The South Carolina Stingrays will begin the 2026-27 ECHL season with head coach Jesse Kallechy, associate coach Cory Melkert and 19 new players after losing in the South Division Finals of the Kelly Cup Playoffs a season ago. Kallechy and Melkert joined the organization in June after working together with the Fort Wayne Komets. The coaching staff will lead a significantly revamped roster built around a new identity and an emphasis on pressure throughout the ice.
“We’re hoping to be a team that puts pressure everywhere on the ice,” said Kallechy. “A team that’s fun to watch because we have the puck a lot and we score a lot of goals. And when we don’t have the puck, we’re going to pressure to get it back so we can go score goals. We have a really talented group.”
South Carolina Stingrays Build Around Experience
The South Carolina Stingrays’ 2026 Season Opening Roster includes 25 players who have combined for 2,460 ECHL games and 3,888 games at all levels of professional hockey. Kallechy said experience was a significant part of the team’s roster-building approach ahead of a 72-game regular season. He believes veteran players help the Stingrays handle the challenges of the season.
“You look at teams that have won in this league, and there hasn’t been a lot of rookies,” said Kallechy. “You go back to the Conference Finals last year with Fort Wayne, Florida and Kansas City; everybody was an older, experienced team. Not that young guys can’t contribute, but older guys have been through the battles a little bit. Those are the kind of guys that we feel will be ready for the challenges that come.”
Defenseman Connor Moore has played 333 ECHL games, all with South Carolina, and is one of seven players returning from the previous season’s roster. Moore said the new coaching staff has made the offseason changes especially significant.
“There’s a lot of changes every year with guys coming in and out,” said Moore. “But this year, with the new coaching staff, it takes things to another level. They have guys they want to bring in and keep. I love the way Jesse and Cory are handling it already. The group of guys they’ve brought in are ones the Stingrays want to have: good character guys, hard workers. We’re just excited to get going here.”
Tyler Weiss Returns to the Stingrays
Tyler Weiss returned to the South Carolina Stingrays for the 2026-27 season after spending the previous season away from the organization. Weiss signed an American Hockey League deal with the Chicago Wolves and spent most of that campaign with the Greensboro Gargoyles and Indy Fuel.
Weiss was teammates with Moore during South Carolina’s 2024-25 Brabham Cup season. He said the organization’s expectations and winning tradition helped draw him back.
“We have to have everyone buy in,” said Weiss. “I think it’s a big thing that we all hold each other to a high standard and keep pushing. South Carolina’s known for winning. We had a great winning season when I was there. Last year they had a winning season. I just wanted to get back to winning. Last year wasn’t the best year, winning-wise, for myself and my teams, so I wanted to go back to a team that will set you up for success.”
Jesse Kallechy Sets the Tone
Forward Josh Wilkins has been part of the South Carolina Stingrays organization for more than half a decade. Wilkins said Kallechy brings intensity, an offensive mindset and an emphasis on doing things correctly.
“I was with [Kallechy] for a couple weeks in Florida when I first started out, and he brings intensity,” said Wilkins. “Our first meeting with him was pretty intense. We’ve had a mix of coaches here and I think it’s good to have a lot of intensity. He loves offense and loves doing things the right way, so it’s good to have him here.”
South Carolina has won the Kelly Cup three times, most recently in 2009. The Stingrays will open the 2026-27 season Friday evening against the Jacksonville Icemen at 7 p.m. at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
Opening Night is scheduled for Saturday, October 17, against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits at 6:05 p.m. at North Charleston Coliseum. The game will be presented by MUSC Health.
“Every year is its own animal and there are going to be different challenges that we don’t even know yet,” said Kallechy. “I think for us, we’re trying not to get too far ahead of ourselves, so we try to be where our feet are today. Really, our outlook is Friday in Jacksonville.”
Maryland Sports Blog Take
The South Carolina Stingrays enter the season with a new coaching staff, 19 new players and an experienced opening roster. Kallechy’s emphasis on pressure and offensive play gives the revamped team a defined approach as it begins a 72-game schedule.
Moore, Weiss and Wilkins provide connections to the organization, while the roster’s combined professional experience gives South Carolina a foundation for the new season. The opening games against Jacksonville and Greenville will begin the team’s transition under Kallechy and Melkert.
Source: Original report
