For the first time since 2023, the ECHL’s greatest rivalry is renewed in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The South Carolina Stingrays and Florida Everblades meet in the South Division Finals of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs, presented by Plumb Pro+.
Since the Stingrays’ inception in 1993 and the Everblades’ in 1998, the two franchises have set the standard as the league’s top clubs.
The two organizations have the most Kelly Cup’s among active ECHL teams. South Carolina has won three Kelly Cups in 1997, 2001 and 2009. The Everblades have won four, in 2012, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Florida has made seven appearances in the Kelly Cup Finals, most recently in 2024. The Stingrays have made six appearances, last reaching the Finals in 2021.
South Carolina has qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs 30 times, the most in league history. The Everblades have appeared 26 times in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, the second most all-time.
These two teams crowd the record books and have defined greatness in the ECHL. Now they meet for the ninth time in the Kelly Cup Playoffs as they write another chapter in their storied rivalry that spans almost three decades.
The Early Meeting’s (2002, 2004, 2005)
The Stingrays and Everblades first met in the 2002 Kelly Cup Playoffs in a one-game Division Wildcard matchup. South Carolina had already won two Kelly Cup championships prior to the meeting, while the Everblades were making their third playoff appearance in as many seasons. The Everblades won 3-2, advancing to the Division Semifinals before falling to the eventual Kelly Cup Champion Greenville Grrrowl.
Florida again got the better of the Stingrays two years later in the Southern Division Finals. South Carolina beat the top-seeded Columbia Inferno three games to one in the Division Semifinals, while Florida handled the Roanoke Express in four games to set up another meeting between the Stingrays and Everblades. Florida swept South Carolina in three games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and eventually reached the Kelly Cup Finals, losing to the Idaho Steelheads in five games.
A year later, the two met again in the Conference Quarterfinals, with Florida again taking the series, three games to one, before eventually falling to the Trenton Titans in the Kelly Cup Finals.
The Stingrays Decade (2009, 2015, 2017)
After early playoff dominance by the Everblades, the momentum began to shift in 2009.
Florida finished the regular season as the top team in the Southern Division with the Stingrays in second place. After both teams disposed of their Division Semifinals opponents, South Carolina and Florida met for the fourth time in the postseason in the Division Finals in a series that produced instant classics.
Game 1 went to overtime after Florida tied the game at one in the third period. Just over eight-and-a-half minutes into the extra session, Zach Tarkir scored the winner to give the Stingrays a 1-0 series lead. In Game 2, Florida built a 4-1 lead nearly midway through the third period. South Carolina scored twice in the final three minutes to cut the deficit to one, but could not find the equalizer as Florida tied the seven-game series at one heading to North Charleston.
Game 3 saw the Stingrays with a three-goal lead in the third period with Florida charging back in the final minutes, but South Carolina held on to take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 needed two overtimes as Mark Lee scored the winner for the Everblades 12:19 into the second extra session.
The series turned to a pivotal Game 5, and it did not start well for the Stingrays. Florida led 3-0 just past the midway mark as South Carolina faced a massive task, a three-goal hole in the final game at home before the series returned to Estero.
Matt Scherer started the comeback in the second period followed shortly after by Michael Dubuc. South Carolina trailed by a pair going to the third period and eventually tied the game with 3:14 remaining in regulation after Maxime Lacroix scored. After rallying from three goals down, South Carolina found the game-winner from Nikita Kashirsky with 36 seconds left, giving the Stingrays a 3-2 series lead going into Game 6.
There would be no shortage of drama in Game 6. The Stingrays held a 3-1 lead with under seven minutes remaining in the third. Florida eventually tied the game with 19 seconds left in regulation, forcing overtime.
Tarkir, who won Game 1 for the Stingrays, had more magic on his stick in Game 6. He scored his third goal of the series 9:04 into the first overtime, lifting the Stingrays to a 4-3 victory and the series win, the first time South Carolina had defeated Florida in the playoffs. South Carolina went on to win its third Kelly Cup that season, defeating the Alaska Aces in seven games.
Florida won its first Kelly Cup in 2012, and it would not be until 2015 that the two teams squared off again in the playoffs, once more in the Division Finals.
The Everblades again had home-ice advantage but South Carolina quickly took control of the series. The Stingrays rolled to a 6-3 win in Game 1 and doubled up the Everblades again in Game 2, 4-2. South Carolina took a commanding 3-0 series lead after a 3-2 victory in Game 3 back in North Charleston.
With the Stingrays trying to close out the series, South Carolina and Florida needed three overtimes to find a winner in Game 4. At 5:38 of the third overtime, Corey Trivino kept the Everblades’ season alive. The clubs would go to a second overtime in Game 5 with Florida forcing a Game 6 back in Estero.
The Stingrays never trailed in Game 6 and went on to win the game 5-2, clinching the series, 4 games to 2 as South Carolina went all the way to the Kelly Cup Finals that season.
Two seasons later, South Carolina made quick work of the Everblades again in the South Division Finals. The Stingrays won Game 1 in double overtime in 2017 before the Everblades tied the series in Game 2.
Back in North Charleston for Game 3, Parker Milner posted a 38-save shutout as Andrew Cherniwchan netted the lone goal 2:39 into the second overtime pushing the Stingrays ahead in the series, 2-1. South Carolina would not let the series return to Estero as they beat the Everblades 4-2 in Game 4 and closed the series with a 2-1 victory. Once again, South Carolina advanced to the Kelly Cup Finals that year.
The Recent Rumbles (2021, 2023)
Over the last two meetings in the playoff series between South Carolina and Florida, both split the matchups.
The 2021 Kelly Cup Playoffs saw the Stingrays and Everblades meet in a best-of-five series in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. South Carolina won Game 1 early in overtime on a goal from Dan DeSalvo before the Everblades responded with a 5-4 win in Game 2. The Everblades then dominated Game 3, winning 5-1, sending the Stingrays to the brink of elimination.
In Game 4, Cherniwchan had a pair of goals to help force a deciding Game 5. TIed after two periods, Cole Ully scored the eventual game-winner 8:17 into the third period, completing the comeback in the series and pushing South Carolina to the Eastern Conference Finals. Again, South Carolina went to the Kelly Cup Finals that season after getting by Greenville in the Conference Finals.
South Carolina and Florida last met in 2023, with the sides both notching shutouts in the first two games of the series. Florida took Game 1, 5-0, before the Stingrays posted a 4-0 win in Game 2.
The series then moved to Estero tied 1-1, where Logan Lambdin won Game 3 5:23 into overtime. The Stingrays tied the series in Game 4 with a 4-2 victory before the Everblades shutout South Carolina for the second time in the series in Game 5.
Trailing in the series, 3-2, South Carolina hosted Game 6 trying to stave off elimination.
For the second time in the series, the teams went to overtime, and Joe Pendenza won the series for Florida 9:55 into the extra frame, sending the Everblades to the South Division Finals. The Everblades then went on to win their second straight Kelly Cup.
Now, this year, the Stingrays and Everblades meet again to write another chapter in the greatest rivalry in the ECHL. South Carolina beat the Atlanta Gladiators in six games, 4-2, to advance out of the first round for the first time since 2021. Florida swept the Savannah Ghost Pirates in their first-round matchup and have home-ice in the best-of-seven series.
Game 1 of the South Division Finals is set for Friday night. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m. from Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida.