2026 Kelly Cup playoffs
American ice hockey postseason
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The 2026 Kelly Cup playoffs for the ECHL hockey league started on April 23, 2026, following the conclusion of the 2025–26 ECHL regular season.
DatesApril 23 to June TBA
Teams16
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 23 to June TBA |
| Teams | 16 |
Playoff format
The top 4 teams in each division qualified for the playoffs based on the highest point total earned in the regular season. The entire first two rounds of the playoffs are held within the division, with the first seed facing the fourth seed and the second seed facing the third. The division champions then play each other in a conference championship. The Kelly Cup finals pit the Eastern Conference champion against the Western Conference champion. All four rounds are a best-of-seven format. The Kansas City Mavericks secured the top record by clinching the Brabham Cup, and are scheduled to have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs if they keep advancing. 9 of the 16 playoff teams are repeats from the previous season, including Toledo on a 10-season playoff streak.
Playoff seeds
After the regular season, 16 teams qualified for the playoffs.
Final seeds and points:[1]
Eastern ConferenceNorth Division
South Division
|
Western ConferenceCentral Division
Mountain Division
|
Playoff bracket
Source:[2]
| Division Semifinals | Division Finals | Conference Final | Kelly Cup Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| N1 | Wheeling | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| N4 | Reading | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| North Division | |||||||||||||||||||
| N2 | Maine | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| N3 | Adirondack | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| S1 | Florida | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| S4 | Savannah | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| South Division | |||||||||||||||||||
| S2 | South Carolina | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| S3 | Atlanta | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Fort Wayne | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| C4 | Indy | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Central Division | |||||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Toledo | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| C3 | Bloomington | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| M1 | Kansas City | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| M4 | Tahoe | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Mountain Division | |||||||||||||||||||
| M2 | Allen | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| M2 | Allen | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| M3 | Idaho | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
Division semifinals
North Division
(1) Wheeling Nailers vs. (4) Reading Royals
| April 24 | Reading Royals | 0–4 | Wheeling Nailers | WesBanco Arena | Recap |
| April 25 | Reading Royals | 1–5 | Wheeling Nailers | WesBanco Arena | Recap |
| April 29 | Wheeling Nailers | 7:00 pm | Reading Royals | Santander Arena | Recap |
| May 1 | Wheeling Nailers | 7:00 pm | Reading Royals | Santander Arena | Recap |
| May 2 | Wheeling Nailers | 7:00 pm* | Reading Royals | Santander Arena | Recap |
| May 4 | Reading Royals | 7:10 pm* | Wheeling Nailers | WesBanco Arena | Recap |
| May 6 | Reading Royals | 7:10 pm* | Wheeling Nailers | WesBanco Arena | Recap |
| Wheeling leads series 2 – 0 | |
(2) Maine Mariners vs. (3) Adirondack Thunder
| April 24 | Adirondack Thunder | 1–2 | OT | Maine Mariners | Cross Insurance Arena | Recap |
| April 25 | Adirondack Thunder | 3–2 | Maine Mariners | Cross Insurance Arena | Recap |
| April 29 | Maine Mariners | 7:00 pm | Adirondack Thunder | Harding Mazzotti Arena | Recap |
| May 1 | Maine Mariners | 7:00 pm | Adirondack Thunder | Harding Mazzotti Arena | Recap |
| May 2 | Maine Mariners | 7:00 pm | Adirondack Thunder | Harding Mazzotti Arena | Recap |
| May 5 | Adirondack Thunder | 7:00 pm* | Maine Mariners | Cross Insurance Arena | Recap |
| May 6 | Adirondack Thunder | 7:00 pm* | Maine Mariners | Cross Insurance Arena | Recap |
| Series tied 1 – 1 | |
South Division
(1) Florida Everblades vs. (4) Savannah Ghost Pirates
| April 24 | Savannah Ghost Pirates | 0–2 | Florida Everblades | Hertz Arena | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 7:18 – Tarun Fizer (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 13:43 – Oliver Cooper (1) | ||||||
| Vinnie Purpura 29 saves / 31 shots | Goalie stats | Cam Johnson 29 saves / 29 shots | ||||||
| April 25 | Savannah Ghost Pirates | 1–4 | Florida Everblades | Hertz Arena | Recap | |||
| Matt Koopman (1) – 19:46 | First period | 3:27 – Kyle Betts (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 6:44 – Jesse Lansdell (1) 12:52 – pp – Carson Gicewicz (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 18:25 – en – Anthony Romano (1) | ||||||
