2021–22 ECHL season
LeagueECHL
SportIce hockey
DurationOctober 21, 2021 – April 17, 2022
Regular season
Brabham CupToledo Walleye
Season MVPWill Graber (Fort Wayne)
Top scorerWill Graber (Fort Wayne)
Playoffs
Eastern championsFlorida Everblades
  Eastern runners-upNewfoundland Growlers
Western championsToledo Walleye
  Western runners-upUtah Grizzlies
Playoffs MVPCam Johnson (Florida)
Kelly Cup
ChampionsFlorida Everblades
  Runners-upToledo Walleye

The 2021–22 ECHL season was the 34th season of the ECHL. The regular season was scheduled to run from October 21, 2021, to April 17, 2022, with the Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. Twenty-seven teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces were each scheduled to play 72 games.[1] The Florida Everblades were the 2022 Kelly Cup champions when they defeated the Toledo Walleye in five games in the Kelly Cup championship.[2][3]

League business

Canadian-based teams in the ECHL as of the 2021–22 season. Dot colors correspond to the divisional alignment.

League changes

Following the delayed and COVID-19 pandemic affected season that led to 12 teams going on hiatus before starting the season, the league returned to its typical season start date in October with 27 teams participating. The league also returned to a two-conference, four-division alignment.[1]

Team changes

Affiliation changes

ECHL team New affiliates Former affiliates
Adirondack Thunder Utica Comets (AHL) Binghamton Devils (AHL)
Allen Americans[6] Seattle Kraken (NHL)
Charlotte Checkers (AHL)		 Minnesota Wild (NHL)
Iowa Wild (AHL)
Atlanta Gladiators[7] Ottawa Senators (NHL)
Belleville Senators (AHL)		 Boston Bruins (NHL)
Providence Bruins
Iowa Heartlanders[8] Minnesota Wild (NHL)
Iowa Wild (AHL)		 Expansion team
Jacksonville Icemen[9] New York Rangers (NHL)
Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL)		 Winnipeg Jets (NHL)
Manitoba Moose (AHL)
Kalamazoo Wings[10] Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Cleveland Monsters (AHL)		 Vancouver Canucks (NHL)
Utica Comets (AHL)
Maine Mariners[11] Boston Bruins (NHL)
Providence Bruins (AHL)		 New York Rangers (NHL)
Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL)
Norfolk Admirals[12] Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)
Chicago Wolves (AHL)		 Independent
Trois-Rivières Lions[13] Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
Laval Rocket (AHL)		 Expansion team

All-star game

During the 2019–20 season, the league had awarded the Jacksonville Icemen the 2021 All-Star Game,[14] but the Jacksonville-hosted event was deferred to 2022.[15] The All-Star Game returned to its previous format of an ECHL All-Star team playing against the host team. Additionally, there was a skills competition composed of fastest skater, hardest shot, and accuracy shooting events. Similar to the 2020 All-Star festivities, players from the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) and the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), formerly the National Women's Hockey League 2021, participated in both the skills events and as members of the All-Star team in the game. The selected players were the PWHPA's Sophia Shaver and Loren Gabel from the PWHPA and Allie Thunstrom and Jillian Dempsey from the PHF.[16]

The All-Star Classic was held on January 17, 2022. The skills competition took place during the All-Star Game with the winner of each competition earning a goal toward their team's final score. Jacksonville earned all three points with Ben Hawerchuk winning the fastest skater, Croix Evingson winning the hardest shot, and Derek Lodermeier winning the accuracy shooting event.[17] The ECHL All-Star team went on to defeat Jacksonville 14–7. The Kansas City Mavericks' Marcus Crawford was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player by scoring three goals and an assist.[17]

Standings

Due to the imbalanced schedule and canceled games during the pandemic, teams are ranked on points percentage.[18]

Final standings[19]

Eastern Conference

North Division GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Pts Pts%
y – Reading Royals (PHI)71451772258201990.697
x – Newfoundland Growlers (TOR)67422041262191890.664
x – Trois-Rivières Lions (MTL)69342951230233740.536
x – Maine Mariners (BOS)72333153230236740.514
Worcester Railers (NYI)71323252227245710.500
Adirondack Thunder (NJD)71274040202272580.408
South Division GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Pts Pts%
y – Florida Everblades (NSH)72422064243187940.653
x – Atlanta Gladiators (OTT)72432441220198910.632
x – Jacksonville Icemen (NYR)72402732206185850.590
x – Greenville Swamp Rabbits (FLA)72332964210209760.528
Orlando Solar Bears (TBL)71333161197226730.514
Norfolk Admirals (CAR)72293733204261640.444
South Carolina Stingrays (WSH)72283860187238620.431

