The Trois-Rivières Lions Clinch Kelly Cup Playoff Spot

Trois-Rivières Lions by Taylor Trebotte

The Trois-Rivières Lions have clinched a Kelly Cup Playoff position with their win over the Worcester Railers. The two teams met this past weekend for a three-game series, and the Lions beat the Railers 2 out of 3. Friday night, the Railers won 3-2; they hoped to continue that win streak and clinch their own Kelly Cup Playoffs spot on Saturday night. The Lions said Ça ne se passe pas sur ma glace! Taking control of the series, winning 2-0, then following up Sunday with a 4-0 win. 

The Lions have had quite a tumultuous season. A few weeks ago, they learned they may no longer be a team, Then, they were purchased by Spire Sports and joined the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and the Rapid City Rush in their ownership. This came with the folding of the Newfoundland Growlers, leaving the Trois-Rivières Lions the only Canadian team in the ECHL. 

This last season, the Lions finished 31-30-5-3 with 69 games played, which about equaled their performance last season. However, after missing those games against the folded Growlers, they came out better, especially with all the stress and drama added to their load the last month. This shows that they are a team that shouldn’t be sold short. 

Rich LeBlanc/InsideTheRink

Going into the Kelly Cup Playoffs, the Lions have the option to bring Goaltenders Strauss Mann, Zachary Emond, and Joe Vrbetic. How do they line up? Mann has a 2.59 GAA and .910 SV%, Emond has a 2.93 GAA and .904 SV%, and Vrbetic has a 3.52 GAA and .891 SV%. This gives them three great goalie options. In front of the net, Defensemen Miguel Tourgny, Chris Ortiz, Brycen Martin, and Cory Thomas have a combined goal total of 18 Goals, 85 Assists, and 195 Penalty Minutes. Leading on Offense, we have Jakov Novak, Alex-Olivier Voyer, Justin Ducharme, and Nolan Yaremko combined with 83 Goals and 94 Assists.

The Trois-Rivières Lions’ 21-22 inaugural season was the only time they had reached the Kelly Cup Playoffs before today, and they lost in the first round. Last season, they did not qualify, as they finished 6th in the North Division.


Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Stephanie DeLaFleur

Beat Writer covering the ECHL, AHL and NHL. Follow me on X @StephiDelafleur

Leave a Reply

ECHL: Toledo Walleye | Re-Sign Forward and Announce 2025-26 Qualifying Offers

As of early Tuesday morning, the Toledo Walleye had only announced the signing of forward Brandon Hawkins for the 2025-26 season. Finally, by midday, the Fish announced another. Sam Craggs, a key player for the Walleye, has re-signed for the upcoming campaign. Craggs played in all 72 regular-season games and all 20 postseason games during […]

Read More

ECHL: 2025-26 Qualifying Offers | Tahoe Knight Monsters

The Tahoe Knight Monsters have announced that they have given qualifying offers to four players. Any player with a qualifying offer can’t be traded, and players who have already signed a contract with the team don’t need a qualifying offer. Players Who Got Qualifying Offers Isaac Johnson- The 26-year-old forward is the most notable name […]

Read More

ECHL: 2025-26 Qualifying Offers | Indy Fuel

The Indy Fuel are wasting no time fueling up for 2025–26. On July 7, the team announced it has extended qualifying offers to eight players from its season-ending roster—the maximum allowed under ECHL rules. That means the Fuel aren’t just gearing up for next season—they’re making a clear statement about who they want to keep […]

Read More