Playoff berths, division champions, and regular season achievements are no longer the primary goals for a consistently successful Toledo Walleye organization driven to finally hoist a Kelly Cup.
For most of the 29 teams in the ECHL just earning a spot in the playoffs is a top goal. But for the Walleye, the ultimate objective is as clear as the new glass at the Huntington Center — a Kelly Cup or bust.
The aspirations are higher in Toledo for good reason — a consistent track record of recent playoff success.
The Walleye have reached the Western Conference finals four straight postseasons. They've also made it to the Kelly Cup Finals twice in that same span.
The Walleye enter their 15th season having missed the playoffs just three times with runs to at least the third round of the playoffs six out of the past eight years.
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Yet those Toledo teams have come up just short of earning the ultimate goal of hoisting a Cup. The city has not celebrated a pro hockey championship since the Storm won the ECHL's Riley Cup in 1994.
While a full 72-regular season awaits — including the season opener at Bloomington on Saturday — the 2024-25 Walleye are not shying away from speaking about the ultimate goal.
“We talked about it in our opening meeting. That's why we're all here,” second-year coach Pat Mikesch said. “They all know how close Toledo has been and they want to be a part of it. We have to [talk] about it. We need to be prepared for what May and June hockey looks like. But right now we're going to have to go out and show why we've been that team.”
Veteran forward Brandon Hawkins, who has dedicated his career to bringing a title to Toledo, is back after earning the ECHL's MVP award.
“We're just getting better as the years go on,” said Hawkins, who led the ECHL in scoring and set franchise records in goals scored (40) and points (93). “There's no better place in the ECHL. We got so close last year. We're ready to take that next step. We're all coming back with even more of a fire and [the new] guys that have proven they can do it. I think we're going to be fast and really skilled.”
Hawkins is among 13 players from last year's team that opted to return for another run at the Cup. Hawkins and fellow forwards Trenton Bliss, Conlan Keenan, and Sam Craggs have all been part of Walleye teams that have reached the conference finals the past two seasons.
“The past two years we've had that fuel, we've had that taste,” Bliss said. “And now we want more. We want to get to that Kelly Cup Final and be able to lift the trophy at the end of the day. I think the pieces we brought in all want the same thing. I don't think we really have to talk about it. We focus on getting better today. We'll keep grinding and come June we'll be in the right place.”
Six of the team's top 10 leading scorers return along with goaltender Jan Bednar — a top Red Wings prospect — are back.
Craggs said he spent his whole summer thinking about the what-ifs of the season-ending 4-2 series loss to Kansas City.
“You're waiting for everyone to get back and getting ready for that next run,” Craggs said. “We try not to think [about winning a title] and focus on taking it one day at a time. But we know the expectation here in Toledo is high. We want to perform in front of all the fans. But we're going to take it one game at a time, focus on each week, and just continue to get better.”
The team figures to continue the style of fast-paced offense favoring speed and creativity that has allowed the Walleye to finish among the highest-scoring teams in the ECHL every year.
“We've brought back a solid core. It's a group that came here because we know how special this team can be,” Keenan said. “Everyone in that room believes in each other, that we're going to try and go out and do our best to win that Cup. And with these great additions, it's a group that's going to be tenacious and really wants to win.”
Newcomers include ECHL all-star defenseman Jalen Smereck, who comes over from rival Cincinnati. Former Kalamazoo captain Chaz Reddekopp brings good size (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) and physicality.
Smereck said he reached out to Hawkins shortly after last season ended.
“Watching them in the conference finals last year, I would have loved to have been playing with those guys. I felt like I could be the big missing piece there,” Smereck said.
Smereck earned a spot on the all-league first team after leading all d-men in scoring with 71 points in 70 games.
Forward Casey Dornbach played for division foe Iowa last year. He ranked second on the Heartlanders in scoring with 42 points in 55 games.
“They've been close in the past, and I wanted to be a part of this group,” Dornbach said. “This felt like the right place to be to help win a championship, and for my personal goals, to continue to grow and get better as a player. We're focused on having fun. But this group already you can feel that there's a hunger, a competitiveness in practice, guys wanting to push themselves. I want to contribute in every way I can.”
Another key new face is actually an old one as veteran forward Tyler Spezia rejoins the Walleye organization after a solid career for Toledo's AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.
“When Spezia, Smereck, and Reddekopp signed here, they all talked about [winning a title in Toledo],” Mikesch said. “That's why they wanted to come here.”
Forwards Brandon Kruse, Mitchell Lewandowski, Dalton Messina, and Darian Pilon also are back, along with defensemen Brendan Michaelian, Grant Gabriele, Jed Pietila, and Thomas Farrell.
The Detroit Red Wings, Toledo's NHL parent club, also are providing their Double-A team with both goalies, Bednar and rookie Carter Gylander. Rookie forward prospects Carson Bantle (6-4, 194) and Gabriel Seger (6-4, 209) figure to add both size and skill up front.
The Walleye play the expansion Bloomington Bison in the season opener. The franchise, located in Bloomington, Ill., joins Toledo's seven-team ECHL Central Division. A total of 53 of the Walleye's 72 games will be played against division opponents.
Toledo has five road games to start the season before hosting Wheeling in the home opener on Friday, Nov. 1. Nine of the team's 14 games in November will be played at home, including a stretch of six games in nine days early next month.
Toledo has won its division seven out of the past nine years and has captured the Brabham Cup (best regular season record) two times since 2017.
But Bliss said division championships are no longer the goal.
“That's obviously nice. It shows we're a good team. But at the end of the day we still came home with a sour taste in our mouths,” Bliss said. “We love playing here. We love playing for the fans, and we understand the expectations of playing here. We want to get to get to that Kelly Cup Final, and be able to lift the trophy at the end of the day.”
The Walleye ranked third in the ECHL in scoring (4.07 goals per game) and were eighth in goals against per game (2.94).
Bednar (6-4, 201), who was a fourth-round NHL pick of the Red Wings, figures to be the No. 1 netminder.
“He's look great,” Mikesch said. “He had a nice camp with Detroit. He's now a year older and more experienced. He actually looks five years older than he did a year ago. He was such a young pro last year and we saw him grow up a lot.”
Bednar, who had a 22-7-2 record with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage, said he's ready to take the next step.
“It was a whole new experience last year and I enjoyed it. Now I'll just try to use that experience going into this season,” Bednar said. “The game is getting faster and faster every year. You just kind of really have to work on that. As a goalie, I feel like the crucial part is really the mental side and being consistent.”
Gylander, 22, is a rookie who played at Colgate University and had a 2.93 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage as a senior. The 6-foot-5, 196-pound goaltender helped the Raiders clinch a berth in the NCAA tournament as a junior.
Last season, the Walleye put together a historic 22-game winning streak, won division regular season and postseason titles, and were one of just four teams left standing in the Kelly Cup playoffs.
“I'm not saying we're going to pick up where we were at with our streak. All we want to do is get better,” Mikesch said. “For right now, we're going to talk about improving each day. We need to be at our best, and we need to be at our healthiest at the end of the year. I believe this group gives us a chance.”
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