| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 5–May 21, 2010 |
| Teams | 15 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Cincinnati Cyclones |
| Runner-up | Idaho Steelheads |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Scoring leader(s) | Milan Gajic (Florida) Ryan Cruthers (Reading) (16 points) |
The 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs of the ECHL began April 5, 2010. 15 teams qualified, eight from the American Conference and seven from the National Conference. In the American conference, the winners of each of the three divisions plus the five teams with the highest point totals from the teams remaining qualified. Due to the National Conference's membership being limited to only eight teams, the two division winners and the five teams with the highest point totals from the teams remaining qualified, with the division winner with the highest point total receiving a bye to the conference semifinals.[1]
The conference quarterfinals will be a 2-3 format with the higher seed choosing if it wishes to host Games 1-2 or Games 3-5. Teams that are less than 350 miles apart may choose to play a 2-2-1 format.[1]
The remaining rounds will be best-of-seven game series.[1]
Due to a scheduling conflict with their home arena, the Alaska Aces were forced to play their home games in the National Conference quarterfinals against the Stockton Thunder at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in nearby Wasilla.[2]