It's Finally Here

  We're skipping the usual Friday Links post to bring you a special post featuring Chelsea's writing and my photos, a one two punch of mind-blowing blog-nificence to celebrate the long dull off-season finally being over.

 

The morning has dawned on the Everblades first preseason game. The long summer is over, the ice is set and the Florida Everblades are set to take on the Orlando Solar Bears. 

Four years ago I stopped by the Everblades training camp for the first time. I had just transferred down to Florida from Connecticut and I was still looking for my place in the universe. I sat alone in the main arena as the players took the ice and I had a moment of well being surround me.

I’m not an athlete, I can’t skate to save my life, but hockey is my home. I’ve since decided to work in hockey and have gotten to experience some great moments. Walking into an empty arena with the hum of the air conditioner and the subtle (not subtle at ALL) hockey smell is soothing.

As I made my yearly trip to training camp I saw some differences from previous years. This year I wasn’t the only one sitting in the stands. There were Everblades t-shirts and sweaters with little kids trying to peak over the glass. 

There also weren’t many players on the ice. The AHL training camps over lapped with the ECHL this year. The early days of training camp brought back Everblades favorites and regulars like Mathieu Roy, Matt Marquardt, Trevor Bruess and long time emergency back up Brian Markowicz.

The ‘Blades affiliates sent reinforcements yesterday. The Kelly Cup squad is reassembling with the additions of David Rutherford, Joe Sova, Matt Beca, Pat Nagle and Bobby Raymond. There are several newcomers for the season including goalie Rob Madore. 

So in the spirit of the season here are the three things you should know about tonights game:

1. Which mascot would win in a fight?

It’s Swampee versus a polar bear in sunglasses. While polar bears are ferocious, Swampee is an alligator on ‘roids. I may be biased, but I’m giving this round to Swampee.

2. Don't forget the goalies.

It’s easy to talk goals and hits, but don’t forget the goalies. Last years playoff MVP was goaltender John Muse. While his play was superb, so were his idiosyncrasies and routines. Watch the warm up and see what you learn.

3. Say cheese!

Take pictures. It really is an experience and you never know what gems you’ll produce. You’ll also be able to get up close and personal in Breakaways after the game. Let the guys eat, but they’ll stop by and say hi and take photos. I hear Rutherford had his teeth replaced this summer so he’s ready for the camera.

It should be a good match up with the resurrected Solar Bears. Don’t expect perfection, the preseason is a place of learning and experimentation, but do expect a good game. The Everblades almost always deliver.

Thank You (pt. 2)

Here's the second half of the roster and why they rock. Once again, we're going in alphabetical order.




Pat Nagle-  It's pretty unfair that you're not receiving credit for keeping us in the playoffs. You had two shutouts in the playoffs! Two! Any other goalie might not be able to handle the position you were put into, but you handled it with grace. You're also extremely photogenic, and I appreciate that.



Sebatien Piche- I don't think Lightning fans realize how lucky they are to have acquired you in a trade, but they will. If Bruess is a Scud missile you're undoubtedly an anti-tank missile. I almost felt bad for the guys you laid big hits on. Almost.



Scott Pitt-You were one of the best rookies in the league this season. Frankly, you're just fun to watch. I honestly don't expect to see you here next season, there are plenty of AHL teams that need a player like you.



Kevin Quick- You really showed up in the playoffs didn't you. It was almost like watching a totally different player. Also, I heard you're an animal person and that's an automatic plus with me.



Mike Ratchuk- It's safe to say you were the best trade acquisition this season. I'm completely convinced that you have rockets instead of feet. It was always exciting to see you flip on the afterburners and leave the opposing players dazed in your wake. Please don't leave the Blades for the Komets.



Bobby Raymond- I don't think I've hidden the fact that you've been my favorite skater for the last two seasons. To quote one of the fan club ladies "It's just fun to watch him skate". You're another guy I don't expect to see back next season. You definitely deserve an AHL contract.



Mathieu Roy- There's a reason you were the first Blades captain to win us a Kelly Cup. Don't ever change and don't ever leave.



David Rutherford- There's a reason you've won so many championships, and it's because you never quit and you won't let anyone else quit. You look really good in green and navy dude. Just saying.



Leigh Salters- I always felt kind of bad for any guy dumb enough to fight you or any goalie on the losing end of your screens. You were definitely a fan favorite for a reason.



Justin Shugg- You were only down here because you were on the losing end of the numbers game, and I'm grateful for that. You certainly deserve the nickname Shuggernaut. I can't wait to hear about you tearing up the AHL next season.



Joe Sova- I feel bad that I didn't get to see you play that much. I liked what little I saw though, so there's that. I really doubt we'll see you in a Blades jersey next season.

That's it till the usual Tuesday post and of course the party the team is throwing from 5-11! If they run out of championship gear by the time you get there it's all my fault (or yours for getting there so late).

Thank You (pt. 1)

 As I promised Yesterday, here's the first half of the roster and why they rock. For simplicity, we're going in alphabetical order.




Matt Beca- 72 assists this season, including the assist that led to the cup clinching goal. Team leader in points during the regular season. Holy shit dude. That's impressive.



Trevor Bruess- You're a heat seeking SCUD missile on skates. I've now developed that habit of going "Oooooh, you've been Bruessed!" anytime I see a big hit in hockey. Please keep the mohawk.



