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ECHL Playoffs Have Seen Share Of Last-Day Qualifiers

April 1, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - With a point separating Trenton and Reading for the final berth in the Northern Division and Greensboro, South Carolina, Roanoke and Florida all tied in their battle for three berths in the Southern Division, the final qualifiers in the 2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs may not be determined until Saturday, the final day of the regular season.

Here is a look at past teams that have qualified for the playoffs on the final day:

Florida qualified for the 2002 Kelly Cup Playoffs on the final day of the season with a 2-1 shootout win at Augusta. Florida and Augusta finished tied with 78 points, but the Everblades had 37 wins while Augusta had 36 wins. Florida secured the final spot in the Southeast Division and beat South Carolina 3-2 in the Southern Conference Wild Card Game. The Everblades lost three games to two in the Southern Conference Quarterfinals to Greenville, which went on to capture the Kelly Cup Championship.

Cincinnati qualified for the 2002 Kelly Cup Playoffs on the final day of the season with a 4-3 shootout win against Wheeling. Cincinnati secured the final spot in the Northwest Division with 78 points while Wheeling finished with 76 points. The Cyclones lost three games to none in the Northern Conference Quarterfinals to Dayton, who advanced to the Kelly Cup Finals.

Despite losing to Florida on the last day, Baton Rouge qualified for the 2000 Kelly Cup Playoffs because Jackson lost to New Orleans. Baton Rouge secured the final spot in the Southern Conference with 71 points while Jackson finished with 70 points. Baton Rouge lost two games to none in the Southern Conference Wild Card Series to South Carolina.

Hampton Roads qualified for the 1998 Kelly Cup Playoffs on the last day of the regular season with a 4-3 win at Chesapeake. Hampton Roads entered the final week of the season needing to win its final three games while having Columbus lose one of its final two games. Hampton Roads beat Roanoke 4-3 on Friday and then won 5-4 at Wheeling on Saturday.

Roanoke finished first in the Northeast Division with 91 points while Wheeling was second with 83 points and Chesapeake was third with 76 points. Columbus won at Dayton on Friday, but lost at Peoria on Saturday leaving Hampton Roads needing a win on Sunday to avoid missing the postseason for the first time in its nine-year history.

Hampton Roads won six of its last seven games after losing eight games in a row, one shy of the team record for consecutive losses. Hampton Roads beat Peoria, which finished atop the Northern Conference and the Northwest Division with 95 points, three games to none in the Northern Conference Quarterfinals. Hampton Roads beat Roanoke three games to two in the Northern Conference Semifinals and beat Wheeling four games to two in the Northern Conference Finals. Hampton Roads beat Pensacola four games to two in the Kelly Cup Finals becoming the first and only No. 16 seed to win the Kelly Cup. Jacksonville advanced to the ECHL Finals as the No. 16 seed in 1996, but was swept four games to none by Charlotte.

Greensboro beat Louisville 5-1 on the final day of the season to qualify for the 1993 ECHL Playoffs. Greensboro, which defeated Johnstown 4-3 in a shootout the day before it beat Louisville, secured the final playoff berth with 68 points, one point ahead of Louisville, which lost its final three games of the season. Greensboro lost 6-2 to Erie in the Wild Card Game.
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