Zac Electrifly

The 37th season of the ECHL starts tonight. Their are eight games happening tonight to kick off the season. Their are twenty nine teams in the ECHL this season. I ranked the logos a few days ago. I talked about the ECHL conference and division alignments yesterday. I talked about the ECHL affiliations in my last ECHL post. I will be talking about the ECHL jerseys in a future post. In this post I will be doing my best to give a season preview. I have not been closely following the ECHL since the Bakersfield Condors moved up to the AHL. That was almost ten years ago. Now that the Tahoe Knight Monsters are here I am back into following the ECHL very closely. The ECHL regular season starts tonight and will come to an end on April 13th, 2025. The Kelly Cup Playoffs will follow the regular season. All teams will play seventy two regular season games. The NHL and AHL seasons have already started. There are two new teams this season. The Bloomington Bison and the Tahoe Knight Monsters. The ECHL also lost the Newfoundland Growlers at the end of the 2023-24 season. Now their is only one Canadian ECHL team. The ECHL has also announced that Greensboro North Carolina will be getting a team. The ECHL does seem to be moving towards having thirty two teams like the NHL and AHL. The Florida Everblades are the defending Kelly Cup Champions.

The Tahoe Knight Monsters have the best logo in the ECHL. Their logo is followed by the Utah Grizzlies, Florida Everblades, Orlando Solar Bears, and the Wheeling Nailers. The Tahoe Knight Monsters, Wheeling Nailers, Indy Fuel, and the Bloomington Bison all have new logos for the 2024-25 ECHL season. The Tahoe Knight Monsters have new branding as an expansion team. The Bloomington Bison have new Branding as an expansion team as well. The Indy Fuel have rebranded. The Wheeling Nailers have moved to using the black and yellow version of their logo full time. For more on the ECHL logos check out my ECHL logo rankings.

The ECHL has four divisions across two conferences. The ECHL Eastern Conference has fourteen teams. The ECHL Western Conference has fifteen teams. Both conferences would have had fifteen teams this season if the Newfoundland Growlers did not fold. When Greensboro joins the ECHL it will be the fifteenth ECHL Eastern Conference team. The ECHL Eastern Conference North Division has seven teams. The ECHL Western Conference South Division has seven teams. The ECHL Western Conference Central Division has seven teams. The ECHL Western Conference Mountain Division has eight teems. The Wheeling Nailers were the only team to move for the 2024-25 ECHL realignment. The Wheeling Nailers moved from the ECHL Western Conference Central Division to the ECHL Eastern Conference North Division. This is a return to the ECHL Eastern Conference Central Division for the Wheeling Nailers. The Bloomington Bison were added to the ECHL Western Conference Central Division. The Tahoe Knight Monsters were added to the ECHL Western Conference Mountain Division. For more on the ECHL alignment check out my 2024-25 ECHL alignment post.

There are six ECHL affiliation changes for the 2024-25 season. The Allen Americans are now affiliated with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL and the Utah Hockey Club of the NHL. The Allen Americans were affiliated with the Belleville Senators of the AHL and Ottawa Senators of the NHL last season. The Arizona Coyotes did not have an ECHL affiliate for the 2023-24 season prior to becoming Utah Hockey Club. the Bloomington Bison are affiliated with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL and the New York Rangers of the NHL. The New York Rangers were affiliated with the Cincinnati Cyclones last season. The Cincinnati Cyclones are now affiliated with the Toronto Maple Marlies of the AHL and the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL. The Cincinnati Cyclones were affiliated with the New York Rangers last season. The Toronto Maple Leafs were left without an ECHL affiliate after the Newfoundland Growlers folded. The New York Rangers left the Cincinnati Cyclones for the Bloomington Bison. That opened up the Cyclones to become the Maple Leafs affiliate. The Tahoe Knight Monsters are affiliated with the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL and the Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL. The Savannah Ghost Pirates are now affiliated with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL and the Florida Panthers of the NHL. The Florida Everblades are now affiliated with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL and the St. Louis Blues of the NHL. The Vegas Golden Knights left the Savannah Ghost Pirates for the Tahoe Knight Monsters. The Florida Panthers left the Florida Everblades for the Savannah Ghost Pirates. The St. Louis Blues became the Florida Everblades affiliate after not having an ECHL affiliate last season. For more on the ECHL affiliations check out my ECHL affiliate guide for the 2024-25 season.

Their were six coaching changes in the ECHL during the off season. There are also two coached coming in for the expansion teams. The Worcester Railers promoted assistant coach Bob Deraney to Head Coach. He is replacing Jordan Smotherman. Jared Staal is the new head coach of the Savannah Ghost Pirates. The Ghost Pirates were left without a head coach Alex Loh when they lost their affiliation with the Vegas Golden Knights. Jared Nightingale is the new coach for the South Carolina Stingrays. Their old coach Brenden Kotyk is now an assistant coach with the Savannah Ghost Pirates. B.J. Adams is the new coach for the Allen Americans. Brandon Mashinter is the new coach of the Jacksonville Icemen. Their previous coach Nick Luukko is now on the AHLs Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins coaching staff. The Worcester Railers and Allen Americans fired their previous coaches. Kyle Mountain is the new coach for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. He was previously an assistant coach. The Tahoe Knight Monsters added Alex Loh as the first ever head coach. The Bloomington Bison added Phillip Barski as their first ever head coach.

The Adirondack Thunder had a record of 43-18-11 last season with 97 points. They had the best record in the Eastern Conference and North Division. They lost in the Kelly Cup Eastern Conference Finals last season. This season could be a redemption season for them where they make it to the Kelly Cup Finals. With no affiliate or coaching changes, it is likely that they will continue to be a top eastern conference team. Their coach is coming back for his third straight season. They start their season tonight against the Norfolk Admirals.

The Maine Mariners had a record of 32-32-8 with 72 points last season. They barely made the playoffs last season on tie breakers. They had the fourth best record in the North Division. They lost in the Division Semifinals of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Their coach is back for the third season. I think the Mariners will be a bubble team. I think they will be fighting for the last playoff spot in the North Division. The Maine Mariners start their season tonight against the Wheeling Nailers at home.

The Norfolk Admirals had a 41-21-7 with 89 points last season. They did not get to complete 72 games due to the Newfoundland Growlers Folding. They did make it to the Kelly Cup Division Finals last season. Their coach is back for a third season as well. They will likely continue to be a top team in the North Division. They start their season tonight against the Adirondack Thunder at home.

The Reading Royals had a record of 29-35-8 with 66 points. They completes 72 games and had as many points as the Newfoundland Growlers who only completed 66 games. The Royals missed the playoffs last season by 6 points (3 wins). This will be the second season for their coach. Last season the Royals fired their coach thirty nine games into the season. Their interim coach is now their head coach. The Royals will likely be fighting to stay out of the bottom of the division this season. They start their season tonight against the Trois-Rivières Lions.

The Trois-Rivières Lions had a record of 31-30-0 with 70 points. They also did not get to complete 72 games due to the Newfoundland Growlers folding. They finished third in the North Division. They were eliminated in the Division Semifinals of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. This will be their second season with their head coach. The Lions will likely be fighting for the last playoff spot. They start their season tonight at home against the Reading Royals.

The Worcester Railers had a record of 32-32-8 with 72 points last season. They finished fifth in the North Division. They did not make the playoffs. This will be their first season with their new coach. The Railers will likely be in the fight for that last playoff spot. The Worcester Railers start their season tomorrow against the Reading Royals at home.

The Wheeling Nailers had a record of 38-25-5 with 81 points last season. They came in third in the Central Division. They were eliminated in the Kelly Cup Division Finals. This will be the fifth season with their coach. The Nailers are the wild card in the North Division. This is their first year back in the North Division. They could become a challenge for most of the teams in the North Division. They will likely be a top three or four team in the North Division. The Nailers start their season tonight against the Maine Mariners.

The Atlanta Gladiators had a record of 23-45-4 with 50 points last season. They finished last in the South Division. They did not make the playoffs. They had a horrible season last year. They have decided to stick with their coach for another season. This year the storyline for the Gladiators is can they improve? This season they will likely be fighting to stay out of the last spot in the division. The Gladiators first game is tomorrow against the Indy Fuel at home.

