The South Carolina Stingrays are one of the premier members of the ECHL, winning three of the league’s championships across their 24 seasons. They finished third in the South Division, defeating the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Florida Everblades, and Manchester Monarchs to make their fifth Kelly Cup Finals.
The Colorado Eagles won two Ray Miron President’s Cup in the Central Hockey League before jumping to the ECHL in 2011, weeks after losing in the Finals to Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. Colorado, ECHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, advanced to the conference finals for the first time in their ECHL tenure with wins over the Idaho Steelheads and two-time defending champion Allen Americans.