new) - 780 Players graduated to NHL - 7 current NHL head Coaches honed pro career in ECHL - 5018 average attendance in 2025-26 (highest since 1997-98) - Florida won 4th Kelly Cup in 5 years - Most ever NHL/AHL contracted players assigned

Yesterday’s transactions added 30 NHL/AHL contracted players to ECHL rosters. Some ECHL teams that always get their affiliate to sign a lot of players for them got healthy: - Cincinnati got 9 players assigned by Toronto. - Florida got 8 players assigned by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Could 2026-27 be a record year for NHL/AHL contracted players being assigned to ECHL teams? The ECHL started issuing daily transactions on October 1st. In three days almost 100 NHL/AHL players have been assigned and eight teams are yet to have any players assigned.

NHL opening day rosters prove just how much the ECHL has become a developmental league for the NHL: - 64 players on opening day rosters spent time in the ECHL. - 58 coaches, including 7 head coaches have ECHL experience. - 40 on-ice officials worked in the ECHL.

With ECHL training camps underway, NHL/AHL contracted players are starting to be assigned. This is only the beginning and just a few examples: - Kansas City got 8 players from Coachella Valley - South Carolina got 7 players from Hershey - New Mexico got 6 players from Colorado

As ECHL training camps begin, the never ending reminder for writers, bloggers, reporters, fans, players, coaches, etc. What do letters ECHL stand for? NOTHING In a change reflective of its nationwide presence the East Coast Hockey League changed its name to simply ECHL in 2003.

With ECHL training camps opening tomorrow some top players have retired: Cameron Cameron IND Oliver Chau FLA Logan Drevitich SAV T.J. Friedmann JAX Logan Lambdin FLA Peter Laviolette SAV Matt Register ALN Jalen Smereck FW Justin Vaive CIN Sebastian Vidmar MNE Mitch Wahl IDH

How many players can dress for each game? After increasing from 18 to 19 in 2022-23 and 19 to 20 in 2024-25, ECHL teams may dress a maximum of 20 players for each game, of which 2 must be goaltenders. The NHL, AHL, ECHL now all dress the same numbers, 18 skaters and 2 goalies.

NHL players are required to wear neck protection this season but players with one NHL game are exempt and grandfathered in. It will take decades to cover everyone. NHL made visors mandatory in 2013–14 with a grandfather clause, 3 remain: Jamie Benn Zach Bogosian Ryan O'Reilly

Regular season hockey begins Tuesday! Here is the 2026-27 regular season opening day by league. Look for lots of player movement between teams and leagues the next 3 weeks: NHL: September 29 (5 games) AHL: October 2* (8 games) ECHL: October 16 (8 games) *earliest since 2009

Defenseman Marcus Crawford, the 2025-26 ECHL MVP and league’s leading scorer, playing for the Kansas City Mavericks, who signed an AHL deal with the Grand Rapid Griffins in the offseason, has already been assigned to Grand Rapids’ ECHL affiliate, the Toledo Walleye.