ECHL Collection

The League behind 26 Straight Cups

ECHL story slide 1: 26 Stanley Cups in a row with the same minor league behind every one - that pipeline is the ECHL, and its story starts in 1988. — photo 1 of 12
ECHL story slide 2: it started with two leagues dying in 1988 - Carolina, Erie, Johnstown, Knoxville and Virginia refused to go down and started the East Coast Hockey League. — photo 2 of 12
ECHL story slide 3: the first Final went to Game 7 - Carolina against Johnstown, whose coach was Slap Shot Hanson Brother Steve Carlson. Carolina won anyway. — photo 3 of 12
ECHL story slide 4: 1990, the first one makes it - former Johnstown goalie Scott Gordon became the first ECHL player to reach the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques. — photo 4 of 12
ECHL story slide 5: the league got bigger and the name got smaller - by 2003 it ran from Alaska to San Diego, so East Coast Hockey League became simply ECHL. — photo 5 of 12
ECHL story slide 6: why goalies? NHL teams carry only two, so young goalies go to the ECHL for real games - you can't learn to stop pucks from the bench. — photo 6 of 12
ECHL story slide 7: Reading, South Carolina, Kalamazoo - Jonathan Quick, Braden Holtby and Jordan Binnington, three ECHL goalies who became Stanley Cup champions. — photo 7 of 12
ECHL story slide 8: the goalie who waited - Jordan Binnington spent more than five seasons in the minors, then lifted the Stanley Cup five months after St. Louis made him the starter. — photo 8 of 12
ECHL story slide 9: for 26 years in a row the Stanley Cup winner has had someone who came through the ECHL, and 782 former ECHL players have made it to the NHL. — photo 9 of 12
ECHL story slide 10: it ended where it started - the Carolina Thunderbirds won the first ECHL title in 1989, and in 2026 the Carolina Hurricanes won the Cup with ECHL alum Brandon Bussi. — photo 10 of 12
ECHL story slide 11: Swamp Rabbits, Ghost Pirates, Florida Everblades - with the New Mexico Goatheads joining it's 30 teams, and the next star is somewhere in one of those arenas. — photo 11 of 12
ECHL story slide 12: the ECHL got the Bench Clearers treatment - old teams and new teams, including defunct clubs you won't see on the ice anymore. — photo 12 of 12
Filter
    Filter
    Trenton Titans Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Trenton Titans Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Trenton Titans Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Long Beach Ice Dogs Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Long Beach Ice Dogs Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Long Beach Ice Dogs Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Manchester Monarchs Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Manchester Monarchs Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Manchester Monarchs Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Johnstown Chiefs Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Johnstown Chiefs Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Johnstown Chiefs Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Mobile Mysticks Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Mobile Mysticks Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Mobile Mysticks Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    San Francisco Bulls Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    San Francisco Bulls Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    San Francisco Bulls Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Quad City Mallards Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Quad City Mallards Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Quad City Mallards Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Victoria Salmon Kings Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Victoria Salmon Kings Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Victoria Salmon Kings Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Greensboro Generals Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Greensboro Generals Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Greensboro Generals Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Augusta Lynx Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Augusta Lynx Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Augusta Lynx Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Pensacola Ice Pilots Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Pensacola Ice Pilots Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Pensacola Ice Pilots Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Elmira Jackals Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Elmira Jackals Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Elmira Jackals Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Columbia Inferno Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Columbia Inferno Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Columbia Inferno Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Fresno Falcons Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Fresno Falcons Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Fresno Falcons Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Dayton Bombers Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Dayton Bombers Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Dayton Bombers Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL
    Texas Wildcatters Hockey Tank - Front View | Official Hockey Hockey Tank Top by BenchClearers
    Texas Wildcatters Hockey Tank - Back View | Official Hockey Hockey Apparel by BenchClearers
    Texas Wildcatters Hockey Tank
    $65.00
    QUICK ADD
    XSSMLXLXXLXXXLXXXXL