Eastern Conference Finals (Best of Seven)
Adirondack Thunder vs. Florida Everblades
Series Matchup Sheet
For the second time in the last seven years, the Adirondack Thunder take on the Florida Everblades in the Eastern Conference Finals. Florida prevailed 4 games to 1 in the 2018 meeting between the teams.
The Thunder captured the North Division regular-season title with a 43-18-11 record for 97 points before defeating Maine 4 games to 3 in the Division Semifinals and Norfolk 4 games to 2 in the Division Finals. In the latter series, Adirondack dropped the first two games at home before reeling off four consecutive wins to reach the Conference Finals. The Thunder have been stingy on defense, ranking third in the playoffs with 2.15 goals-against per game while allowing more than two goals in just four of their 13 postseason games.
Tristan Ashbrook is tied for the playoff lead with seven goals and is tied for second with 13 points, along with his teammate Shane Harper (5g-8a) while Ryan Smith is tied for the playoff lead with three game-winning goals. Isaac Poulter has played in 11 of Adirondack’s 13 playoff games posting a record of 6-5 while ranking second in both goals-against average (1.74) and save percentage (.940).
Florida is appearing in the Conference Finals for the ninth time in team history and for the fifth time in the last six postseasons. The Everblades have advanced to the Kelly Cup Finals six times (2004, 2005, 2012, 2018, 2022 and 2023), capturing the Kelly Cup title in 2012, 2022 and 2023, with both totals tied for the most in ECHL history. Florida rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Jacksonville in seven games in the South Division Semifinals before eliminating Orlando 4 games to 1 in the South Division Finals. The Everblades’ 10 consecutive series wins is the longest such streak in ECHL postseason history.
The Everblades have featured a balanced offense in the postseason with 10 players posting seven or more points. Bobo Caprenter (5g-5a), Matt Wedman (3g-7a) and Josh Ho-Sang (0g-10a) share the team lead with 10 points each while Cole Moberg leads all players in the playoffs in plus-minus at +11 and is tied for first among defensemen with four goals. Cam Johnson, who has received the June M. Kelly Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award in each of the last two postseasons, has played all 12 games for the Everblades, ranking fourth with a 1.94 goals-against average and fifth with a .933 save percentage.
Adirondack and Florida met six times during the regular season with the Thunder going 2-4-0 and the Everblades posting a 4-1-1 record. Harper led Adirondack with four goals and shared the team scoring lead with Smith (2g-2a) with four points each. Jeremy Brodeur went 1-1-0 with a 1.43 goals-against average in three appearances. Florida was led by Oliver Chau and Mark Senden, who both scored four goals while Carpenter (3g-3a) and Sean Josling (1g-5a) both posted a team-leading six points. Johnson went 4-0-1 in five appearances against the Thunder with a 1.80 goals-against average.
The winner of the Eastern Conference Finals receives the E.A. “Bud” Gingher Memorial Trophy. The trophy is named in recognition of E.A. “Bud” Gingher, who was Chairman of the ECHL Board of Governors from 1992-95. Gingher, who passed away in 2002, co-founded the Dayton Bombers in 1991 and owned the team for seven seasons, serving as President and Governor until selling the team in 1998. Gingher was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2010.
Game 1 – Friday, May 17 at 7 p.m. ET at Adirondack
Game 2 – Saturday, May 18 at 7 p.m. ET at Adirondack
Game 3 – Wednesday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Florida
Game 4 – Friday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Florida
Game 5 – Saturday, May 25 at 7 p.m. ET at Florida (If Necessary)
Game 6 – Tuesday, May 28 at 7 p.m. ET at Adirondack (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Wednesday, May 29 at 7 p.m. ET at Adirondack (If Necessary)
Western Conference Finals (Best of Seven)
Kansas City Mavericks vs. Toledo Walleye
Series Matchup Sheet
The top two teams in the ECHL regular season meet to represent the Western Conference in the 2024 Kelly Cup Finals. Kansas City captured the Brabham Cup as regular-season champion with an overall record of 54-12-6 for 114 points while Toledo was 48-14-9 for 105 points.
Kansas City is appearing the Conference Finals for the first time in its 10 ECHL seasons while Toledo has advanced to the Conference Finals in four consecutive postseasons (2019, 2022, 2023, 2024) and for the sixth time in the last eight postseasons.
The Mavericks set an ECHL record with 29 road wins in the regular season (29-4-3) and led the league with 4.24 goals per game and finished third with 2.81 goals-against per game. Kansas City has carried that success over to the Kelly Cup Playoffs, posting a 5-0 record on the road and ranking third with 3.78 goals per game.
Kansas City reaches the third round off of a 4-0 victory over Tulsa in the Mountain Division Semifinals and a 4-1 win against Idaho in the Mountain Division Finals. Patrick Curry leads the Mavericks, and is tied for fifth overall in the playoffs, with 12 points (6g-6a) in nine games. Jack LaFontaine and Cale Morris have split time in goal for Kansas City with LaFontaine going 3-1 while leading the playoffs with a .944 save percentage and ranking sixth with a 2.16 goals-against average with Morris posting a 5-0 record and ranking 12th with a 2.60 goals-against average.
The Walleye are in the midst of a historic run, with 22 consecutive wins (14 regular-season games and eight playoff games), the longest winning streak spanning the regular season and postseason in ECHL history. Toledo’s eight-game playoff winning streak is tied for the fourth longest all-time. The Walleye top the playoffs in both goals per game (4.38) and goals-against per game (2.13).
Toledo comes off four-game victories over Kalamazoo and Wheeling in the opening two rounds of the playoffs, marking the second straight season that the Walleye have reached the Conference Finals with eight consecutive wins. Riley Sawchuk is tied for the playoff lead through two rounds with seven goals and is tied for eighth overall with 11 points along with two teammates – Sam Craggs (6g-5a) and Brandon Hawkins (5g-6a). Hawkins, who was named ECHL Most Valuable Player this season, leads the playoffs with 74 shots on goal and is tied for first with three game-winning goals. Like the Mavericks, the Walleye have used a time-share in net with John Lethemon ranking third with a 1.90 goals-against average and Jan Bednar seventh with a 2.20 goals-against average, with each appearing in four games.
The winner of the Western Conference Finals receives the Bruce Taylor Trophy. The trophy is named in recognition of Bruce Taylor, who was the founding father of the West Coast Hockey League. In the early 1990s, Taylor purchased teams in Fresno, Reno and Bakersfield and in 1995 joined them with teams in Anchorage, Fairbanks and San Diego to form the West Coast Hockey League. The Taylor Cup was presented to the playoff champion in the WCHL from the league’s inaugural season in 1995-96 until the league ceased operations following the 2002-03 season. Taylor’s ownership in hockey began in 1983 with the purchase of the Burnaby Bluehawks of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League and continued with the purchase of the Richmond Sockeyes in the BCJHL and the New Westminster Royals in the BCJHL.
Game 1 – Friday, May 17 at 7:15 p.m. ET at Toledo
Game 2 – Saturday, May 18 at 7:15 p.m. ET at Toledo
Game 3 – Monday, May 20 at 7:15 p.m. ET at Toledo
Game 4 – Friday, May 24 at 7:05 p.m. CT at Kansas City
Game 5 – Saturday, May 25 at 7:05 p.m. CT at Kansas City (If Necessary)
Game 6 – Monday, May 27 at 4:05 p.m. CT at Kansas City (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Wednesday, May 29 at 7:05 p.m. CT at Kansas City (If Necessary)
