By: Ryan Finch | Follow me on Twitter/X @RyanFinch0815
Last season, the Maine Mariners showed that they could do more than compete in the ECHL. They put together the best season in franchise history, set a new franchise record with 93 points, won their first playoff series, and pushed the Wheeling Nailers to seven games in the North Division Finals. Now, with a new season on the horizon, the question is no longer whether this team can make noise in the playoffs. It is whether the Mariners can take that next step and bring a Kelly Cup championship to Portland.
My prediction is that they can. I expect Maine to win the North Division, make a run to the Kelly Cup Finals, and ultimately capture the first championship in franchise history. That is an ambitious forecast, and plenty has to go right for it to happen, but I believe this roster has the ingredients to turn last season’s breakthrough into something even bigger.
The foundation: Defense wins championships
If there is one reason I believe Maine can win the North Division, it is the team’s ability to defend. The Mariners were already among the ECHL’s best defensive teams in 2025–26, allowing 2.46 goals per game, the fourth-best mark in the league. Their penalty kill also ranked fifth at 85.1 percent, showing that this group can limit opponents’ opportunities when it matters most. Those numbers provide a strong foundation for my prediction, and I believe defensive consistency will be just as important as offensive production this season.
Maine returns several important pieces on the blue line, including Jaxon Bellamy, Nick Anderson, Owen Gallatin and Michael Underwood, while Connor Doherty brings veteran experience and a championship pedigree from his time with the Florida Everblades, along with key additions of Xavier Henry amd Jack Bar. That combination gives head coach and general manager Rick Kowalsky options when matching up against opposing top lines, protecting leads late in games and navigating the physical demands of a long playoff run. If the defense can stay healthy and maintain the structure that made Maine so difficult to play against last season, I expect the Mariners to be right in the mix for the division title.
Luke Cavallin is my MVP pick
My choice for the Mariners’ most valuable player is goaltender Luke Cavallin. His postseason performance last spring showed just how important a reliable goaltender can be when the pressure rises, and he finished the 2026 playoffs with a 2.02 goals-against average over 10 games. Maine has already seen what Cavallin can do in meaningful games, and I expect him to build on that performance as he enters another season in the Bruins organization.
What makes me especially optimistic is the potential tandem of Cavallin and Max Lundgren. Lundgren arrives with an impressive résumé of his own, having been named the Hockey East Tournament MVP during his time at Merrimack College. I don’t expect either goalie to carry the entire workload alone, and that is precisely the point: if both can provide steady performances and push each other throughout the season, Maine could have one of the more dependable goaltending situations in the league.
There are no guarantees in goaltending, of course. Injuries, workload and consistency can change a season quickly, and the Mariners also have Christian Propp in the organization as another option. But if Cavallin and Lundgren give Maine the kind of tandem I believe they can, the team will have a chance to win even on nights when its offense isn’t clicking. For a club with championship aspirations, that could make all the difference.
Ben Allison is ready for a breakout season
My breakout player for 2026–27 is forward Ben Allison. He arrived in Maine late last season after leading U Sports in scoring at Saint Mary’s University, and although his regular-season opportunity with the Mariners was limited, he showed flashes of what he could bring during the playoffs. Allison finished the regular season with one goal and one assist in seven games, then added two goals and two assists in five postseason appearances.
The moment that stands out most to me was Game 6 of the North Division Finals against Wheeling. With the series on the line, Allison had a breakaway opportunity in overtime that could have sent Maine to the Eastern Conference Finals. Wheeling goaltender Taylor Gauthier made the save, and the Nailers eventually won the game, but the fact that Allison was in that position speaks to the trust and opportunity he earned in a high-pressure situation.
Now, with a full season ahead of him, I believe Allison has an opportunity to take a significant step forward. His scoring background suggests there is offensive upside to unlock, and a larger role could allow him to find more consistency. I am not predicting that he will suddenly become the team’s leading scorer, but I do expect him to become a more noticeable contributor and give Maine another forward capable of changing a game. If that happens, the Mariners will be even tougher to match up against.
Winning the North Division is within reach
The North Division will not be an easy path. Maine will face familiar opponents who have spent the offseason trying to improve, and last year’s success means the Mariners will have a target on their backs. Still, I believe this team has the experience, coaching and defensive foundation to finish first in the division. Kowalsky enters his second season behind the bench after leading Maine to its most successful campaign, and the returning core has already experienced the highs and lows of a deep playoff run.
Offensively, Maine has a mix of returning players and new options who could help spread out the scoring. Linus Hemstrom returns after producing 35 points in 69 games last season, while Ryan Francis, Jack Works and Kalle Vaisanen give the forward group additional possibilities. I expect the Mariners to need contributions throughout the lineup rather than relying on one or two players to carry the offense every night. If they can pair that scoring depth with strong defensive play, they should have a legitimate chance to finish atop the North Division.
My bold prediction: Maine wins the Kelly Cup
Predicting a division title is one thing; picking a team to win the Kelly Cup is another. The ECHL playoffs are unpredictable, and even the strongest teams can be eliminated by a hot goaltender, an untimely injury or a handful of difficult bounces. Maine experienced that heartbreak last spring, coming within one win of the Eastern Conference Finals before Wheeling ended its run in Game 7.
But I believe that experience can become a source of motivation rather than a burden. The Mariners now know what it takes to win a playoff series, what it feels like to battle through a seven-game matchup and how small the margin can be between going home and moving on. With a strong defensive group, a goaltending tandem I believe can be a major strength, and players who have already tasted postseason success, Maine has a realistic foundation for another deep run.
The 2025–26 season changed the expectations surrounding the Maine Mariners. A franchise-record 93 points and the first playoff series victory in team history were major milestones, but the group ultimately came up short of its ultimate goal. Now the challenge is to prove that last season was not a one-time achievement, but the beginning of a team capable of competing for a championship year after year.
I expect this team to embrace that challenge. If the defense stays healthy, Cavallin and Lundgren deliver the goaltending I believe they can, and players such as Allison take the next step, the Mariners have a chance to make another special run in front of their passionate Portland fanbase. My prediction is simple: Maine wins the North Division, reaches the Kelly Cup Finals, and brings the Kelly Cup home to Portland for the first time. It will take hard work and plenty of things going right, but after what this team accomplished last season, I believe the next chapter could be its best one yet.
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