A Championship, New Records, and Solid Foundations
June 17, 2025 - ECHL (ECHL)
Trois-Rivieres Lions News Release
Trois-Rivières - The Trois-Rivières Lions organization is reflecting on an overwhelmingly positive 2024-2025 season, which concluded on June 7 with the team hosting the Kelly Cup, awarded to the ECHL champions.
On the ice, the roster built by President Alex Cousineau and Head Coach and General Manager Ron Choules delivered the best season in the young franchise's history, breaking several records along the way - including most wins in a season with 45, and most goals scored in a season with 251. Anthony Beauregard also rewrote the team's record book in four categories: all-time points, all-time goals, all-time assists, and most points in a single season.
This same group of players continued their momentum into the playoffs, ultimately achieving their ultimate goal: winning the Kelly Cup. In a thrilling playoff run, the Lions swept the Reading Royals (Philadelphia Flyers affiliate) in the first round, eliminated their long-time nemesis the Norfolk Admirals (Winnipeg Jets affiliate), ended the reign of the Florida Everblades (St. Louis Blues affiliate) - three-time ECHL champions - and finally silenced the league's Most Valuable Player Brandon Hawkins and his team, the Toledo Walleye (Detroit Red Wings affiliate), holding him to just one goal and one assist over five games.
Ten days after the triumph, Lions President Alex Cousineau remains proud of the team's achievement: "From the start of the season, we knew we had a special group. As the weeks went on, that belief only grew stronger. These players gave it everything they had in the final stretch and stuck to the game plan laid out by our head coach, Ron Choules, who successfully communicated his vision to every guy in the locker room this season."
Off the ice, the organization has also built a strong foundation, particularly in terms of attendance. During the regular season, average attendance rose by 400 fans per game - a 19% increase. In the playoffs, the average crowd grew by 800 fans per game compared to the regular season. During the Kelly Cup Final, attendance averaged 4,285 spectators, including the largest Wednesday night crowd in Lions history, and the two biggest crowds ever at Colisée Vidéotron: 4,640 fans for Game 4 and 4,777 for Game 5.
On the partnership front, the story was equally successful: the number of business partners more than doubled over the past year. The team's mission to make partnerships accessible to local small and medium-sized businesses was especially well received by the Trois-Rivières business community. This approach earned the Lions a nomination at the ECHL Awards Gala for Corporate Partnership Team of the Year, one of four nominations for the franchise. The team is also nominated for: Most Creative Revenue Generation Campaign (5th Line Club), Most Creative Ticket Package (Comedy in Overtime), and Game Operations Team of the Year.
The Lions also made a point of being active in the community - whether through visits to partners, local schools, or participating in family events throughout Trois-Rivières and surrounding areas.
For Lions President Alex Cousineau, this is just the beginning: "We're clearly thrilled with how things have gone on the business side. Seeing record crowds at Colisée Vidéotron during the Final is an incredible accomplishment for our organization. Now we have to look ahead, roll up our sleeves, and work to attract those same numbers throughout the regular season."
ECHL Stories from June 17, 2025
- A Championship, New Records, and Solid Foundations - Trois-Rivieres Lions
- Staal Looks Back on First Season in Savannah - Savannah Ghost Pirates
- Matt Carkner to Pursue Coaching Opportunity in the American Hockey League - Orlando Solar Bears
- 2x Kelly Cup Champion Weber Named Head Coach of Iowa Heartlanders - Iowa Heartlanders
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