Ryan Donald- I always breathed a sigh of relief when you hit the ice. Nothing shady ever went down on your watch and for that, I'm grateful. I don't think any beard will ever compare to yours. 



David Fischer- Sweet mother Mary you can move the puck, can't you? I'm still not sure why you haven't been given more of a chance at the AHL level. What a bunch of idiots they are. Stay strong dude.



Rylan Galiardi- I have to start out by apologizing for spelling your name wrong for half the season. I've never experienced such a long brain fart. My bad. You're the type of guy I love seeing on a hockey team I cheer for. Nothing flashy, just good hockey.



Brayden Irwin- I'm completely mystified by your ability to be in just the right spot at just the right moment. It's freaky. Also, holy shit was my initial dislike off base. Like so far off base I was in another solar system. For that I'm sorry, I'm a total jerk.



Charles Landry- You play with so much determination. I hope you never lose that drive. It's something special. I'll always fondly remember how many photos of you making weird faces during games I had to delete.



Brandon MacLean- You're not capable of giving anything less than 200% are you? You definitely earned that game winner. You never slacked off or quit. If you don't come back and play a full season as a Blades it better be because you got an AHL deal.



Matt Marquardt- The best way to describe you is quietly productive. Also, you're a pretty big dude and man could you lay hits when you decided to. I'm still not sure how I managed to spell your name correctly all the time and not Rylan Galiardi's.




Ryan McGinnis- I can't tell you how good it was to see you return to the Blades. You're entirely underestimated in your ability to move the puck. Ryan Weston will never leave my shit list thanks to that terrible hit. Get well soon.



Cedric McNicoll- After how well you played last season, I was shocked you were sent down. The Checkers stupidity was our gain obviously Mr. Playoff Points Leader. I find it very hard to believe you'll be enjoy the sand and sun next season.



John Muse- You're proof that the drafting system doesn't work. Blades fans have waited 14 years for a goalie like you and I think I speak for everyone when I say we feel lucky to have seen you play. If you don't receive a two way NHL contract for next season something is wrong with the universe.

Check back tomorrow for the rest of the list!

What is There Left to Say?

I've struggled with what exactly I want to say about everything that's happened. Patially, it's because this writing thing has never been my gift. I'm certainly more comfortable behind a camera or spreading the Blades gospel on social media. Partially it's also because, as harsh as it is to say, I certainly didn't imagine this would be the season that the Everblades would win the Kelly Cup.

I know! Bad blogger, bad, bad blogger.

Now, I hoped and believed, because I can't help but be overly optimistic about the things I love. I felt something similar to what I felt about the Penguins in 2009 while they were going through all their various trials and tribulations. That  feeling that there was maybe something special about to happen. Something was hovering just on the horizon.

But, in the logical part of my brain I was always prepared for another letdown. Another goal just over the goalies shoulder in OT (I'm still pissed about your positioning on that Leggio), another loss of heart and will at the worst possible moment.

It never happened though, and I think that's why I'm still a bit stunned.

We had a group of players that were always overlooked (I'm still not entirely sure how you do that with so many awards the players had under their collective belts, but it happened).

Sure, we loved them and believed in them, because that's what we do as fans, but no one else seemed to.

Maybe that's what makes this victory so sweet. No one else truly believed as much as we all did in our hearts.

Think about it.

The Greenville fans were so sure that their squad, one of the best in the regular season was going to steamroll over our boys. That didn't happen.

Elmira fans were sure to tell us about knocking us out in the playoffs before and that history was sure to repeat itself. That didn't happen.

After one win Kalamazoo fans were already planning trips to Vegas or Alaska because their squad was obviously going to triumph. That didn't happen.

Then Vegas came along. Talking trash about swamp people and their town and their team. Their fabulous forward that lead the league all season. Their amazing unstoppable goalie, the ECHL. They won their first game and they started planning parades. That didn't happen.

Instead, something else happened.



A squad no one really noticed. A squad that was perpetually underestimated.

They won the Kelly Cup.

When you really look, it makes sense. I can't recall ever seeing a team that seemed to be so committed to each other and their mission. I can't recall ever seeing a team with so much heart.

I guess I really shouldn't have been surprised. We saw the spark so many times during the season. No matter how many injuries and roster shuffling, the players always managed to keep their hearts in it.



I don't think anyone deserved it more than them. No one.

It feels good. It feels really good. I don't know if there are really any words to really summarize everything. There may never be just the right words. I'm happy. Happy for the players, and all the people who work for the team, happy for the fans that have been going to games for years, and happy for the new fans who have discovered something pretty great.

I'm just plain happy.

Be sure to check back tomorrow and Sunday. I'm going to split the roster in half and go in depth into why, exactly, the dude rocks.

Where are all the Signings?

Last night, a friend and fellow fan happened to mention the Blades haven't been announcing signings. I have to admit, I've been mildly irritated by this. The last singing announcement was the return of Ryan McGinnis on the 17th. Since then, we've been told about a preseason game and a trade of player rights. That's it.

Did I mention there is about a month and a half left till hockey season starts?

How about the fact that we only have five forwards and a defenseman under contract?

Of course, this lack of any information or updates is what I've come to expect from a team in which the front office can't be bothered to do anything beyond the bare minimum in any situation.

Maybe I'm being sensitive. Maybe I'm overreacting. I just don't know.

