Toledo Walleye Weekly Release No. 26: April 14, 2025

Overall Record: 44-17-9-2, 1st Central Division, Current Streak: 1 Win

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
April 11 vs. Fort Wayne (3-0 Loss)
April 13 vs. Indy (4-3 Win/OT)

ROUND ONE GAMES (All Times Eastern)
April 17 vs. Indy (7:15 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN)
April 18 vs. Indy (7:15 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN)
April 21 at Indy (7 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN)
April 22 at Indy (7 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN)
April 26 vs. Indy (7:15 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN)
April 28 at Indy (7 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN)
April 30 vs. Indy (7:15 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN)

WALLEYE NOTES

Closing Remarks: The Toledo Walleye finished out their last weekend of the regular season by taking two of four possible points. Toledo was shutout on Friday night by Fort Wayne but rallied back for a 4-3 overtime win on Sunday against the Indy Fuel. The Walleye finish the regular season with a record of 44-17-9-2, totaling 99 points. The Fish finished fourth overall in the ECHL, second in the Western Conference behind Kansas City and claimed the Central Division championship back-to-back times with an eight-point margin over the Fort Wayne Komets.

Perched at the Top: Forward Brandon Hawkins officially claims the ECHL points crown for the 2024-25 season with 89 points, ten more points than the next highest scorer. His 37 goals were second in the league, while his 52 assists tied for the second most. He also led the league in shots with 336 and his 12 power play goals tied for second-most in the ECHL.

POWER Play: The Toledo Walleye relied heavily on their special teams throughout the season. The Toledo power play unit was the best in the ECHL overall and at home. The Fish converted man-advantages 25.1% of the time overall, and 26.3% of the time inside the Huntington Center. Brandon Hawkins tied for second in the ECHL with 12 power play goals as a direct result of the astounding results posted by the power play units this season.

Selling 70: The Toledo Walleye continue to pack the Huntington Center, boasting a consecutive sellout streak of 70 games. The Walleye faithful rocked the Huntington Center all season long, setting a new single-season attendance record of 289,348 fans and an entire season sellout, the first in franchise history. The full-season sellout consisted of an average 8,037 fans per game at 108% capacity. The sellout streak spanning nearly two seasons has welcomed over 561,000 fans into the Huntington Center, averaging 8,016 fans per game and 108% capacity. The last non-sellout in the Glass City was December 3, 2023, against the Iowa Heartlanders.

Sneak Peek: The Toledo Walleye got an early look at their first-round opponent in the 2025 Kelly Cup playoffs as they closed the 2024-25 ECHL regular season with a 4-3 overtime win against the Indy Fuel. This marks only the second time that the Walleye have closed the regular season with their eventual first round opponent. The Fish also closed the 2017-18 season with the Indy Fuel, eventually sweeping them in the first round prior to bowing out in the Division Final.

Ready for the Dance: The Walleye will embark on their ninth consecutive "Run for the Kelly Cup" on Thursday, when the Indy Fuel will return to the Huntington Center. The Fish are 78-59 during the playoffs all-time, outscoring opponents 442-381.

Up Next, The Kelly Cup Playoffs: The Toledo Walleye kick off their 2025 “Run to the Kelly Cup” this week, welcoming the Indy Fuel back into the Huntington Center on Thursday and Friday for the first two games of the seven-game series. The Fuel finished the regular season with a record of 32-30-5-5, a total of 74 points. Indy finished the regular season 17th overall, ninth in the Western Conference and fourth in the Central Division.


Walleye Player of the Week:
Mitch Lewandowski (2G, 1A; GWG)

Walleye Goaltender of the Week:
Jan Bednar (1-0-0, 3.93 GAA, .885 SVP