ECHL Announces Conference and Divisional Alignments

The ECHL held its Annual Board of Governors Meeting at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 12 and 13. The following item was approved by the Board.

Conference and Divisional Alignment for 2017-18 Season

As approved by the Board of Governors, the Conference and Divisional alignment for the 2017-18 Season will be as follows:

Eastern Conference

North Division

Adirondack Thunder, Brampton Beast, Manchester Monarchs, Reading Royals, Wheeling Nailers, Worcester Railers

South Division

Atlanta Gladiators, Florida Everblades, Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Jacksonville IceMen, Norfolk Admirals, Orlando Solar Bears, South Carolina Stingrays

Western Conference

Central Division

Cincinnati Cyclones, Fort Wayne Komets, Indy Fuel, Kalamazoo Wings, Kansas City Mavericks, Quad City Mallards, Toledo Walleye

Mountain Division

Allen Americans, Colorado Eagles, Idaho Steelheads, Rapid City Rush, Tulsa Oilers, Utah Grizzlies, Wichita Thunder

The first two rounds of the Kelly Cup Playoffs will once again be played entirely within the division, with the division winner playing the fourth-place finisher and the second-place team meeting the third-place team in the Division Semifinals. The winners of each series will meet in the Division Finals, leading to the Conference Finals and Kelly Cup Finals.

About the ECHL

Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 27 teams in 21 states and one Canadian province as it celebrates its 30th season in 2017-18. There have been 623 players who have played in the NHL after playing in the ECHL, including 24 who made their debut in the 2016-17 season. The ECHL had affiliations with 26 of the 30 NHL teams in 2016-17, marking the 20th consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook.