Swamp Hockey

Friday Links

2012-01-27T14:43:00.001-05:00

I don't think any of you will mind if I refuse to talk about last night. It wasn't fun. If you happen to be a glutton for punishment, I guess you can watch the shoot-out. Enjoy I guess.

I also got the photos from Wednesday's game up.

I'm not sure when yesterday's game photos will be up.

Now, on to the stuff that isn't horribly depressing!

- I'm far from a fan of the logo that we had during the 08-08 season, but you can't beat $25 if you happen to be looking for a deal on a jersey.

- Your Tweet of the Week ladies and gentlemen (I have to say he's wrong though. Wall-Mart at 2 am is amazing and terrifying).

- More than one person has informed me that cupcakes are no longer hip. There are two reason I don't agree:
1. Cupcakes have the perfect ratio of cake to frosting and that can never be a bad thing.
2. People make hockey themed cupcakes! That's an automatic pass to coolsville for me.

-Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Hayley Wickenheiser"

- Why did I get rid of my N64? I could be playing this and I could still be dominating at Uniracers. Oh man was I good at that game.

- Kitty time!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Road Warriors (1/25/12)

2012-01-26T11:17:00.001-05:00

I'm sure it's no secret that I hate writing re-caps (incidentally, anyone want to join up and take those on?), but after last night's game it's safe to say there is no way in hell I want to write a re-cap. Considering how loose and relaxed the guys looked during warm-ups I assumed it would be a good game. I was wrong. They didn't play with an ounce of heart, it was so depressing. Here's the game sheet and here's a video that summarizes my feeling at the moment (I admit it is a bit melodramatic).

One would hope that after losing four in a row and dropping to last in the division the Blades would wake up tonight and play like they're possessed. One would hope.

A quick roster note: David Fischer was called up to the Houston Aeros and Charles Landry was re-assigned to the Blades by the Norfolk Admirals.

Also, keep an eye on the Blog's photo stream. Photos from last night's game should be up late in the afternoon.

YouTube Tuesday

2012-01-24T12:55:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, the Blades didn't have a very good road trip. Dropping all three of their games to rivals we cant afford to lose to. There was some good news on the roster front though. Amongst the flurry of moves yesterday was a trade with Elmira. In exchange for Jimmy Martin and future considerations the Everblades get Defenceman Mike Ratchuk.

Seems like we got a pretty good deal:

I'm just going to add that to my list of videos to watch when I'm feeling grumpy about the Blades. This next video might go on it as well, I'm a little on the fence about it.

By the way, he's on Twitter (if you happen to be into that sort of thing).

Also, please remember to vote for the ECHL Silver Skater Fantasy Team. Only 3,300 have voted. We get that many people in Germain on a quiet Friday night at the beginning of the season.

Friday Links

2012-01-20T14:25:00.000-05:00

Big game for the Blades tonight, the Gladiators lead the division and sit in second place in the confrence. Obviously, this is unnacceptable, it's the Glads for crying out loud. Take a deep breath, make your sacrifice to the hockey gods, and click some links until your good vibes are needed by the boys.

- I have no idea why I want this thing (or what I would do with it), but I'm two seconds away from bidding.

- I'm not sure what's funnier about this tweet of the week. That Ryan Donald spent his break at a theme park in Orlando while everyone else appears to have gone to the beach or that he wasn't mistaken for Hagrid's brother.

I have to admit though, I'm a little surprised the deatheaters didn't turn tail and run when they saw him.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Ice Hockey Stick"

- Oh my god. I'm special ordering so many of these doggie jerseys. I wonder is she'll make one for my cat...

- I'm of the opinion that you can never read too many positive stories about the Blades. Step right up David Fischer your the subject of this one.

- Poor chubby kitty...

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

YouTube Tuesday

2012-01-17T12:50:00.000-05:00

I might be riding a lovely wave of cold medicine induced mellowness, but that doesn't mean I cant give you your weekly dose of Everblades videos. this week I have two videos from Friday's game against the Express. First up, one of Scott Fletcher's multiple fights from the series.

Next, his second fight, part of a double header. I have to be honest, I enjoy any time one of the Donati brothers get their butts handed to them. I'm still upset about that playoff series with the Jackals a while back,

One more thing before I go back to the wonderful world of tissues and Vicks. Don't forget to cast a vote for your favorite Everblade for the ECHL fantasy team. You only get one vote for one player, but you can vote for other teams and you can write in a player if you choose.

