Brabham Cup

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Brabham Cup
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Established 1988–89 ECHL season
Current holder(s) Alaska Aces
Awarded to the ECHL team with the most points in the regular season

The Henry Brabham Cup is the trophy awarded annually by the ECHL to the team which finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. The Brabham Cup has been awarded 23 times to 17 different teams since its debut in 1989.[1]

History

Unlike the playoff championship, which was originally awarded with the Riley Cup and now the Kelly Cup, the trophy was introduced during the league's inaugural season in 1988 by the league's Board of Governors and was named after in recognition of the honorable Henry Brabham, who founded the ECHL in 1988-89 with five teams in four states. Brabham, who was the first inductee into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2008, owned three of the original five teams. The dedication of the Virginia businessman was crucial to the league surviving to span from coast-to-coast while advancing 465 players and countless coaches, on-ice officials and front office personnel to the National Hockey League.

While only three Brabham Cup winners have gone on to win the ECHL Championship (One of which, the Alaska Aces, won the Kelly Cup twice while also winning the Brabham Cup) in their respective years, it remains the most likely position to produce the Kelly Cup winner, because the Brabham Cup winner is guaranteed home-ice advantage in all rounds of the Kelly Cup playoffs, provided the team advances to each round.

Six franchises — the Florida Everblades, Knoxville Cherokees/Pee Dee Pride, Louisiana IceGators, Toledo Storm/Walleye, Winston-Salem/Wheeling Thunderbirds/Nailers, and the Alaska Aces have won the Brabham Cup on multiple occasions, with the Aces winning four times, the Nailers and former Cherokees/Pride franchise winning three each, and the others with two. However, only the Everblades, and the Aces remain in the ECHL. The Wheeling Nailers were originally referred as the (Winston-Salem, North) Carolina Thunderbirds until 1992 before moving to Wheeling that year, changing their nickname to the Nailers before the start of the 1995–96 season. The Toledo Walleye were originally called the Storm before its sale and suspension of operations two years after the 2006–07 season for construction of the new Lucas County Arena, changing their name to the Toledo Walleye to resume play for the 2009–10 season.

Winners

  Team won the Kelly Cup.
  Team lost in the Kelly Cup finals.
Year Winner Points Playoff result Win #
1988–89 Erie Panthers 77 Lost Semifinal (CAR)[2] 1
1989–90 Winston-Salem Thunderbirds 82 Lost Riley Cup Final (GRE)[3] 1
1990–91 Knoxville Cherokees 97 Lost Division Semifinal (LOU)[4] 1
1991–92 Toledo Storm 95 Lost Division 1st Round (LOU)[5] 1
1992–93 Wheeling Thunderbirds 88 Lost Riley Cup Final (TOL)[6] 2
1993–94 Knoxville Cherokees 94 Lost 1st Round (LOU)[7] 2
1994–95 Wheeling Thunderbirds 97 Lost 1st Round (BIR) 3
1995–96 Richmond Renegades 105 Lost Riley Cup Quarterfinal (JAX) 1
1996–97 South Carolina Stingrays 100 Won Kelly Cup[8] 1
1997–98 Louisiana IceGators 96 Lost Kelly Cup Semifinal (PEN)[9] 1
1998–99 Pee Dee Pride 106 Lost Conference Final (MIS)[10] 3
1999–00 Florida Everblades 108 Lost Conference Quarterfinal (AUG)[11] 1
2000–01 Trenton Titans 104 Lost Kelly Cup Final (SC)[12] 1
2001–02 Louisiana IceGators 116 Lost Division Semifinal (JAC)[13] 2
2002–03 Toledo Storm 104 Lost Division Final (CIN)[14] 2
2003–04 San Diego Gulls 108 Lost Division Semifinal (AK) 1
2004–05 Pensacola Ice Pilots 107 Lost Conference Quarterfinal (GVL)[15] 1
2005–06 Alaska Aces 113 Won Kelly Cup[16] 1
2006–07 Las Vegas Wranglers 106 Lost Conference Semifinal (IDH)[17] 1
2007–08 Cincinnati Cyclones 115 Won Kelly Cup 1
2008–09 Florida Everblades 103 Lost Division Final (SC) 2
2009-10 Idaho Steelheads 103 Lost Kelly Cup Final (CIN) 1
2010-11 Alaska Aces 97 Won Kelly Cup 2
2011-12 Alaska Aces 97 Lost Conference Final (LV) 3
2012-13 Alaska Aces 106 Lost Conference Semi-Final (STK) 4

See also

References

  1. ↑ "ECHL Awards". ECHL. Archived from the original on 2008-02-15. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  2. ↑ "1988-89 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  3. ↑ "1989-90 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  4. ↑ "1990-91 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  5. ↑ "1991-92 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  6. ↑ "1992-93 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  7. ↑ "1993-94 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  8. ↑ "1996-97 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  9. ↑ "1997-98 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  10. ↑ "1998-99 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  11. ↑ "1999-00 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  12. ↑ "2000-01 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  13. ↑ "2001-02 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  14. ↑ "2002-03 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  15. ↑ "2004-05 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  16. ↑ "2005-06 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  17. ↑ "2006-07 ECHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
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