2021-22 ECHL season

The 2021–22 ECHL season was the 34th season of the ECHL. The regular season was scheduled to run from October 21, 2021, to April 17, 2022, with the Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. Twenty-seven teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces were each scheduled to play 72 games.
=== League changes===
Following the delayed and COVID-19 pandemic affected season that led to 12 teams going on hiatus before starting the season, the league returned to its typical season start date in October with 27 teams participating. The league also returned to a two-conference, four-division alignment.
=== Team changes ===
*Eleven of the twelve teams that opted out of participating in the previous season returned: the Adirondack Thunder, Atlanta Gladiators, Cincinnati Cyclones, Idaho Steelheads, Kalamazoo Wings, Maine Mariners, Newfoundland Growlers, Norfolk Admirals, Reading Royals, Toledo Walleye, and Worcester Railers.
*The Brampton Beast announced the team had ceased operations entirely on February 18, 2021, after originally opting out of the season.
*The league added two expansion teams: the Iowa Heartlanders in Coralville, Iowa, and the Trois-Rivières Lions in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
===Affiliation changes===
ECHL team 	New affiliates 	Former affiliates
Adirondack Thunder 	Utica Comets (AHL) 	Binghamton Devils (AHL)
Allen Americans 	Seattle Kraken (NHL)Charlotte Checkers (AHL) 	Minnesota Wild (NHL)Iowa Wild (AHL)
Atlanta Gladiators 	Ottawa Senators (NHL)Belleville Senators (AHL) 	Boston Bruins (NHL)Providence Bruins
Iowa Heartlanders 	Minnesota Wild (NHL)Iowa Wild (AHL) 	Expansion team
Jacksonville Icemen 	New York Rangers (NHL)Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) 	Winnipeg Jets (NHL)Manitoba Moose (AHL)
Kalamazoo Wings 	Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)Cleveland Monsters (AHL)	Vancouver Canucks (NHL)Utica Comets (AHL)
Maine Mariners 	Boston Bruins (NHL)Providence Bruins (AHL) 	New York Rangers (NHL)Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL)
Norfolk Admirals 	Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)Chicago Wolves (AHL) 	Independent
Trois-Rivières Lions	Montreal Canadiens (NHL)Laval Rocket (AHL) 	Expansion team
===All-star game===
During the 2019–20 season, the league had awarded the Jacksonville Icemen the 2021 All-Star Game, but the Jacksonville-hosted event was deferred to 2022. The All-Star Game returned to its previous format of an ECHL All-Star team playing against the host team. Additionally, there was a skills competition composed of fastest skater, hardest shot, and accuracy shooting events. Similar to the 2020 All-Star festivities, players from the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) and the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), formerly the National Women's Hockey League 2021, participated in both the skills events and as members of the All-Star team in the game. The selected players were the PWHPA's Sophia Shaver and Loren Gabel from the PWHPA and Allie Thunstrom and Jillian Dempsey from the PHF.
The All-Star Classic was held on January 17, 2022. The skills competition took place during the All-Star Game with the winner of each competition earning a goal toward their team's final score. Jacksonville earned all three points with Ben Hawerchuk winning the fastest skater, Croix Evingson winning the hardest shot, and Derek Lodermeier winning the accuracy shooting event. The ECHL All-Star team went on to defeat Jacksonville 14–7. The Kansas City Mavericks' Marcus Crawford was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player by scoring three goals and an assist.
==Standings==
Due to the imbalanced schedule and canceled games during the pandemic, teams are ranked on points percentage. 
Final standings
===Eastern Conference===
North Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
y – Reading Royals (PHI) 	71	45	17	7	2	258	201	99	0.697
x – Newfoundland Growlers (TOR)	67	42	20	4	1	262	191	89	0.664
x – Trois-Rivières Lions (MTL) 	69	34	29	5	1	230	233	74	0.536
x – Maine Mariners (BOS) 	72	33	31	5	3	230	236	74	0.514
Worcester Railers (NYI) 	71	32	32	5	2	227	245	71	0.500
Adirondack Thunder (NJD) 	71	27	40	4	0	202	272	58	0.408
South Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
y – Florida Everblades (NSH) 	72	42	20	6	4	243	187	94	0.653
x – Atlanta Gladiators (OTT) 	72	43	24	4	1	220	198	91	0.632
x – Jacksonville Icemen (NYR) 	72	40	27	3	2	206	185	85	0.590
x – Greenville Swamp Rabbits (FLA)	72	33	29	6	4	210	209	76	0.528
Orlando Solar Bears (TBL) 	71	33	31	6	1	197	226	73	0.514
Norfolk Admirals (CAR) 	72	29	37	3	3	204	261	64	0.444
South Carolina Stingrays (WSH) 	72	28	38	6	0	187	238	62	0.431
===Western Conference===
Central Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
z – Toledo Walleye (DET) 	72	49	19	2	2	277	203	102	0.708
x – Fort Wayne Komets (VGK) 	72	40	25	6	1	267	225	87 	0.604
x – Wheeling Nailers (PIT) 	72	37	31	4	0	243	247	78 	0.542
x – Cincinnati Cyclones (BUF)	72	36	32	3	1	243	239	76 	0.528
Kalamazoo Wings (CBJ) 	72	36	35	1	0	224	255	73 	0.507
Indy Fuel (CHI) 	72	34	33	2	3	232	233	73 	0.507
Iowa Heartlanders (MIN) 	72	29	33	9	1	229	263	68 	0.472
Mountain Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
y – Utah Grizzlies (COL) 	72	42	27	2	1	240	225	87	0.604
x – Rapid City Rush (ARI) 	72	36	25	6	5	241	232	83	0.576
x – Allen Americans (SEA) 	72	35	28	8	1	240	244	79	0.549
x – Tulsa Oilers (ANA) 	72	36	30	3	3	220	220	78	0.542
Idaho Steelheads (DAL) 	72	36	33	2	1	216	191	75	0.521
Kansas City Mavericks (CGY)	72	32	33	5	2	210	243	71	0.493
Wichita Thunder (EDM) 	72	27	36	9	0	202	258	63	0.438
 - clinched playoff spot, - clinched regular season division title, - Brabham Cup (regular season) champion
==Postseason==
===Playoffs format===
The league announced its playoff format on January 21, 2022. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams in each division qualify for the 2022 Kelly Cup playoffs and are seeded one through four based on the highest points percentage earned in the season. Then the first two rounds of the playoffs are held within the division with the first seed facing the fourth seed and the second seed facing the third. The division champions then play each other in a conference championship. The Kelly Cup finals pit the Eastern Conference champion against the Western Conference champion. All four rounds are a best-of-seven format.
===Bracket===
== See also ==
*2021 in sports
*2022 in sports
==References==
==External links==
*ECHL website
 
2021–22
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