The Florida Everblades had a record of 40-23-9 with 89 points. They came in third in the South Division. They are the defending Kelly Cup Champions. It was their third Kelly Cup win in a row. They are the first ECHL team to win the Kelly Cup three times in a row. This will be their ninth season with their coach. Can the Florida Everblades do it again? The odds are not in their favor. They have a new affiliate. That will effect how they preform on the ice. They are still a solid playoff contender but they might not have what it takes to go all the way. The Florida Everblades start their season tomorrow against the Jacksonville Icemen.

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits had a record of 44-34-5 with 93 points last season. They came in first place in the South Division. They were eliminated in the Division Semifinals of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. They have a new coach. Can they maintain the success they saw last year with their new coach? They should be able to since he was with the team as an assistant coach last season. The Swamp Rabbits should be hungry for more success in the playoffs. The Greenville Swamp Rabbits start their season tonight against the Orlando Solar Bears at home.

The Jacksonville Icemen had a record of 42-23-7 with 91 points last season. They finished second in the South Division. They were eliminated in the Division Semifinals of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Jacksonville Icemen have a new coach. The Icemen are another team that will likely make the playoffs. They are another team that is likely hungry for more in the playoffs. Time will tell if the coaching change will effect if they can replicate their success from last season. The Jacksonville Icemen start their season tomorrow at home against the Florida Everblades.

The Orlando Solar Bears had a record of 38-24-10 with 86 points last season. They finished fourth in the South Division. They were eliminated in the Division Finals of the Kelly Cup. This is their third season with their coach. They will likely be fighting for that last playoff spot again. The Orlando Solar Bears start their season tonight against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

The Savannah Ghost Pirates had a record of 30-34-8 with 68 points. They did not qualify for the playoffs. With a new affiliate and coach, they will likely improve this season. The Ghost Pirates will likely be in the hunt for a playoff spot. They might have what it takes to make a strong playoff push as well. The Savannah Ghost Pirates start their season at home tonight.

The South Carolina Stingrays had a record of 39-36-7 with 85 points last season. They finished fifth in the North Division. They missed the playoffs by one point. They have a new coach this season. They should be hungry and look to secure a playoff spot. They will likely be fighting for a playoff spot. The South Carolina Stingrays start their season tomorrow at home against the Orlando Solar Bears.

The Cincinnati Cyclones had a record of 31-34-7 with 68 points last season. They came in sixth place in the Central Division. They did not qualify for the playoffs. This will be the fourth year for their coach. They have a new affiliation. The Cyclones missed the playoffs by 11 points (5+ wins). Their affiliation will likely not help improve their situation. They will likely be fighting to stay out of the bottom of their division again. The Cincinnati Cyclones will start their season tomorrow against the Kalamazoo Wings.

the Fort Wayne Komets had a record of 35-30-7 with 77 points last season. They came in fifth in the Central Division. They did not qualify for the playoffs. They missed the playoffs by 3 points (2+ wins). It is their coaches second season. I do not see much changing for Fort Wayne this season. They will still be a bubble team fighting for that last playoff spot. The Fort Wayne Komets will start their season tonight against the Iowa Heartlanders.

The Indy Fuel had a record of 39-25-8 with 86 points last season. They came in second in the Central Division. They were eliminated in the Division Semifinals of the Kelly Cup. It is their coaches fourth season. As the Chicago Blackhawks continue to rebuild with young talent, the Indy Fuel will likely continue to be a top team in the Central Division. The Indy Fuel start their season tonight against the Savannah Ghost Pirates.

The Iowa Heartlanders had a record of 27-37-8 with 62 points last season. They finished last in the Central Division. They did not qualify for the playoffs. They missed the playoffs by 18 points (9 wins). This will be their third season with their coach. They will likely be battling to stay out of the bottom of the Central Division this season. The Iowa Heartlanders start their season at home tonight against the Fort Wayne Komets.

The Kalamazoo Wings had a record of 38-30-4 with 80 points last season. They came in fourth in the Central Division. They were eliminated in the division semifinals of the Kelly Cup. This will be their third season with their coach. They will likely be a bubble team fighting for a playoff spot. The Kalamazoo Wings will start their season tomorrow against the Cincinnati Cyclones.

