The ECHL opened the 2009-10 season with strong numbers on opening weekend as almost 100,000 fans attended 21 games, including more than 20,000 fans for Toledo’s opening three-game weekend.

Toledo, which returns to the ECHL this year as the Walleye, saw an average of 6,888 fans per game — or about the same as the Coyotes’ attendance for their second game of the year.

Elmira had a standing-room-only crowd of 4,128 for its opener on Friday while South Carolina had a sellout crowd of 6,812 to watch the Stingrays raise their record third Kelly Cup championship banner on Friday.

Stockton, Florida, Cincinnati, Kalamazoo and Wheeling will have their home openers this weekend. Look for the attendance numbers to remain strong as Stockton has led the league in attendance the past four seasons, while Cincinnati has raised attendance 68 percent since 2006-07 and Wheeling saw a 3 percent increase last season. Kalamazoo, which joins the ECHL this year, averaged 3,190 fans per game last year in the IHL.

As with all minor league sports, the ECHL took a big hit last year from the tough economy, as two teams folded in the middle of the season and three more ceased operations at the end of the year. However, with a quality on-ice product and two new teams in Toledo and Kalamazoo next year, ECHL Commissioner Brian McKenna says the league is strong. He was gracious enough to grant us an interview to discuss the league, its future, and the NHL’s involvement.

This year’s Kelly Cup Final had South Carolina against Alaska. What was that like?

Well, it turned out to be a terrific series. Obviously when it goes seven games, I think six out of the seven games were basically one goal games, including some empty netters, and whenever the seventh game goes down to 34 or 35 seconds left before the empty net goal was scored in that one to wrap things up for South Carolina, it was a very, very good series. Some terrific hockey, two very evenly matched teams, and the atmosphere in the buildings, especially games 5, 6, and 7 was just electric.

It was a great showcase for our league and certainly a terrific final.

I’ve been to a playoff game in South Carolina and it’s a great arena and the fans are very passionate.

Absolutely. I know they were a little disappointed they didn’t win it on home ice in Game 5, but certainly I think the teams were very evenly matched, so it was good for the fans in Alaska to see the final two games up there and win there as well.

There are two new teams coming into the ECHL next year, right?

We have Toledo returning after a two-year hiatus where their old building, The Sports Arena, met the wrecking ball, and they’re building a new downtown facility, Lucas County Arena, which is within a couple blocks of the baseball stadium in downtown Toledo. The hockey team, the Walleye, will be owned and operated by the same group that operates the Toledo Mudhens, so certainly they’ve got a very good handle on the sports fans in the Toledo market and with a brand new building, and the built-in base of fans that I think were there that previously followed the Storm for a number of years, we’re really looking forward to a very pleasant return to Toledo this fall.

And the other addition, about two-and-a-half hours up the road from Toledo in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the Wings will join the ECHL this year. Again, a very traditional hockey market. They’ve had hockey in Kalamazoo for I think 35 years in one league or another, and from a geographic point of view, it makes sense. We’ve got a very, very strong ownership group there and they own the team, arena, and adjacent practice facility, so it really sets up well for us and I think it will be a very nice addition for us.

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