| Kelly Cup playoffs | |
| Year: | 2023 |
| Dates: | April 19 – June 9 |
| Num Teams: | 16 |
| Winners: | Florida Everblades |
| Second: | Idaho Steelheads |
| Stat Leader Title: | Scoring leader(s) |
| Stat Leader Player: | Wade Murphy (Idaho) |
| Stat Leader Value: | 20 points |
| Award Title: | MVP |
| Award: | Cam Johnson (Florida) |
| Prev Season: | 2022 |
| Next Season: | 2024 |
The 2023 Kelly Cup playoffs of the ECHL hockey league began on April 19, 2023, following the conclusion of the 2022–23 ECHL regular season and ended on June 9 with the Florida Everblades winning their second consecutive Kelly Cup and third overall over the Idaho Steelheads in four games.
Since all 28 teams were able to complete all 72 games this season, the league went back to the points system, instead of the point percentage that was used the year prior. The top 4 teams in each division qualified for the playoffs based on highest point total earned in the season. 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 pits the Eastern Conference champion against the Western Conference champion. All four rounds are a best-of-seven format. The Idaho Steelheads secured the top record, winning the Brabham Cup, and therefore scheduled to have home ice advantage for all the rounds they advance in.[1]
Eleven out of the 16 teams in this year's playoffs were participants in the previous Kelly Cup Playoffs.
After the regular season, 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The Toledo Walleye were the first to clinch a playoff spot for the second year in a row,[2] while the Adirondack Thunder were the last, completing the impossible comeback to overtake the Worcester Railers for the final spot in the North Division.[3]
Final seeds and points:[4]
These are the top ten skaters based on points.[5]
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/– | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 12 | 8 | 20 | +4 | 24 | |||
| 22 | 10 | 10 | 20 | +9 | 14 | |||
| Idaho Steelheads | 20 | 3 | 16 | 19 | +3 | 8 | ||
| Idaho Steelheads | 19 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 14 | ||
| 13 | 9 | 9 | 18 | +2 | 6 | |||
| Idaho Steelheads | 20 | 9 | 8 | 17 | +8 | 4 | ||
| Toledo Walleye | 13 | 8 | 9 | 17 | +4 | 10 | ||
| 16 | 8 | 9 | 17 | +2 | 12 | |||
| Florida Everblades | 19 | 7 | 10 | 17 | +5 | 0 | ||
| Florida Everblades | 22 | 6 | 11 | 17 | +3 | 30 |
This is a combined of the top five goaltenders based on goals against average and the top five goaltenders based on save percentage, with at least 400 minutes played. The table is sorted by GAA, and the criteria for inclusion are bolded.[6]
| Player | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 640 | 50 | 2.10 | 0.922 | 4 | 1427 | |||
| 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 541 | 47 | 2.60 | 0.913 | 3 | 1086 | |||
| 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 313 | 31 | 2.72 | 0.901 | 2 | 683 | |||
| 10 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 323 | 28 | 3.12 | 0.913 | 1 | 539 | |||
| 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 304 | 26 | 3.13 | 0.914 | 1 | 498 |