Much like the Stanley Cup, the ECHL’s Kelly Cup is a traveling trophy, passed from one champion to the next.

But that shiny silver dish the Toledo Walleye or Newfoundland Growlers are going to hoist at the conclusion of their best-of-seven Kelly Cup series? It’s an imposter.

The real thing? It’s back in Colorado — and it’s not supposed to be.

Friday morning on a sports talk show in Toledo, Ohio, Patrick Kelly, the former ECHL commissioner who the cup is named after, said the Eagles never returned the trophy after winning it in back-to-back years in 2017 and 2018. Colorado exited the league after last year and played this most recent season as the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate.

“They won it two years in a row and one of their owners said, ‘fine, we’ll keep it,’ ” Kelly said. ” … We can’t take the player’s names off (the replica cup), but I wish they’d take the guy’s — I won’t say his name — but I wish they’d have taken his name off.”

The Eagles on Friday night confirmed to The Denver Post that they do have Kelly Cup and that it’s “safe” and in “pristine condition” somewhere in Colorado, and that it’s still in its case. The team would not comment about why the cup was still in its possession. One potential reason could be a dispute regarding exit fees for leaving the league.

“The management of the ECHL has full knowledge of the situation with the Kelly Cup. We have made numerous attempts to return it. They have chosen to ignore our requests, therefore the Kelly Cup remains in Colorado. This is all that will be released regarding this matter,” team owner Martin Lind said in a prepared statement.

The Growlers beat Toledo 4-2 on Friday night to take a 3-1 series lead in the Kelly Cup finals.