The Fort Wayne Komets, featuring defenseman Matt Murphy and forward Oliver Cooper, defeated the South Carolina Stingrays 2-1 on Friday, winning the best-of-five championship series 3-1 in front of 10,477 fans.
Cooper had two shots in the game and finished the playoffs with three goals and an assist in eight games. Murphy, meanwhile, did not play in the final couple games of this series and finishes with four assists in 11 playoff contests.
The Komets are one of the oldest hockey franchises in North America and have won a number of league championships in their history - but they had never won the Kelly Cup until Friday's victory. The team joined the ECHL in 2012.
KOMETS WIN THE KELLY CUP!!!! pic.twitter.com/tF7OGD7FWa
— x - Fort Wayne Komets (@FWKomets) July 3, 2021
This wraps up a bizarre season for the Komets. The team played a league low 51 games in the regular season and then had to play parts of their playoff run - first in Wichita and then again in South Carolina - at practice facilities due to main rinks being booked up.
Murphy and Cooper join at least three other Sea Dogs alumni as Kelly Cup champions.
2010 Cincinatti Cyclones: Robert Mayer
2011 Alaska Aces: Scott Howes2013 Reading Royals: Stanislav Galiev
Both Mayer and Howes were named the Kelly Cup playoffs most valuable player in their respective victories. Mayer was a co-MVP winner with fellow netminder Jeremy Smith.
This year's playoff MVP was Komets forward and former Acadia Axeman (and not the Prime Minister) Stephen Harper, who recorded both Fort Wayne goals on Friday.
In other ECHL news, a few former Dogs have been named to protected lists.
Cincinatti Cyclones: Jack Van Boekel
Fort Wayne Komets: Matt Murphy and Oliver Cooper
Idaho Steelheads: Chase Stewart
Newfoundland Growlers: Mark Tremaine
Utah Grizzlies: Cedric Pare
The 2021-22 ECHL season begins Oct. 21 when the Newfoundland Growlers visit the expansion Trois-Rivieres Lions.
No comments:
Post a Comment