The ECHL 2024-25 regular season comes to an end on Sunday, April 13th, 2025. The ECHL 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs will start on Wednesday, April 16th. The top four teams in each ECHL division qualify for the playoffs. There are two conferences in the ECHL with four divisions. The conferences are separated by eastern teams and western teams. The divisions further separate the teams based on proximity. Sixteen of the twenty-nine ECHL teams will qualify for the playoffs. The Kelly Cup playoffs are seeded based on divisional standings. Each round of the playoffs is a best of seven series. One team has to win four of the seven games to win the series. Today through Sunday is the end of the ECHL 2024-25 regular season. Eleven teams have already qualified for the ECHL 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs. That means that there are only five spots left for teams to qualify. Eight teams have already been eliminated from playoff contention. Teams have between two and four games remaining in their regular season.
In the ECHL Eastern Conference North Division, the Trois-Rivieres Lions, Wheeling Nailers, and Norfolk Admirals have qualified for the playoffs. The Trois-Rivieres Lions also won that division. The Maine Mariners and the Adirondack Thunder have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Worcester Railers need five points to secure their playoff spot. The Reading Royals need seven points to secure their playoff spot. They play each other twice this week. The Royals play one more game than the Railers. The winner of their two games will likely make the playoffs.
In the ECHL Eastern Conference South Division, the South Carolina Stingrays, defending champions Florida Everblades, the Jacksonville Icemen, and the Orlando Solar Bears have clinched playoff spots. The Savannah Ghost Pirates, Atlanta Gladiators, and Greenville Swamp Rabbits have been eliminated from playoff contention. The South Carolina Stingrays and Florida Everblades are still competing for the division title.
In the ECHL Western Conference Central Division, the Toledo Walleye, the Fort Wayne Komets, and the Iowa Heartlanders have qualified for the playoffs. None of the ECHL Western Conference Central Division teams have been eliminated from playoff contention yet. The Toledo Walleye won the division.
The Indy Fuel need three points to clinch a playoff spot. The Kalanazoo Wings need seven points to clinch a playoff spot. The Bloomington Bison need seven points to clinch a playoff spot. The Cincinnati Cyclones need nine points to clinch a playoff spot. Things are coming down to the wire in the Central Division. If the Fuel win any of their remaining four games, the Cyclones will be eliminated, the K-Wings and the Bison will only be able to tie for the last playoffs spot. The Wings and Bison have to win all of their remaining games with the Fuel to lose all of their remaining games for either of them to clinch a playoff spot. The Cyclones would have to win all of their remaining games with the Fuel, the K-Wings, and the Bison losing all of their remaining games to tie for the last playoff spot.
In the ECHL Western Conference Mountain Division, the Kansas City Mavericks are the only team to have clinched a playoff spot. They have also won the division. The Rapid City Rush, the Utah Grizzlies, and the Allen Americans have all been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters need two points to clinch a playoff spot. The Wichita Thunder need six points to secure a playoff spot. The Idaho Steelheads need six points to secure a playoff spot. The Tulsa Oilers need seven points to secure a playoff spot.
If the Tahoe Knight Monsters win one of their remaining games or the Idaho Steelheads or Tulsa Oilers lose one of their remaining games, the Knight Monsters will secure a playoff spot. The Wichita Thunder need three wins or the Idaho Steelheads or Tulsa Oilers to lose all of their remaining games to secure a playoff spot. The Idaho Steelheads need to win three games or have the Tulsa Oilers lose their remaining games to secure a playoff spot. Right now it is a one point difference between the Thunder, Steelheads, and Oilers. It is really close with all three teams have three games left. Every win or loss right now is make or break for their seasons.
If the ECHL 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs started today, the Trois-Rivieres Lions would play the Worcester Railers. The Wheeling Nailers would play the Norfolk Admirals. The South Carolina Stingrays would play the Orlando Solar Bears. The Florida Everblades would play the Jacksonville Icemen. The Toledo Walleye would play the Indy Fuel. The Fort Wayne Komets would play the Iowa Heartlanders. The Kansas City Mavericks would play the Idaho Steelheads. The Tahoe Knight Monsters would play the Wichita Thunder.
Zac Electrifly 
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