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Kelly Cup Finals Feature Two Marquee Markets

May 21, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - The 2008 ECHL Kelly Cup Finals are being played in Cincinnati and Las Vegas, two of the largest and most recognizable markets in the United States.

The two cities have a combined population of almost four million and an additional 39.2 million visitors will travel to Las Vegas each year making it one of the largest combined markets for a finals series in the 20-year history of the ECHL.

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2007-08, the ECHL is the Premier 'AA' Hockey League and the third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League. Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states the league has grown to be a coast-to-coast league that will play with 24 teams in 16 states and British Columbia in 2008-09.

Game 1 of the Kelly Cup Finals is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. Game 2 will be Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET before the series travels to Nevada where Las Vegas will host Games 3 and 4 at 7:05 p.m. on May 29 and 30 at the Orleans Arena.

Charlotte, N.C. is the largest market (2,025,541) to win the ECHL championship as the Checkers captured the last Riley Cup in 1996. Since becoming a coast-to-coast league in 2003-04, the ECHL champions have come from Boise, Idaho (510,876) twice, Anchorage, Alaska (339,487) and Trenton, N.J. (341,000).

The Kelly Cup champions the last four years have come from Alaska (Aces in 2006), Idaho (Steelheads in 2004 and 2007) and New Jersey (Trenton Titans in 2005) while the runner-ups have come from Florida (Everblades in 2004 and 2005), Georgia (Gwinnett Gladiators in 2006) and Ohio (Dayton in 2007).

Championship Drought Will End For One City

It has been almost 20 years since a team from Cincinnati or Las Vegas has won a national championship. The Cyclones are trying to bring Cincinnati its first professional championship since the Reds won the World Series in 1990 while the last national championship won in Las Vegas was a basketball title by the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 1990.

In addition to the Reds of Major League Baseball and the Bengals of the National Football League, Cincinnati is also home to Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati.

The last time the Queen City hosted a professional hockey finals series was 1973 when the Cincinnati Swords beat Nova Scotia for the American Hockey League championship. The city has won six hockey championships including five International Hockey League titles in a row from 1952-57. The NHL affiliate for the IHL championship teams was the Montreal Canadiens, who are the NHL affiliate for the modern-day Cyclones.

Las Vegas is home to UNLV and the Las Vegas 51s, who are the AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the city annually hosts world championship boxing events, the National Finals Rodeo and a NASCAR race. The last professional team championship won in Las Vegas was the Pacific Coast League championship by the Las Vegas Stars in 1988.

2008 Kelly Cup Finals Schedule

Game 1 - Saturday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati

Game 2 - Sunday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m. ET at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati

Game 3 - Thursday, May 29 at 7:05 p.m. PT at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas

Game 4 - Friday, May 30 at 7:05 p.m. PT at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas

Game 5 - Monday, June 2 at 7:05 p.m. PT at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas *

Game 6 - Thursday, June 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati*

Game 7 - Saturday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati *

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