This is nothing short of amazing. Great interview by the Toledo-based “Morning Blitz” show with ECHL commissioner emeritus Patrick J. Kelly -- the ECHL’s championship trophy is named after him -- and he revealed that the Colorado Eagles never returned the Cup after last season.

You can watch the interview here (at about the 9:30 mark): https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156442883647404&id=174212897403

For some background, the Eagles moved to the American Hockey League after last season. So they have a new Cup for this season.

Now I have heard of teams keeping Cups before -- including Fort Wayne -- but that’s after the league folded. This is just wild.

Kelly doesn’t seem pleased, nor should he be.

This would have been like the Komets keeping the Presidents Cup in 2012 when they left the Central Hockey League. Did they joke about doing it? Yes. Did they actually? Heck no.

Although, funny story about that Cup: I borrowed it for a day to do some photo shoots for The Journal Gazette. I was driving around town and a player saw me with it and was like, “Wow, do they just give that thing to anyone?” I believe I noted that I deserved it -- jokingly -- for all the grief I’d take for picking Wichita to win the series. Welp, that was correct, eh?

jcohn@jg.net