ECHL’s Kelly Cup by no means returned by champions
Greg WyshynskiESPN
Final June, the Colorado Eagles paraded across the ice with the Kelly Cup of their palms as ECHL champions. Apparently, they by no means gave it again.
The Eagles, who left the league to turn into the American Hockey League affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche after final season, uncared for to return the Kelly Cup to the ECHL based on Patrick J. Kelly, commissioner emeritus and the trophy’s namesake.
“I do not know if I ought to say this or not, however Colorado stored the trophy, should you can consider it,” mentioned Kelly, talking on AM 1230 in Toledo this week. “They nonetheless have it. It is a new trophy. They gained the Cup two years in a row, and their proprietor simply mentioned ‘we’ll preserve it.'”
The Kelly Cup has been awarded to the ECHL champion since 1997. The brand new trophy has the names of earlier winners re-etched on it, together with these from Colorado.
Eagles proprietor Martin Lind launched a press release on Friday relating to Kelly’s declare: “The administration of the ECHL has full data of the state of affairs with the Kelly Cup. We’ve got made quite a few makes an attempt to return it. They’ve chosen to disregard our requests, subsequently the Kelly Cup stays in Colorado. That is all that can be launched relating to this matter.”
The ECHL countered that declare in a press release of its personal launched on Saturday:
“Regardless of a confirmed plan with Eagles’ administration to return the Kelly Cup to the ECHL in December 2018, the association was not fulfilled. In response to this, the League created a brand new Kelly Cup, full with the historical past of gamers, coaches, and workers which have earned ECHL Championships over the previous 30 years, together with the inscription of ‘Patrick J. Kelly’ on the Cup itself to honor the person that’s the trophy’s namesake. This Cup represents the fourth Kelly Cup in ECHL historical past, with the older fashions enshrined within the Hockey Corridor of Fame in Toronto. If the Colorado Eagles do intend to return the Kelly Cup, the ECHL welcomes its return in order that it too could also be part of hockey historical past.”
Kelly mentioned he isn’t conscious of any makes an attempt by the ECHL to litigate the matter.
“I’ve by no means heard of this within the historical past of hockey,” he concluded.