The Toledo Walleye captured the Bruce Taylor Trophy as Western Conference champions on Saturday with a 5-1 win over the Utah Grizzlies in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Toledo wins the series 4 games to 1, and advances to meet the Florida Everblades in the 2022 Kelly Cup Finals. That series begins on Friday at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio.

After the teams traded goals during the opening period, TJ Hensick gave Toledo the lead for good 15:25 into the second period with Brett Boeing, Marcus Vela and Brandon Hawkins adding third-period tallies.

Hawkins and Brett McKenzie scored a series-high four goals for Toledo while Josh Dickinson led the Walleye with nine points (0g-9a). Trey Bradley (1g-4a) and Tarun Fizer (1g-4a) shared the team lead for Utah with five points each.

This is the Walleye’s second trip to the Kelly Cup Finals in team history, after falling to Newfoundland in six games in 2019. It is the fourth visit to the final round of the ECHL playoffs for a Toledo team as the Toledo Storm won back-to-back Riley Cup championships in 1993 and 1994.

The trophy is named in recognition of Bruce Taylor, who was the founding father of the West Coast Hockey League. In the early 1990s, Taylor purchased teams in Fresno, Reno and Bakersfield and in 1995 joined them with teams in Anchorage, Fairbanks and San Diego to form the West Coast Hockey League. The Taylor Cup was presented to the playoff champion in the WCHL from the league’s inaugural season in 1995-96 until the league ceased operations following the 2002-03 season. Taylor’s ownership in hockey began in 1983 with the purchase of the Burnaby Bluehawks of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League and continued with the purchase of the Richmond Sockeyes in the BCJHL and the New Westminster Royals in the BCJHL.

Bruce Taylor Trophy Champions

2022    Toledo Walleye
2021    Fort Wayne Komets
2020    Trophy not awarded due to COVID-19
2019    Toledo Walleye
2018    Colorado Eagles
2017    Colorado Eagles        
2016    Allen Americans        
2015    Allen Americans        
2014    Alaska Aces  
2013    Stockton Thunder      
2012    Las Vegas Wranglers
2011    Alaska Aces  
2010    Idaho Steelheads        
2009    Alaska Aces  
2008    Las Vegas Wranglers
2007    Idaho Steelheads        
2006    Alaska Aces  
2005    Trenton Titans          
2004    Idaho Steelheads        
2003    Columbia Inferno      
2002    Greenville Grrrowl    
2001    South Carolina Stingrays      
2000    Louisiana IceGators  
1999    Mississippi Sea Wolves        
1998    Pensacola Ice Pilots