In order to support my opinion that the Blades front office is particularly cruddy I randomly checked rosters around the league. I learned two things:

• Our roster is about the same size as all the teams I checked.
• There are some truly horrible team websites out there. Like eye burningly bad (I'm looking at you Royals. There is such a thing as too much purple).

 So, it turns out I am overly sensitive and I am overreacting. Irt looks like all the ECHL teams are basically in the same position.

To be fair, this off season has been very long and Bobby Raymond signed a two way contract with the Binghamton Senators which means he may be sent down to the Elmira Jackals.

I think I know a solution though.


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Yup, silly kitty pictures make everything better.

Yeah... that's it. My recycle bin isn't going to be full of empty bottles tomorrow or anything. Not at all.

Breaking Down The Numbers: Ticket Increases

(Bear with me guys, this is one of my long grumpy, too much time on my hands, posts)

On Tuesday, the Blades released this seasons ticket packages and rates. I was a little confused to see the team claim that purchasing the packages equaled savings. How can you save when the season tickets cost the same as regular day-of prices?

It's simple. You raise the prices on the tickets one to two dollars.

Let me break this down for you. My favorite seats are in the the club rows (second to fourth row) and cost $24 last season. I attended about 25 regular season games (stupid work schedule). That amounts to around $600 in tickets alone (I did get a free seat or two and bought a few nosebleeds on busy nights so I actually paid less). Of course, that's not counting parking or concessions. That also doesn't count the post-season games when there's always an increase in ticket price. Either way, that's a lot of money.

For me, the price increase only means a $50 increase in costs this season if I go to the same amount of games and buy the same seats.

So what if I opt for a ticket passage to save money this season? A full season ticket passage is out of the question because I won't be able to go to all those games and I'm pretty sure I'd have trouble finding someone willing to buy just one seat for the face value of the ticket.

So, maybe I go with the 20 game flex pack options. First, (as usual) the team isn't really clear on what that is. I'm assuming it's like last season when you got vouchers for your section and you took whatever in that range they had. Well, that's $480 for 20. The same price I paid last season for 20 tickets.

Honestly, there really is no savings for me. There is no visible benefit to buying the flex package for me. I'm lucky, I can afford the extra $50 over the course of the season and I know a couple of free seats will come my way through friends and work. With no real perks to the package that would make sense for me it's easier not to go through the hassle.

Obviously, not everyone is like me. What if you can make a majority of the games? What if you decide to be a season ticket holder? What if you, oh I don't know, like the club row too?

Lucky for me, one of my favorite readers, Matt, a season ticket holder, broke down not only his costs, but what his seats and season tickets would cost in the other arenas throughout the ECHL. It really is a thing of beauty and Google was kind enough to convert it so I could embed it right here for you. It really is worth the scroll through guys.



The big takeaway is, in my opinion, this: there are savings to be had in certain sections, just not all of them and not all the ticket packages. It's really up to you.

Me? I'm just going to suck it up. I can't get awesome pictures from the nosebleeds.

The ECHL Expands Again

Only a matter of minutes ago (right after I pushed publish on the last post in fact), the Colorado Eagle announced they were leaving the CHL to join the ECHL. Obviously, this is great news for the league. The Eagles have, over the course of 8 seasons won the CHL's President's Cup twice, three regular season titles, five conference titles and six division titles. Frankly, they were one of the best teams in CHL and having them decide to jump on board with the ECHL is a huge vote of confidence.

The Eagles will basically be replacing the the now defunct Victoria Salmon Kings. You may remember they called it quits at the end of their season because their ownership decided to field a team in the WHL. Of course the Western Conference will continue to be unbalanced compared to the East (especially when you remember Chicago will be playing their first ECHL season in 11-12). It is a step in the right direction. The rumors that the Rapid City Rush are planning to join the ECHL would be an even better step.


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Overall, I can't think of this as anything but really great news. It says great things about the league to have teams willing to leave their league to join us. I do worry a bit for the fans though. It will be hard for them to see some of their favorites leave, and some players will have to leave. Whether because of the ECHLs tighter roster restrictions or because former players might not be up to keep up with the playing style. Obviously, that part will suck, but seeing prospects from their NHL and AHL affiliates will be more than worth it.

Of course that will lead to the bane of every ECHL fans existence: constant, poorly timed, call-ups (good lord I hate those).

Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

I've been wondering this since the playoffs started and when the Blades lost the series to Kalamazoo, I asked this of you guys on Twitter.

Who do we want back next season?

Obviously, not every player can come back. Some will get better deals in Europe, an AHL gig, jump ship for some other ECHL team, or just retire.

To make things a little easier I've decided to exclude the guys with AHL contracts that had been sent down or signed in the middle of the year. This excludes guys like Staal, Graham, McKenzie, Janus, Lemieux, Spencer, etc. I also, decide to eliminate Imbeault, because he's already stated he doesn't want to come back.

So, who do I want back? Easy.

Must haves:

- Bobby Raymond- I have never hidden the fact that he was (and still is) my favorite skater this season. Aside from being reliable. I lived for those moments when he seemed to decide it was time to do something and would take off (seriously, he is insanely fast) end to end dodging the other teams players like they were nothing.

- Brad Snetsinger- I was very impressed by him in the short time he played with the Blades. The guy has put up some pretty numbers over the last few years. I'd love to see him put up some more in a Blades jersey.