| Vinnie Purpura 39 saves / 42 shots | Goalie stats | Cam Johnson 25 saves / 26 shots | ||||||
| April 29 | Florida Everblades | 7:00 pm | Savannah Ghost Pirates | Enmarket Arena | Recap |
| May 1 | Florida Everblades | 7:00 pm | Savannah Ghost Pirates | Enmarket Arena | Recap |
| May 2 | Florida Everblades | 7:00 pm* | Savannah Ghost Pirates | Enmarket Arena | Recap |
| May 4 | Savannah Ghost Pirates | 7:30 pm* | Florida Everblades | Hertz Arena | Recap |
| May 5 | Savannah Ghost Pirates | 7:30 pm* | Florida Everblades | Hertz Arena | Recap |
| Florida leads series 2 – 0 | |
(2) South Carolina Stingrays vs. (3) Atlanta Gladiators
| April 24 | Atlanta Gladiators | 2–3 | South Carolina Stingrays | North Charleston Coliseum | Recap |
| April 25 | Atlanta Gladiators | 4–3 | South Carolina Stingrays | North Charleston Coliseum | Recap |
| April 27 | South Carolina Stingrays | 4–0 | Atlanta Gladiators | Gas South Arena | Recap |
| April 28 | South Carolina Stingrays | 4–3 | Atlanta Gladiators | Gas South Arena | Recap |
| May 1 | Atlanta Gladiators | 7:05 pm | South Carolina Stingrays | North Charleston Coliseum | Recap |
| May 4 | South Carolina Stingrays | 7:10 pm* | Atlanta Gladiators | Gas South Arena | Recap |
| May 5 | Atlanta Gladiators | 7:05 pm* | South Carolina Stingrays | North Charleston Coliseum | Recap |
| South Carolina leads series 3 – 1 | |
Central Division
(1) Fort Wayne Komets vs. (4) Indy Fuel
| April 24 | Indy Fuel | 0–3 | Fort Wayne Komets | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
| April 25 | Indy Fuel | 1–5 | Fort Wayne Komets | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
| April 28 | Fort Wayne Komets | 4–6 | Indy Fuel | Fishers Event Center | Recap |
| April 29 | Fort Wayne Komets | 7:05 pm | Indy Fuel | Fishers Event Center | Recap |
| May 3 | Indy Fuel | 5:05 pm | Fort Wayne Komets | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
| May 5 | Fort Wayne Komets | 7:05 pm* | Indy Fuel | Fishers Event Center | Recap |
| May 6 | Indy Fuel | 7:35 pm* | Fort Wayne Komets | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
| Fort Wayne leads series 2 – 1 | |
(2) Toledo Walleye vs. (3) Bloomington Bison
| April 23 | Bloomington Bison | 1–4 | Toledo Walleye | Huntington Center | Recap | |||
| 0 | First period | 1 | ||||||
| 1 | Second period | 0 | ||||||
| 0 | Third period | 3 | ||||||
| Dryden McKay | Goalie stats | Carter Gylander | ||||||
| April 25 | Bloomington Bison | 3–4 | Toledo Walleye | Huntington Center | Recap |
| April 27 | Toledo Walleye | 6–3 | Bloomington Bison | Grossinger Motors Arena | Recap |
| April 29 | Toledo Walleye | 8:00 pm | Bloomington Bison | Grossinger Motors Arena | Recap |
| April 30 | Toledo Walleye | 8:00 pm* | Bloomington Bison | Grossinger Motors Arena | Recap |
| May 3 | Bloomington Bison | 5:15 pm* | Toledo Walleye | Huntington Center | Recap |
| May 5 | Bloomington Bison | 7:15 pm* | Toledo Walleye | Huntington Center | Recap |
| Toledo leads Series 3 – 0 | |
Mountain Division
(1) Kansas City Mavericks vs. (4) Tahoe Knight Monsters
| April 24 | Tahoe Knight Monsters | 1–4 | Kansas City Mavericks | Cable Dahmer Arena | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 4:28 – pp – Jackson Jutting (1) 9:22 – Bobo Carpenter (1) 16:48 – Jackson Berezowski (1) | ||||||
| Sloan Stanick (1) – 5:46 | Third period | 13:12 – pp – Lucas Sowder (1) | ||||||
| Alex Tracy 31 saves / 35 shots | Goalie stats | Jack LaFontaine 15 saves / 16 shots | ||||||
| April 25 | Tahoe Knight Monsters | 1–2 | OT | Kansas City Mavericks | Cable Dahmer Arena | Recap | ||
| Sloan Stanick (2) – pp – 7:46 | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 7:56 – Lucas Sowder (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | First overtime period | 13:49 – Lucas Sowder (3) | ||||||
| Jordan Papirny 37 saves / 39 shots | Goalie stats | Dylan Wells 29 saves / 30 shots | ||||||
| April 29 | Kansas City Mavericks | 10:00 pm | Tahoe Knight Monsters | Tahoe Blue Event Center | Recap |
| April 30 | Kansas City Mavericks | 10:00 pm | Tahoe Knight Monsters | Tahoe Blue Event Center | Recap |
| May 2 | Kansas City Mavericks | 10:00 pm* | Tahoe Knight Monsters | Tahoe Blue Event Center | Recap |
| May 4 | Tahoe Knight Monsters | 8:05 pm* | Kansas City Mavericks | Cable Dahmer Arena | Recap |
| May 6 | Tahoe Knight Monsters | 8:05 pm* | Kansas City Mavericks | Cable Dahmer Arena | Recap |
| Kansas City leads series 2 – 0 | |
(2) Allen Americans vs. (3) Idaho Steelheads
| April 23 | Idaho Steelheads | 1–5 | Allen Americans | Credit Union of Texas Event Center | Recap | |||
| 0 | First period | 2 | ||||||
| 1 | Second period | 1 | ||||||
| 0 | Third period | 2 | ||||||
| Jake Barczewski | Goalie stats | Brett Mirwald | ||||||
| April 24 | Idaho Steelheads | 2–4 | Allen Americans | Credit Union of Texas Event Center | Recap |
| April 26 | Allen Americans | 4–3 | OT | Idaho Steelheads | Idaho Central Arena | Recap |
| April 27 | Allen Americans | 1–5 | Idaho Steelheads | Idaho Central Arena | Recap |
| April 28 | Allen Americans | 6–3 | Idaho Steelheads | Idaho Central Arena | Recap |
| Allen wins series 4 – 1 | |