The Toledo Walleye had a record of 48-14-9 with 105 points last season. They came in first in the Central Division. They were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals. This is the second season for their coach. They will likely continue to be a top team in the Central Division. The Toledo Walleye will start their season tomorrow against the Bloomington Bison.

The Bloomington Bison are an expansion team for this season. They are the New York Rangers new ECHL affiliate. This will be their coaches first season. Bloomington will likely be fighting to stay in the playoff race this season. The Bloomington Bison will start their season at home tomorrow against the Toledo Walleye.

The Allen Americans had a record of 33-35-4 with 70 points. They came in third in the Mountain Division. They were eliminated in the Division Semifinals of the Kelly Cup. The Americans have a new coach and a new affiliate. That will likely effect how they play this season. I still think they can be a playoff team. They will have to fight for it though. The Allen Americans will start their season on Thursday, October 24th, against the Tulsa Oilers.

The Idaho Steelheads had a record of 48-20-4 with 100 points last season. They came in second in the Mountain Division. They were eliminated in the Division Finals. This is their coaches fifth season. the Steelheads were a great team last season. They have the opportunity to keep it going this season. The Idaho Steelheads start their season tonight at home against the Utah Grizzlies.

The Kansas City Mavericks had a record of 54-12-6 with 114 points. They came in first in the Mountain Division. They had the best record in the ECHL last season. They were eliminated in the Kelly Cup Finals last season. This will be their coaches fifth season. With a lot of young talent in the Seattle Kraken system, the Kansas City Mavericks will likely continue to dominate the ECHL. The Kansas City Mavericks will start their season tomorrow against the Wichita Thunder at home.

The Rapid City Rush had a record of 30-38-4 with 64 points. They finished sixth in the Mountain Division. They did not qualify for the Playoffs. They missed the playoffs by five points (2+ wins). This will be their fourth season with their coach. They will likely be a bubble team fighting for a playoff spot again. The Rapid City Rush will start their season tomorrow against the Tulsa Oilers.

The Tulsa Oilers had a record of 30-33-9 with 69 points last season. They came in fourth in the Mountain Division. They were eliminated in the Division Semifinals. This will be their eighth season with their coach. The Oilers will likely be in the mix fighting for that last playoff spot. The Tulsa Oilers will start their season tomorrow at home against the Rapid City Rush.

The Utah Grizzlies had a record of 31-36-5 with 67 points last season. They came in fifth in the Mountain Division. They did not make the playoffs. They missed the playoffs by 2 points (1 win). This will be their fourth season with their current coach. The Grizzlies will likely be back fighting for a playoff spot. The Utah Grizzlies start their season tonight against the Idaho Steelheads.

The Wichita Thunder had a record of 27-35-10 with 64 points last season. They came in last in the mountain division. They did not qualify for the playoffs. They missed the playoffs by 5 points (2+ wins). This is their sixth season with their coach. The Thunder will likely be fighting for the last playoff spot in the division again. The Wichita Thunder start their season tonight at home against the Kansas City Mavericks.

The Tahoe Knight Monsters are an expansion team for this season. They have a new coach. They are the new ECHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights. I will be doing a more in-depth blog post previewing the Tahoe Knight Monsters season next week. The Knight Monsters will likely be fighting for the last playoff spot. I do not expect them to come in and dominate. I expect them to play hard win some games, and get the third or fourth playoff spot. Alternatively they may also end up a few points shy of a playoff spot. The Tahoe Knight Monsters will start their season on October 24th at home against the Jacksonville Icemen.

Sixteen teams will qualify for the ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. The top four teams in each division. Each round is a best of seven series like the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first two rounds are divisional matchups. The first round is the division semifinals. First place in the division will play fourth place and second place will play third place. The winners of the division semifinals will move onto the division finals. The winners of the division finals will move onto the conference finals. The winners of the conference finals will move onto the Kelly Cup Finals. The ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs have had this same format roughly since 2017. The Kelly Cup Playoffs will start after the conclusion of the regular season on April 13, 2025.