- Mathieu Roy- How much has Roy grown as a player over the last few season? I can't believe what an amazing player he's turned into. Add to that his grittiness, gift for irritating the other team, and leadership abilities. What more can you want? I will be the happiest person on Earth if the Blades re-sign him.

- Drew Larman- He may have struggled a bit at the beginning of the season, but he really found his groove at the end. No one was as great at face-offs as him. It doesn't hurt that the dude is fast and gritty either.

- David Fischer- Honestly, if you had asked me if I wanted him back next season in the early months of this season I would have said no. There was just something not quite right about his play. Without me noticing though, this guy became a solid, reliable defenseman.

- Matt Beca- I will throw a fit like a six year-old if he doesn't come back. Really. Those one timers are a thing of beauty and the dude works his butt off every single shift.What more does a team need?

- Ross Carlson- I know in the story I linked to yesterday he said he wasn't sure, but I'd still love to see him back. It won't be an Everblades game without old reliable.

- J.F. David- I liked his style, he was a good veteran to have and a solid guy. It would be nice to see him play a full season, and maybe get some playoff time as well.

Maybes:

Mostly the new guys who joined at the end of the season, Dusty Collins, Tyler Helfrich, Evan Stephens, Deron Cousens, and Brad Good. I don't feel like I saw any of these guy play enough to say I don't want them back or say I saw anything impressive enough to convince me I have to see them come back. You can add Trevor Hendrikx to this list for the same reason.

Undecided:

Which goalie to bring back is a major conundrum for me. I still stand by my opinion that we must lock down a goalie with an ECHL contract. The problem is, who do we bring back? Mike Zacharias was solid, and was always in position. He just had a nasty habit of giving up tons of juicy rebounds rather than freezing the puck. Ryan Zapolski only played in one game. He was amazing in that game, but was that a one time thing? Is he worth the risk if we can get Zacharias? Do we even want Zacharias? I honestly don't know.


No Thank Yous:

- Mike Egener- I know a lot of you guys loved him, but I just can't. He had a nasty habit of taking very stupid penalties and I just can't stand an undisciplined player. Especially when he has the C on his jersey. His injury issues are also more risk than I'm willing to deal with


-Mike Kennedy- This may be unfair as he didn't play for a huge chunk of the season, but I was never amazed by him when he did play. I'd rather we have roster space to be honest.

- Scott Pitt- I know one person who will hate me forever for this, but I just didn't see the guy play with any heart. It always seems tough for the guys right out of college, but he didn't ever seem to try when he did play. I don't mind being proven wrong about him though.

- Eric Olimb- Pretty much what I just said about Pitt. I was just not impressed.

Perhaps a Bit Crazy:

- Mitch Fadden- Since he was released by the Lightning he can sign with whomever he wants. I know he was released for a reason, but I'd love it if he could turn his life around and maybe find a little redemption here. If he can, I think he might be one of those Blades alumni that accomplish something great. But he has to turn his life around. I really can't stress that enough.


As much as I'd love to see any of the AHL guys return (especially Alex Hutchings, I absolutely adore that little pest), I don't want to. I want them to move on to the next step in their careers. I will mention that Bobby Goepfert only signed a one year contract with the Checkers. If they are idiotic enough to not bring him back I'd love to see us pick him up.


So, what do you guys think? I'd love to hear your opinions in the comments. Even if you think I'm way off base.

DON'T PANIC

I'm going to have to stop with all these literary references before this blog gets all high brow and fancy.

So... five straight losses. Sucks right? Yesterday's was particularly cruddy considering they were winning when I left for a grocery run only to turn the radio on in the car to hear they let the Gladiators storm back. Before turning that radio back on I had already written a post crowing about how the Blades are winning with a gutted roster, and how awesome they were.

Obviously, I scrapped that plan.

Admittedly, I'm a little grumpy about the recent string of losses and my under-preforming NHL teams are not helping matters. But, you know what? It could be worse.

We could be on our tenth straight loss, right Gwinnett?
We could have only 21 points in the standings, the league worst record, right Reign?
Most importantly, we could still have Malcolm Cameron coaching.

Seriously, we're not in a terrible position. The injuries gutting the roster are not helping, he inability to convert on the power play is killing us, but we're still in a good position in the conference.

Besides, how many of you remember the 08-09 season? The Everblades dominated just about every team they played, had the best record, then disappeared in the playoffs (I honestly still have nightmares of that puck going right over Leggio's shoulder).

I'd much rather they slump now, let the injured guys get healthy, and come back better than ever and looking for blood (and points).

From now on, I'm pulling this out when I start hearing any rumblings. You've been warned.


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The Week in Review

Admittedly, it was not the best week for the Everblades. They saw their seven game win streak grinnd to a halt, lost two of their best players to AHL call-ups, and seen the IR list grow.

They only managed to wrestle two points out of their three game series. Of course, they managed to get those points from the best team in the entire ECHL so it's not as bad as it seems.

On the other hand, I managed to not only get myself involved in the yarmulke drama (we still haven't heard anything by the way). I followed that up by sending an e-mail, with pictures attached, to one of the writers for the most popular hockey blog on the Internet to let him know about the terrible holiday jerseys.

Well... the story got picked up. It also landed on the front page of Yahoo! sports and now has somewhere around 700 comments (most of which are more nuts than usual).