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Express (1/13/12)

2012-01-14T09:06:00.001-05:00

Let's see how my first re-cap after an extended break from writing them goes.

After losing 7-2 on Wednesday, it was pretty obvious the Express weren't going to lay back and allow the Blades to run roughshod over them.

They came on strong in the first. There were long stretches of intense, sustained, pressure. Thankfully, solid goaltending from John Muse, good support from the guys and maybe a bit of luck held the Express at bay. At the 13:17 mark Kory Falite was able to cash in with a goal (assists to Rutherford and Marquardt). That goal was the lone tally in the first and was one of only 7 shots the Blades were able to get on the Express' goalie.

Exactly two minutes into the second, Ryan Donald added another Blades tally to give the Blades a two goal lead (assist to Galiardi). Right after the faceoff, Scott Fletcher took on one of the Express players. I'm going to say he won as his punches actually managed to hit his intended target. The Express managed to beat Muse a about four minutes later to make it a 2-1 game. At the 13:37 mark, Matt Marquardt cashed in on the power play to retake a two goal lead (assists to Rutherford and Quick). In the closing minutes of the period, the Express got yet another goal past Muse to make it 3-2. The period ended with that score in place.

Both teams traded chances in the third and both teams had a couple of close calls. There was a scuffle late in the period when one of the Express players took a chop at Muse after the whistle had blown. This was a few minutes after a minor scuffle had happened at the benches. In the closing minutes of the game, the Express pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. Brayden Irwin was able to cash in on a neutral zone flub and earn an empty net goal (assist to Falite). When the final buzzer sounded the Blades had skated away with a 4-2 victory.

Three Stars:
3. Donald
2. Pitt
1. Muse

Some Thoughts:
- Looks like the snowbirds have finally returned to roost. 5,740 fans in attendance. Pretty sure that's the best we've had all season.
- Ryan Donald was a +3. That's the best +/- of anyone on the ice. Awesome.
- Marquardt's (I will forever struggle with spelling his name by the way) power play goal was thanks in large part to David Rutherford's hard work. It's kind of a shame he wasn't given one of the stars. He was giving 200% last night.
- He also took on Donati twice. I will always appreciate anyone who gives one of the Donati brothers the business.
- Muse was a beast. Some of his saves were brilliant. At one point he lost his stick and grabbed and used Ryan Donalds. You can't stop the Moose guys.
- I'm glad the Checkers sent him down for some ice time. Pat Nagle needed a break and that little push Muse being around seems to give him.
- I vote we sign Scott Fletcher to a 10 year contract. Total BAMF.
- Anyone else notice the Express players complete lack of awareness to the fact they were playing a hockey game? I lost track of how many time their inattentiveness led to them dazed and sprawled on the ice.
- Along those lines... hello gritty physical Everblades. How you doin'? Wanna stick around for the rest of the season and maybe the next three or four?

Friday Links

2012-01-13T11:42:00.000-05:00

It's that time again. Here's your weekly serving of hot, fresh links.

- So, I skipped Wednesday's Blades game (and the 7-2 win) with the intention of seeing the Jr. Blades game yesterday and the Blades game today. I was a little upset that I missed Wednesday's showing, but the Jr. Blades cheered me up with a 12-2 win. That is not a typo ladies and gentlemen. 12 goals. I should be getting the photos from the game up in batches today so keep an eye out for those.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby"

- Right after I lament the lack of hilarious tweets for last week's tweet of the week Rutherford busts out with one of the most hilarious tweets I've seen in a long time.

- I heard a lot about Scott Fletcher's hit in Wednesday's game. The sound of that hit in the video over on the Blades' Blog was nasty. I imagine the Express will be looking to get back at him tonight.

- Looks like a couple of Blades jerseys have shown up on eBay. Take your pick: affordable XXL, a (probably overpriced) jersey with 16 signatures I can't make out, and a jersey signed by everyone's favorite blade Ernie Hartlieb.

- I love this cake (well, maybe not the athletic cup part).

- As ugly as I think the old Canucks logo is, I can't get over how cheap this "vintage" Canucks jersey is.

- I wouldn't reccomend clicking this link to this Third String Goalie post if you value your retinas. If you don't, well, click away.

- Kitty time!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

YouTube Tuesday

2012-01-10T12:55:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how I missed this video from the Greenville Road Warriors.

I can't decide if I'm happy or sad the Blades didn't do something like this.

Honestly though, if the Greenville players weren't such a gigantic scumbags I'd actually like them now.

