Kelly Cup Final Will Serve Fish

It's hard to deny that either team would be a solid representative for the ECHL's Western Conference in the Kelly Cup Final, but the Kansas City Mavericks and the Toledo Walleye settled the score on who would gain that opportunity. Kansas City was the top team in the Western Conference with 103 points while Toledo followed right behind at 99 points, so having the top-two teams in the west battle for the right to play for the Kelly Cup means one of the league's best teams will play for the ECHL's highest honour. After tonight's Game Five in the Western Conference Final, we now know which team will play in the final.

As much as Jason and I align with the always-popular Fiona Quinn in supporting the Fort Wayne Komets - meaning we have a direct dislike for the Walleye - it's hard not to cheer for the team that bumped the Komets out of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. It's almost like validation that the Komets lost to the best team in the ECHL's Western Conference, so the pain of that playoff loss stings less. I'm sure Fiona may feel differently, but the reality is that the Komets' arch-nemeses are the 2025 Bruce Taylor Trophy winners just as they were in 2022 and 2019.

Toledo opened the series with 2-0 and 4-3 wins in Kansas City, and the old playoff truthism of "you don't worry until you lose at home" came flooding into Kansas City quickly. With Games Three through Five in Toledo, the Walleye just needed to win two of three to capture the Western Conference. Game One saw the Walleye score 20 seconds apart in the third period while Jan Bednar stopped all 25 shots, and Game Two saw Colby Ambrosio score the game-winner 6:12 into the third period to put Toledo up 2-0 in the series.

Kansas City did respond in Ohio as they had five different scorers find the back of the net en route to a 5-2 win, but that would be their only win of the Western Conference Final. Toledo scored four times before Kansas City broke Bednar's shutout bid in Game Four for the 4-1 win, and Game Five went Toledo's way as well as Trenton Bliss scored twice in the first period while Matt Anderson scored in the first and third periods to pace the Fish to a 5-2 victory.

The 4-1 series win will push the Walleye to the Kelly Cup Final for the first time since 2022, and they'll be seeking their first championship as the Walleye. As a city, Toledo's last ECHL championship came in 1994 when they capped off a back-to-back run as the Toledo Storm, so it's certainly been a few years since they've had a parade route mapped out for the Kelly Cup champions. Detroit's ECHL affiliate is one step closer to having that parade become a reality now.

The Walleye now await the winner of the Trois-Rivières Lions and Florida Everblades with that series going to a best-of-three tied at 2-2. For the record, Florida downed Toledo in 2022 in five games for their first of three Kelly Cups over the last three seasons, so there may be vengeance sought if the Everblades advance. The Lions and Walleye have never met in the playoffs so there's little history upon which to draw, but those two teams will write some new chapters if Trois-Rivières advanced. Game Five is scheduled for Sunday, Game Six goes Tuesday, and Game Seven is scheduled for Wednesday.

If the Walleye keep playing as well as they are, that parade route might need to be completed soon. They stand four wins away from being the biggest fish in the ECHL pond this season, and it's obvious that they're going to do everything they can to bring the Kelly Cup back to Toledo and their fans for the first time since 1994!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!