It got a little nuts obviously. I'm going to look for the silver lining and hope whomever is in charge of the final approval of the special jerseys will think long and hard before they approve the next one.

In good news, I got all the pictures from Friday and Saturday up, as well as the video of the teddy bear toss:

The Yarmulke Saga

There really are no words to describe what went down tonight.

Like any decent hockey fan, I check out Puck Daddy pretty regularly. It's always good for a laugh, definitely informative, and the comments remind me why I will never be a people person. So, when the put a post up about a zany giveaway I laughed.

Unlike past posts, this wasn't some crazy CHL giveaway or the Wranglers up to their usually insanity. No, an NHL team was giving away something pretty out there.

For whatever reason, the Florida Panthers decided it would be a great idea to give away yarmulkes.

And, let's be honest, they had to put their logo on it right?

So, as I'm just laugh at the insanity of the Panthers marketing team something occurs to me. We kind of live a short drive away. I could have a Panthers yarmulke if I wanted to, all I would have to do is drive right across to Sunrise. It couldn't be any better right?

Because I'm a good friend, and I know two of my Twitter buddies @CaityKauffman and @CVClyde, are just as appreciative of zaniness, I sent off some texts and of course they were in. Seriously, who wouldn't be?

 Tuesday afternoon rolls around and off we go to the Panthers game, absolutely pumped by getting our hands on some sweet yarmulkes. We get over to the East coast without any problems, walk right up to the ticket booth, and next thing we know they're offering an upgrade to the eighth row on the seats we wanted.

Couldn't get any better right?

We get through the security check and get our tickets scanned. No problems.

I know I stood around pretty confused for a good two minutes. Where was the guy handing me my awesome Panthers yarmulke?

We eventually flagged a guy who worked for the team down and asked if they ran out. He informed us that they were only for special group packages.

Well, um, OK. Might as well head to our awesome seats, right?

Unfortunately, for the Panthers, technology today is to the point where you can check the Internet from your phone, or your friend can send a tweet to the person who wrote the original blog post that inspired you to drive an hour and a half across the state of Florida for a piece of cloth with a Panthers logo on it.

So, we had no choice but to launch an investigation. I'm going to quote from Caity's Twitter stream. Mostly because I may have been to chicken to get all up in someones grill. Also, someone had to guard our seats (at least that's what I'm going to tell myself).

@wyshynski I'm going to go do some journalistic questioning of Panthers employees... I demand my yarmulke!

Investigation commencing. RT "@Sean_Leahy: @caitykauffman Interesting. Site promo says "all ticket buyers" - http://bit.ly/gLsOE8"

Guest services has no idea about alleged yarmulkes. Sent to section 105. #yarmulkegate2010

Um, section 105 is a random Jewish heritage DJ who is not affiliated with the Panthers. Lies. GIVE ME MY TACKY YARMULKE #yarmulkegate2010

 At guest services hanging out with an actual Hebrew woman who is distraught about lack of yarmulkes.

According to Panthers guest services, a third party (Jewish organization) was supposed to provide yarmulkes. Looks like it fell through.

I actually want to watch the game, so after the second period ends (7:37 remaining), I'll finish the quest for a Panthers yarmulke.

JUST SAW A STACK OF YARMULKES CLANDESTINELY HANDED TO A MAN IN A SUIT WTF.

Confronted gal who had custody of mysterious yarmulkes - in charge of sponsorship. Showed her NHL press release. Sent to client services.

Second intermission. Off to confront client services. #yarmulkegate2010

According to this dude: group sales only. Mailing some to season tix holders... & now us

 After all this goes down, the Florida PAnthers finally mande an announcement. Sort of.

*Tonight's giveaway was not an actual giveaway to everyone that attended, just those that bought a special pack for the game...

 Then, after sending this out via Twitter they went back, and actually changed information regarding this event on their website. Like I said, there really are no words.

I'm not surprised that this went down. It really is a good way to sum up the organization as a whole. Lots of promises they can't keep, disappointment, half-arsed apologies, and no ability to admit they were wrong.

Now, I admit it was pretty silly to pester people about a scrap of cloth with a Panthers logo, and really, it is incredibly silly. If the stupid thing doesn't show up in my mailbox within the next week I'm going to be able to go on with my life.

But, the next time I think about seeing an NHL game I'll think twice about heading to Sunrise. I'd rather travel the same distance to Tampa and give my money to the Lightning. Because honestly, the Everblades, an ECHL team that's afraid of technology and their fan base, runs a tighter ship than the Panthers. And that's sad.

Goalie Foolishness

 Last week I went into a bit of a rant on Twitter on the stupidity of the Everblades choosing to rely exclusively on our affiliates for goalies. It was triggered by the the team electing to release the rights to Adrien Lemay as well as a minor injury to Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Mike Smith. This is the series of tweets that followed:

"To me the Smith injury is a bad omen for the Everblades goalie-wise. We really should have locked down a goalie with an ECHL contract."

"Let's be honest, goalies get injured a lot. If all our goalies are sent from our affiliates what happens when both have injured goalies?"

"Remember two AHL affiliates+ two NHL affiliates= 8 goalies. All it takes is two injuries to leave us high an dry."

"Not to mention a goalie with us being injured. We can't expect Nate Zervos or a local rec league goalie to play against professionals."