Friday Links

2012-01-06T13:55:00.000-05:00

I know you guys have been missing your Friday dose of links. What can I say? The holidays are nuts. Please accept this kitten as my apology.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Kittens really do solve all of life's problems don't they? On to the Links!

- I'm a little late with this, but here's a great story on Brian Ferlin. A Bruins prospect, one of Florida's best crop of young hockey players, and someone who spent a lot of time on Germain ice.

- Which reminds me, I only managed to make the second day of the College Classic. The photos I took are up if you're interested. Clarkson vs. Cornell is here. Maine vs. UMass is here.

- Right now, the Jr. Blades are 22-0-1 (including a 13-0 record at home). They're also sending eight players to their leagues all-star game. You're running out of time to get on the bandwagon guys.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Hockey puck"

- Choosing the Tweet of the week was hard. No one was on their game at all this week. Therefore, I picked two from last week. The first because "the Smurf line" is a great name for a line in hockey, and the second because it's a universal truth.

- I'm pretty sure I've discovered the reason why all hockey players seem to have a magical ability to rock a suit like no one else. They start dressing up early.

- I'm tempted to buy this DVD. So very tempted.

- I mentioned this on Twitter earlier, but some of you haven't joined the cool kids yet so I'll mention it here. The Everblades aquired forward Tyler Shelast from the Trenton Titans. I hate being mean before a player has played a single game in a Blades jersey, but if his stats are any indication, he wont get much time to develop a tan and learn to love key lime pie (if you catch my drift).

- I am not willing to jinx the boys tonight. Please accept this second kitten in place of any mention of wins, standings, records, or gloating related to divisional rivals.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

YouTube Tuesday

2012-01-03T11:40:00.000-05:00

Now that the holidays are officially over, it's time to get things rolling again here on Swamp Hockey. What better way than to use YouTube Tuesday to feature two videos from the Everblades 6 game win streak.

First, a video of Ryan Galiardi getting down to business with a Greenville player doing what Greenville players do best: Throwing boderline dirty hits on unsuspecting players.

Next up is a video I intended to watch at least once a week. The video is nothing special. What's special is what the players accomplished. A seven game unbeaten streak for the first place Gladiators snapped and Jakitis' three game shut-out streak destroyed. Oh yeah, feels so good.

Did I mention one more shut-out for Jakitis would have set a new ECHL record? It really can't get any better than ruining division rivals fun.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

YouTube Tuesday

2011-12-27T11:32:00.000-05:00

It's been a few days, but it looks like a lot of videos of the Everblades brawl with the Titans have made their way to YouTube. You might want to turn your volume down for all of these videos. Nothing makes the energy at Germain quite as insane as a line brawl.

In this one, you can see the Titans goalie getting involved and Pat Nagle skating down to confront him. You can also see Poss and the Titans coach having a... discussion.

Another view, this time a little closer. Looks like the titans goalie went after Scott Fletcher in this one.

This one is just on the other side of the glass from the action and you get a lovely view of that scumbag Versteeg throwing a late punch when the linesman had broken it up for the most part.

Another, this time with a good view of Poss and the Titans coach having their "discussion."

Last but not least, here's the game feed with the radio call from Alex. I want to condemn the guys for double teaming a player but Tardif being out for the rest of the season makes it hard to feel that they got more than they deserved.

I don't think we'll see anything like that at the College Classic this week, but that's OK. I can only handle one line brawl in Germain a season.

Do the Everblades Have a New Christmas Tradition?

2011-12-24T00:16:00.000-05:00

Almost exactly a year after the Blades mixed it up with the Gladiators before they left for their Christmas break they brawled with the Trenton Titans. Crazy how these things work.

If you listen at the beginning of the video you do hear the radio announcer mention that this was probably in retaliation for Mitch Versteeg's nasty hit on Luc Tardif last night.

Unfortunately, I skipped the first Blades game of the season that I was free to go to for a dinner with family friends. Obviously I have no idea what the true root of this is, but I imagine it didn't happen less than ten seconds after the Blades sixth goal, an empty netter, for no reason. Here's the full list of penalties:

If you were at the game, feel free to add what you saw to the comments. Also, if you have video please post it! This is not the sort of thing you sit on and wait a two weeks to upload.

Also, on a slightly related note, The Blades are now sixth in the conference. How insane/competitive is the Southeast division right now? Three teams have 32 points and the Gladiators lead the Conference and division with 35.

