Trois-Rivieres Lions win ECHL’s Kelly Cup for first time

For the first time in six years, the Kelly Cup will call Canada home.

On Saturday, the Trois-Rivières Lions, the ECHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, defeated the Toledo Walleye, 4-1, to clinch the first championship in franchise history.

The Lions knocked off the Detroit Red Wings’ secondary affiliate in five games in the best-of-seven final, becoming the first Canadian team to lift the Kelly Cup since the Newfoundland Growlers won the title, coincidentally beating the Walleye in the 2019 final. It also marks only the second time a team from north of the border has won the league championship since the ECHL was founded in 1988.

Stats-wise, the Walleye heavily outplayed the Lions, winning the first game of the series. Yet, Trois-Rivières netminder Luke Cavallin was outstanding, outdueling Walleye netminder Jan Bednar to win the final four games of the series.

Lions forward Anthony Beauregard finished tied for the team lead in scoring during the playoffs with 19 points, leading all skaters with 11 goals, including the first goal of the game on Saturday afternoon.

Trois-Rivières’ story and path to winning the championship has been something else. Last year, in the franchise’s third year of operation, it looked as if the Lions would cease to exist, as Deacon Sports & Entertainment was forced to sell the team or shut down. Thankfully, the team found a buyer in Spire Hockey, a division of Spire Holdings that laos operates the Rapid City Rush and Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

The team responded by having the best season in its history. The Lions won a franchise-record 45 games, finishing first in the North Division and third in the Eastern Conference. Trois-Rivières won a playoff series for the first time, defeating the Reading Royals in round one. The Lions followed that up by beating the Norfolk Admirals in six games before knocking off the three-time defending Kelly Cup champion Florida Everblades in the Eastern Conference Final.