 My major point was that it's stupid to think we can rely on our affiliates to fill our goal. It's not hard to remember what happened last season when an injury on the Minnesota Wild led to a chain reaction of call-ups that saw Barry Brust leave us for Houston. That resulted in the team having only Chris Beckford-Tseu. He ended up playing an insane number of consecutive games (23 I think) while one of our local recreation league goalies acted as back-up

What would have happened if there had been an injury to a player in the Panthers system? We wouldn't have had any goalie with professional experience. Of course when everyone realized Barry Brust wasn't coming back a trade was made with the Stingrays for goalie Parker Van Buskirk. Van Buskirk didn't play a single game for the Everblades and was quickly shipped off to the CHL. The team then signed Adrien Lemay who proceeded to play about four games with the team.

All of that was a repeat of the season before when an injury to (coincidentally) Barry Brust led to Anton Khudobin getting a call-up in the midst of the playoffs. Once again the team rode the only professional goalie left, David Leggio, and chose a re league back-up. The Everblades did get farther into the playoffs that season, and the final game was spectacular (although I still have nightmares about that final goal).

 So here we are at the start of the season with the news that we will be relying exclusively on our affiliates for goaltenders. An injury to any of the 8 players in our affiliate clubs means we go without. It's a little scary isn't it? I get that this is a money saving measure. When a player has an NHL or AHL contract the team can receive up to $525 to cover that players salary. A look over at the PHPA website shows how much an ECHL team has to spend on it's players. This is obviously an expensive business and every little penny really does count (perhaps this explains the state of the bathrooms in the arena).

The problem is that while this is a financially intelligent decision, it's just plain stupid when you think of the risks the team is taking. It's inevitable that someone is going to be injured. When that happens we'll be back in the same boat we've been for the last few seasons.

Happy Blogoversary!

I can't believe it, but today is the one year anniversary of this blogs first post! I really never thought the blog would hit this landmark. I'm not going to get all weepy and sentimental, but I am going to say thank you. I wouldn't keep this up if it weren't for all of you.


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I do feel bad about the impromptu blogging vacation. Everything should be back on track starting Tuesday. I'm hoping to introduce a new look for the blog sometime soon. Until then, enjoy one of my favorite Clash songs...

Reality Check

Now that the Everblades have a coach, it's time to think about next seasons roster. As much as I'd love to see everyone from last year come back it's not going to happen. This is because of a rule the ECHL has regarding veteran players (you may remember this from my IHL rant last month). The league has a rule in place that places a limit on the number of veterans a team is allowed to have on their active roster. The ECHL defines a veteran the following way...

"A veteran shall mean a player, other than a goaltender, who has played in at least 260 regular season games of professional hockey."

Why is this important? Well, the ECHL limits their teams to only four veterans at a time on their active roster. I've gone ahead and sorted through the team's roster at the end of the year, checked them through Hockey DB, and used my trusty calculator to see which guys qualify as a veteran. Junior hockey and college hockey don't count toward their status as those are played under armature status (that means NCAA, WHL, OHL, etc.). Playoff games don't count either so I've not included them in my calculations. I've put it all in a nice, easy to read, spreadsheet for you (I'm such a hockey nerd). The link to the sheet itself is here if you don't like the squished version.



I went ahead and highlighted the players that would be considered veterans in that lovely blue color. I took the liberty of adding Peter Metcalf, because I choose to hold out hope that a new coach may change his mind and bring him back (a girl can dream). I didn't include players with AHL/NHL contracts as the league doesn't count them, and I also didn't include goalies as they are exempt from veteran status.

As you can see, there are six players that qualify as veterans. I think it's no secret that I'd like to see Ryan Lang and Peter Metcalf next year, but beyond that I really have no opinion on who should make the cut. Ernie Hartlieb is definitely a given, the season ticket holders would mutiny if he didn't come back. I hope the team starts announcing signings soon, the wait is killing me.

Honestly?

With all this fuss and excitement over the Everblades naming our new head coach the news of a new team entering the league during the 2011-2012 season flew under my radar. Now that I've had time to read up on it I'm pretty sure it's the dumbest move the ECHL has made in a while.

Why?

The ECHL has decided to grant membership to a team in Chicago. I know you're all thinking "don't they have a hockey team?" They do. In fact Chicago is home to three hockey teams already. Aside from the Blackhawks, they also have the Wolves of the AHL, and the Steel of the USHL. I've gone ahead and made this map of all the hockey teams in Chicago to make the stupidity all pretty.


View Chicago Hockey Teams in a larger map

I don't have to tell you how much I love hockey. I really don't think I can ever have too much, but  even for me that's a lot of hockey. It's almost too much. I understand why the Chicago Wolves have been relatively successful, they offer an affordable alternative to seeing the Blackhawks (obviously the Steel are an even better deal). The problem is, how can one city support four teams? I really have my doubts that this can be done. Now, I understand the Hawks have managed to capture the attention of Chicago sports fans with the Stanley Cup win, but really, are all the people who just jumped on the bandwagon going to really care about a team in a developmental league? Why would you really care about players who might be a star someday when you can watch Patrick Kane and Johnathan Toews now? Why care when you can watch players that are one step from the NHL? Someone just getting into hockey (or someone who has just jumped on the bandwagon) doesn't want to see the Donati twins. They want to see the Sedins.

