EntityQ182010· pop 20· linked from 8,593 articles

ECHL

The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The league serves as a farm system to the AHL and National Hockey League (NHL).

Key facts

Hockey league.name: ECHL
Hockey league.logo: ECHL logo.svg
Hockey league.pixels: 200
Hockey league.country: United States (29 teams)Canada (1 team)
Hockey league.leader_title: Commissioner
Hockey league.leader_name: Ryan Crelin
Hockey league.leader_title2: Commissioner Emeritus
Hockey league.leader_name2: Patrick J. Kelly
Hockey league.first: 1988–89
Hockey league.teams: 30 (31 in 2027)
Hockey league.feeds: AHL, NHL
Hockey league.champ: Kelly Cup
Hockey league.champions: Trois-Rivières Lions
Hockey league.season: 2025
Hockey league.most successful club: Florida Everblades (4)
Hockey league.TV: FloSports
Hockey league.headquarters: Shrewsbury, New Jersey
Hockey league.current_season: 2025–26 ECHL season

via Wikipedia infobox

Article

11 sections

Contents

History
Teams
Future teams
Defunct and relocated teams
Timeline
Kelly Cup playoff format
ECHL Hall of Fame
See also
Notes
References
External links

The ECHL and the AHL are the only minor leagues recognized by the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), meaning any player signed to an entry-level NHL contract and designated for assignment must report to a club in either the ECHL or the AHL. Additionally, the league's players are represented by the Professional Hockey Players' Association (PHPA) in negotiations with the ECHL itself. At least 739 players have played at least one game in the NHL after appearing in the ECHL.