Three-peat champions Florida Everblades chase a historic fourth title. Can anyone halt their relentless pursuit of ECHL dominance?
Goaltender Cam Johnson with teammates before game time against the South Carolina Stingrays on 11/19/2025. Photo Credit: Florida EverbladesThe Florida Everblades have built a modern ECHL dynasty, and the question heading into the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs isn’t whether they’re contenders to win the Kelly Cup; it’s whether anyone can actually stop them in their tracks.
Florida has already won three consecutive Kelly Cups in 2022, 2023, and 2024. If they go on the run that is meant for them, a championship this season would give them four titles in five seasons, and that is a remarkable run of sustained success in a league built for roster turnover, constantly with trades, players heading overseas, call-ups, and injury.
Built Like a Contender Again
The Everblades once again sit near the top of the ECHL standings, 11 points behind league-leading Kansas City Mavericks, and have been one of the most consistent teams all season. They’ve combined strong offense with stellar defense, scoring over 180 goals while allowing just over 115, one of the best goal differentials in the entirety of the league.
That defensive structure has always been the Everblades’ identity. They don’t just win, they control their games, every game. In fact, Florida toppled the Orlando Solar Bears in the season series, going 10-1-1. They held them to one goal or fewer in eight games.
That’s championship hockey.
Offensive Depth Still Leads the Way
Florida doesn’t rely on just one scorer — and that’s why they’re dangerous in the playoffs. The team has Anthony Romano, Craig Needham, and Oliver Chau leading the offense this season, continuing the scoring lines that make them difficult to match up against in a seven-game series.
Veteran presence, something that is vital in any type of playoff run in hockey, comes from Reid Duke, Carson Gicewicz, and Logan Lambdin.
The Playoff Experience Factor
Florida has separated itself in this factor. They don’t just appear regularly in playoffs; playoffs are their speciality. Everblades eliminate the same opponents year in and year out and know how to win the physical and tight series. It’s often tight and physical during the playoffs, but experience and depth usually decide who wins the Kelly Cup, and those are both areas where Florida has a clear advantage every year.
So, Can They Do It?
Can it be done? Yes. Will it be easy? No.
South Carolina Stingrays, Savannah Ghost Pirates, and Atlanta Gladiators have closed the gap, and it’s a tight division. The playoffs are unpredictable. If Florida keeps their brick-wall-like goaltending and their scoring ability, there is no reason the team won’t lift the Kelly Cup again in June.
Final Verdict
The Florida Everblades aren’t just chasing another championship; they’re chasing a dynasty.
Based on their roster depth, defensive nature, and playoff experience within the current roster, they may still be the team to beat in the ECHL.
If they win the Kelly Cup this year, the conversation won’t be about whether Florida is a dynasty; it’ll could be about whether they’re one of the greatest ECHL teams ever assembled in recent history.