Sadly, the ECHL is making a huge mistake, one they're going to regret. There are plenty of cities that could better support an ECHL franchise. Heck, the brand new, shiny arena in Orlando would do well with hockey tenant. Baltimore is another option that tends to come up anytime I get into a conversation about the league expanding. It may also be a good idea for the ECHL to look into expanding in the West more. The conferences are very lopsided (12 vs. 8). It's just such a waste to grant this franchise to a city that already has three professional hockey teams. There are so many better cities out there, that can fully support a team.

I guess there is a bright side in all of this. The team is running a name your team contest. Chicago Redundancy anyone?

Protected Lists Announced

The Everblades haven't made any formal announcements as to who they put on their protected player list. Luckily the ECHL was kind enough to post all the teams on one page. There are a bunch of rules on who can go on this list and who can't, but they're really confusing so I doubt I can explain them. The basic point of this list is the team is calling dibs on these players.

Of course, this list doesn't guarantee that they will be playing for the Everblades next season. Only that they can't be approached by any other ECHL team.

Adrien Lemay

Dominic D’Amour
Scott Hotham
Mitch McColm
Phil Paquet
A.J. Thelen
Brad Zanon
Kevin Baker
Mike Bayrack
Patrick Bordeleau
Benjamin Breault
Matt Caria
Shea Guthrie
Ernie Hartlieb
Brad Herauf
Mike Hoffman
Eric Lampe
Ryan Lang
Colin Nicholson
Ahren Spylo
Dominic Osman
Alexandre Parent
Mathieu Roy

You may notice players who were assigned from the AHL are missing. Their rights belong to the NHL club they have a contract with so the Everblades can't protect them, that's why you don't see guys like Brandon Buck, Chris Beckford-Tseu and Matt Duffy.

You may also notice, guys who have a contract in Europe (Zanon, Spylo, and Hotham for example) are on the list. That's to make sure if they decide their not happy and want to play stateside that the team will still have the rights to them.

 It's really good to see Phil Paquette, Shea Guthrie, Eric Lampe, Dominic Osman, and Mitch McColm on the list. I really liked their contributions for the most part and I can't wait to see them play next season. I'm not sure how I feel about Adrien Lemay being on the list. Even though my first reaction to any goalie is to fall in love, I only saw him play once (and it wasn't pretty). It's also good to see some reliable vets like Kevin Baker, Ryan Lang (wooohoo!), and Colin Nicholson on the list.

Most importantly it's good to see Ernie Hartlieb on the list. It's an unwritten rule that he has to be on the team. Plus, I'm pretty sure the arena would crumble to the ground if he wasn't on the roster.

More IHL Chatter

I'm sure I'm not the only person out there getting tired of all the news related to the IHL folding. Woody over at the Blades blog has this story on what the Quad-City Mallards options. And this story from the Ft. Wayne Gazette talks about what the Komets (I seriously hate that name) are facing. The story from the Ft. Wayne Gazette has a great breakdown on the differences between the IHL, ECHL, and CHL. I do find his opinion on why it would be bad for the Komets to enter the ECHL very irritating.

It's so silly I'm going to quote it.

"They would be unable to keep some popular, older players from the current team. The team won’t like seeing its stars called-up midseason. Travel costs will be higher than in the IHL, making things tougher for ownership."

Yes, it sucks to lose beloved veterans that have won you three championships in a row. I'm not going to deny that the ECHL's rules limiting a team to four veterans (the league consider a player with 260 professional games a veteran) does tend to run the most experienced guys off, I have no problem admitting that.

The part of this story that irritates me is the mention of call-ups somehow being a bad thing. How is a player who worked his butt off getting a chance to move one step closer to the NHL a bad thing. Look at this list of some of the names of the 443 ECHL players that have made it to the NHL. That's quite am accomplishment for a developmental league. I find it hard to believe that a professional hockey players greatest dream is to win a Turner Cup (or a Kelly Cup for that matter). I also, find it hard to believe that the fans in Ft. Wayne would feel any different about seeing a guy they watched in the early stages of his career make it to the big time than Blades fans feel. I devoted a post to McFlickier getting a hat-trick in the AHL, and one to Khudobin playing in his first NHL game because I was happy for their achievements and I new that other Blades fans were happy for them as well. I love being able to say I saw a player before he hit it big, that I saw his first professional point, or hat-trick or shut-out. I know it sucks to lose players when you need them, and ECHL rosters can be a revolving door at times. It's a trade-off, and I don't think it's a bad trade.

I also don't really buy that travel is going to be difficult for the Komets. I've been working on this Google map of all the teams locations in the ECHL (I've added Ft. Wayne to help see where they are in relation to other teams).


View ECHL Team Locations in a larger map

The distance to Toledo, Kalamazoo, Cincinnati and even Wheeling is much closer than any team the Everblades play. If our team can afford to bus 10 hours to play the South Carolina Stingrays (the closest ECHL team to the Everblades), I'm sure two hours to Toledo won't break the bank. The ECHL will also allow teams to set their own schedule for the most part. The Komets don't have to pay for travel to play here if they can't budget it. They can just wait until the Blades head up to take on the Walleye, K-Wings, and Cyclones.

I apologize for the long rant, but that writer really irked me. To make it up to you here's a picture from Thursday of the sunset on Ft. Myers beach.