Western Conference

Central Division GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Pts Pts%
z – Toledo Walleye (DET)724919222772031020.708
x – Fort Wayne Komets (VGK)72402561267225870.604
x – Wheeling Nailers (PIT)72373140243247780.542
x – Cincinnati Cyclones (BUF)72363231243239760.528
Kalamazoo Wings (CBJ)72363510224255730.507
Indy Fuel (CHI)72343323232233730.507
Iowa Heartlanders (MIN)72293391229263680.472
Mountain Division GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Pts Pts%
y – Utah Grizzlies (COL)72422721240225870.604
x – Rapid City Rush (ARI)72362565241232830.576
x – Allen Americans (SEA)72352881240244790.549
x – Tulsa Oilers (ANA)72363033220220780.542
Idaho Steelheads (DAL)72363321216191750.521
Kansas City Mavericks (CGY)72323352210243710.493
Wichita Thunder (EDM)72273690202258630.438

 x  - clinched playoff spot,  y  - clinched regular season division title,  z  - Brabham Cup (regular season) champion

Postseason

Playoffs format

The league announced its playoff format on January 21, 2022. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams in each division qualify for the 2022 Kelly Cup playoffs and are seeded one through four based on the highest points percentage earned in the season. Then the 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.[20]

Bracket

Division Semifinals Division Finals Conference Finals Kelly Cup Finals
            
N1 Reading 4
N4 Maine 2
N1 Reading 3
N2 Newfoundland 4
N2 Newfoundland 4
N3 Trois-Rivières 3
N2 Newfoundland 1
North Division
S1 Florida 4
S1 Florida 4
S4 Greenville 2
S1 Florida 4
S3 Jacksonville 0
S2 Atlanta 0
S3 Jacksonville 4
S1 Florida 4
C1 Toledo 1
C1 Toledo 4
C4 Cincinnati 3
C1 Toledo 4
C3 Wheeling 0
C2 Fort Wayne 3
C3 Wheeling 4
C1 Toledo 4
South Division
M1 Utah 1
M1 Utah 4
M4 Tulsa 3
M1 Utah 4
M2 Rapid City 2
M2 Rapid City 4
M3 Allen 1

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "ECHL Releases 2021-22 Schedule". ECHL. May 11, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Florida Wins 2022 Kelly Cup Title". Echl.com. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Everblades Explode Early to Win 2022 Kelly Cup". Floridaeverblades.com. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Brampton Beast a Casualty of COVID-19". Brampton Beast. February 18, 2021.
  5. ↑ "ECHL Approves Two Expansion Memberships". ECHL. January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Americans Enter Agreement With Seattle Kraken". ECHL. October 1, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Gladiatros Announce Affiliation With Ottawa Senators". ECHL. August 9, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Minnesota Wild Announces Affiliation Agreement with Iowa Heartlanders". OurSports Central. June 17, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Icemen Enter into Affiliation Agreement with New York Rangers & Hartford Wolf Pack". OurSports Central. June 29, 2021.
  10. ↑ "K-Wings Announce NHL Affiliation With Columbus Blue Jackets". Kalamazoo Wings. July 21, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Mariners Announce Affiliation Agreement With Boston Bruins". Maine Mariners. June 30, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Norfolk Admirals announce new NHL affiliation with Carolina Hurricanes". WAVY-TV. August 27, 2021.
  13. ↑ "The Canadiens announce affiliation with the new ECHL Trois-Rivières club". Montreal Canadiens Official Website. January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Jacksonville Selected as Host of 2021 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic". OurSports Central. January 11, 2020.
  15. ↑ "ECHL Announces Rescheduling of 2021 ECHL All-Star Classic". Jacksonville Icemen. August 6, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Jacksonville, Icemen ready for spotlight in ECHL All-Star game". news4jax.com. January 17, 2022.
  17. 1 2 "ECHL All-Stars Victorious in 2022 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic". ECHL. January 17, 2022.
  18. ↑ "ECHL Announces Qualification Rules, Format for 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs". echl.com. echl. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  19. ↑ "ECHL Standings - Division". ECHL. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  20. ↑ "ECHL Announces Qualification Rules, Format for 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs". ECHL. January 21, 2022.
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