YouTube Tuesday

2011-12-20T11:50:00.000-05:00

About three days ago, I saw this tweet pop up on my timeline.

The minutes I saw it, I knew what video was going to be featured today.

This video is awesome for several reasons:
1. Leigh Salters is the biggest BAMF ever (don't click that link if you're at work, it's not safe). I love how he just pulls off his cage like it's no big deal and his nose isn't really broken.
2. It's great to see teammates stick up for each other. It's also pretty great to see the guys public acknowledge how awesome it is.
3. T.J. Reynolds is very high on my list of ECHL players I hate. Any game he gets his behind handed to him is a good game.

I've come to understand the little girls that had the " I <3 u Salters" sign a few games ago. I'm starting to think I <3 Salters too.

News and Notes

2011-12-19T12:03:00.000-05:00

The Everblades didn't do too well on their road trip. Two points out of six? Not ideal obviously. Luckily our two home games this weak will be against the perpetually struggling Trenton Titans. They're currently sitting in eighth in the conference. That's a little hard to swallow when you consider we won the Brabham Cup three seasons ago.

- Links to the game re-caps if you haven't seen them yet- loss to the Gladiators, loss to the Road Warriors, win in the shoot-out against the Road Warriors.

- Maybe the Blades struggles of late can be contributed to the Jr. Blades stealing all the winning mojo from the Germain atmosphere. They cleaned up at the Palm Beach Showcase they attended over the weekend going a perfect 4-0 during the tournament. That makes their record 22-0-1-0. Congratulations guys!

- You guys know I adore the Third String Goalie blog. Well, they were kind enough to to feature the weirdest (and my favorite) jersey in my extremely weird collection. As you can imagine, having a jersey from my collection featured on a blog I read religiously made my day.

- I've talked about this before and Woody over at the Blades' Blog agrees. If you're not using Twitter an following the Blades players and other blades fans, you're missing out.

- I've started a list of current and former Everblades players on Twitter to help you out. I have not included players who have set their accounts to private. I'm creepy, but not creepy enough to invade their privacy.

- If you do decide to join Twitter (and are kind enough to follow me), make sure you tweet me that you're an Everblades fan, that way I can follow you back and let other Blades fans know you just joined. I'll make it super easy copy this- @swamphockey I'm an Everblades fan that just joined Twitter! - and paste it into the little box and press the tweet button. Easy as can be, and a fun way to meet new Blades fans. If you already follow me and I haven't followed you back, let me know (I can be a little oblivious sometimes).

Friday Links

2011-12-16T13:07:00.000-05:00

I really don't feel like re-capping last night's game. Losses to the Gladiators and Stingrays seem to make me grumpier than usual. Add to that a half finished Christmas shopping list and you have a recipe for disaster. On to the links.

- Since I'm heading to Sunrise next week and the Panthers have decided to bring this back just in time your Wikipedia hockey page for today is- "Rat Trick"

- It's a little absurd how cheap vintage jerseys are over on Etsy. Case in point: $45 for the original jersey design the Washington Capitals wore.

- This is obviously the greatest hockey cake of all time.

- I've noticed some pretty good deals on jerseys popping up on eBay lately. This one is awesome and ends in two days.

- It's rime for the tweet of the week. This one's funny because it didn't happen to you:

- Today's post at Third String Goalie was more interesting as a general history lesson than a hockey jersey history lesson.

- I feel like it's time for a change. No more puppies. Time to go back to the kittens.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

News and Notes

2011-12-15T12:42:00.000-05:00

It's a little funny that signing immediately bring me out of a terrible writing funk. I'm not going to complain though, it's always fun to see a new player in action, especially when it can mean good things for the Blades.

- We may have lost Justin Shugg, but we signed a forward with a Kelly Cup Championship ring in his place. Kory Falite won last season with the Alaska Aces, and was playing in Norway. Now he's all ours. His stats:

- The Lightning have sent us defenseman Charles Landry. His stats:

- Some bad news: Alex Hutchings was moved to the 21 day IR list. Not good at all.

- I didn't take that many pictures at the Teddy Bear toss because all the seats in my favorite section were bought before I could get to the arena (and then NO ONE SAT IN THEM, grrrr). This is my favorite though. Pat Nagle chilling with his new bestie.

- I'm super proud that I've had one of my photos appear in an actual magazine! It was included with a story on how amazing the Jr. Blades have been playing this season (if you still haven't been to a game, you suck). Skip to page 15 for the story (and my photo).