(At least it's not another cat picture)

No More Cameron

I'm having some minor Internet issues at the moment (do yourself a favor and don't ever use HughesNet). Until I can get it working, i'm just throwing up this quick post.

The Everblades announced today that Coach Malcom Cameron has resigned. I don't think anyone is really too suprised after how this season has gone. I'm not going to celebrate him not coming back next season, but I am going to admit I'm very relieved. From what I have heard many of the players were not happy with his coaching style. Some even chose to go to other teams, or not even play, because of him. A coach that chases away players makes the organization look bad.

I'm excited that this may mean that players who left just because of him may return. It really would be so great to see Peter Metcalf come back, he was a very dependable player. It would also be nice to maybe see Steve McJannet return. Who am I kidding? It would be the best thing ever if Trouble came back.

I am worried that some guys (Zanon and Nicholson come to mind) would not want to play for another coach. I also worry that a new coach means a new system, and some players won't fit into the new style. We won't really find out what any of this means until next season starts. How much longer until next season?

*** Update! ***

Now i'm seeing rumors floating around on the Internet. One, that Cameron is headed to the AHL, most likely the Houston Aeros. I'm not teribly suprised by that. He had a good relationship with the team when he coached the Wildcatters. The Wild also fired the old coach of the Aeros recently. I would resign from an ECHL position if I had an AHL one lined up too.  The other rumor that seems to be coming from the players is that Ernie Hartlieb has expressed interest in coaching the Everblades. I'm not suprised by  the idea of Ernie as a coach, he's super popular with fans and players alike, and it's obvious he has a great mind for the game. He also has a great relationship with the Blades organization. A transition from player to coach would be easy for him. It may also explain his CallIup to the AHL as well, a kind of last hurrah and parting gift from the teams to a well liked guy.

Pack Your Bags (Updated)!

*Update! There has been some news since this was posted on the 15th (learn to read the date commenter). The Johnstown Chiefs made the announcement yesterday that the move to Greenville is official, but pending approval. The ECHL board of governors will be meeting this afternoon to approve this move.*

By now everyone has heard of the River rats purchase by the owner of the Charlotte Checkers. If you managed to miss it you check out this article from Woody, you can also read this letter from the President and CEO of the River Rats ownership.

Of course this will mean a lot of changes for the Everblades. The Checkers are selling their ECHL team to allow them to become an AHL team. Who will buy the ECHL franchise is still an unknown. There is a new arena being built in Orlando, although it does sound like another professional sports team in the arena might not be feasible.

The status of the Johnstown Chiefs are another unknown. The team has been facing rumors of a possible move to Greenville, South Carolina. You can read this article for a more detailed view. The old stomping grounds of the Grrrowl (I love that Wikipedia is already predicting them coming back even though there hasn't  been an official announcement) may be ready for a hockey team again. It would also allow a nearly seamless transition for our division.

Of course I can speculate on what will happen until the cows come home. We won't know what the ultimate outcome will be until the 2010-2011 season starts.

The Latest Drama...

You may or may not have heard about the latest drama to strike the Everblades' blogging world. If you haven't you can find the spark that lit powder keg here. The author of that lovely, and oh so misguided piece of work then reposted it over at Canes Country. Allowing fans of of the big club to get a glimpse of an Everblades fan's mind. One blogger at Hockey Wilderness, who follows the Minnesota Wild, took (understandable) offense at the post, and proceeded to write one of the most beautiful dissections of horrible writing ever.

Regular reader may remember that I have had an issue with that particular person in the past. And it does not not surprise me that he would come up with that misguided attempt at humor. Sadly, I have read a lot from that blogger, mostly from his obnoxious comments last season on the Blades Blog. This season the Naples Daily News was kind enough to give him his own blog. Allow him to speak for the Everblades fans. Now, I don't want to dissolve to sink to childish insults, but it is too impossible not to.

To me, that post is proof of the kind of person he is. He has always been an attention seeker with a love for drama only a 16 year-old could understand. I do fully believe he wrote it thinking we would all die laughing. And that he would be lauded for his magnificent sense of humor. The problem is not all of us are from his generation or upbringing. What is funny to someone his age, is not funny to others. This writing is the result of sadly deluded misogynist. You can't classify women into types any more than you can classify men, Americans, Christians, or lawyers. Although a group may share a common characteristic, like gender, you can't put them into narrowly defined categories. I know that I was raised to be an individual, and I refuse to see others as anything other than who they themselves are.

The worst part in all this is how it makes the Naples Daily News, their writers, and the Everblades organization look. I can only hope that those of you who have come across that tasteless post do not look poorly on us. Woody Wommack, the NDN's beat writer for the Blades, is a wonderful reporter. It truly pains me to think of the impression this leaves upon him. I also feel the need to say that the NDN is a very well respected paper in the area. Like many papers, they seek to give the populace a voice, however distasteful it might be. It is most important to remember that the Everblades have no control over that blogger, or this one for that matter. I can only hope that other hockey fans don't form an impression of Blades fans, or Floridian hockey fans, by one person's rantings.

I will of course remind regulars, and warn newcomers, that any comments left must be approved before posting. This is not to prevent dissenting opinions, it's done to eliminate the hundreds of "Blades Sux!" comments that seem to flood in from one IP in Pennsylvania.

Also, all this seriousness is totally out of character for this blog. Enjoy a nice LOL Cat...


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