ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
| Current season, competition or edition: 2023–24 ECHL season | |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1988 |
| No. of teams | 28 |
| Country |
|
| Headquarters | Shrewsbury, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Most recent champion(s) | Florida Everblades (3rd title) |
| Most titles | Alaska Aces Florida Everblades Hampton Roads Admirals South Carolina Stingrays (3 each) |
| TV partner(s) | Canada (English): Sportsnet/Sportsnet One Canada (French): TVA Sports United States: NHL Network Streaming: FloSports |
| Official website | www |
The ECHL and the AHL are the only minor leagues recognized by the collective bargaining agreement between the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players' Association, 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 in negotiations with the ECHL itself. At least 739 players have played at least one game in the NHL after appearing in the ECHL.
For the 2023–24 season, 28 of the 32 NHL teams have affiliations with an ECHL team with only the Arizona Coyotes, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues having no official ECHL affiliations. NHL teams sometimes lend contracted players to ECHL teams with whom they have no affiliation agreements for development and increased playing time.
The league's regular season typically begins in October and ends in April, followed by the Kelly Cup playoffs. The most recent playoff champions are the Florida Everblades in 2023.