- The Blades start a three game in three days road series tonight in Gwinnett. They're eighth in the conference and last in the division. Losing is not an option at this point.

- Must mean it's time for a doggie picture then, eh?

see more dog and puppy pictures

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Jackals (12/9/11)

2011-12-10T09:00:00.008-05:00

After a disappointing loss on Wednesday, the Blades had to make a statement in Fridays game. Thankfully, they did. Oh boy, did they.

The Blades came out running at full steam. You could almost taste their determination to win. It paid off early with a power play goal for David Rutherford about one minute into the period (assists to Beca and Shugg). About eight and a half minutes later, the Jackals would tie it up on the power play 1-1.

Luckily, Ryan Galiardi notched his fifth of the season about three minutes later on an extended 5 on 3 to give the Blades the 2-1 lead (assists to Rutherford and Shugg). The rest of the period was uneventful, and the score remained 2-1 when both teams left the ice.

Just like last night the Everblades came to play in the second. They scored three goals and held the Jackals to their zone for most period. Ryan Galiardi scored his second of the game at 6:45 (assists to Pitt and Beca). Scott Pitt netted one of his own at 15:46 9 (assists to Galiardi and Beca). Oh, hey. Guess who got it on film?

Deron Cousens added one of his own at 18:34 (assists to Beca and Martin). That was the last of the goals for that period. There was some rough stuff in the closing minutes, but the Blades managed to come out on top penalty-wise. The score when the period ended was 5-1.

The Jackals tried their best to make something happen, but the Blades could not be stopped. About three minutes into the period, Matt Beca made it 6-1 (assists to Bruess and Donald). Elmira finally decided to give their goalie the hook after Beca's goal. Unfortunately, a little over a minute later, Mathieu Roy proved that no Jackals goalie was going to come between the Blades and the back of the net.

The Jackals were able to stop the bleeding... for awhile. At 15:22, Deron Cousens notched his second of the game to make it 8-1 (assist to Pitt). About three minutes after that, one of the Jackals beat Blades goalie Pat Nagle, but that didn't matter. The final score was 8-2. the Blades got a win they completely deserved.

The Gamesheet is here.

The photos I took:

Some thoughts:
- How amazing did the Blades look? I would gladly pay double if the team that played tonight would promise to show up every game. Heck, I probably wouldn't grumble about paying triple.
- I said we could beat Elmira's goaltender, and I was right. Excuse me while I sit smugly over here.
- Two goals each for Galiardi and Cousens. Nice to see everyone stepping up and contributing.
- Scott Pitt +5. Dude was everywhere, and it shows.
- Pat Nagle had 28 saves on 30 shots. A nice bounce back from last game.
- I guess Matt Beca isn't struggling anymore. 1 goal, 4 assists. Not bad at all Mr. Beca.
- I get the feeling that Saturday's game is going to be ugly. The officials were so determined to keep anything chippy from happening I wouldn't be surprised to see the pot boil over at some point. The Blades and Jackals are not friends.

Friday Links

2011-12-09T11:35:00.000-05:00

Happy game day everyone! The Blades are playing their second game of the three game series they have with the Jackals. The Shuggernaut has returned and we have an actual non-EBUG goalie backing-up tonight. Things are better than they usually are in Blades land.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today is one of my favorite South Park episodes- "Stanley's Cup"

- Ladies and gentlemen, your Tweet of the Week.

- I'm a little amazed no one has bid on this stick yet. I just might if no one else will.

- I'm pretty sure this is the cake I want for my birthday. With a Penguins or Everblades logo instead of the leafs obviously. Oh, and with my name too.

- I'm also pretty sure this is what my party is going to be like.

- Our neighbors on the other side of the state have been playing amazing hockey. What better way to jump on the Panthers bandwagon than with a "vintage" panthers hockey jersey?

- The Puppies have been working out for the most part. Have to keep going with them.

see more dog and puppy pictures

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Jackals

2011-12-08T12:24:00.000-05:00

The Blades kicked off their second home series against the Jackals last night. With a severely gutted roster, the Blades had no choice but to play smart.

The first goal of the night was pretty much the way the Jackals goals would be all night. Slightly flukey, slightly goalie Pat Nagle's fault, all bad news. The Jackals first goal, 14 seconds into the game made it 1-0. The score remained that way until a little after the nine minute mark when a power play goal from David Rutherford tied it up (assist to Beca and Fischer). The period ended with things all tied up 1-1.

The second period saw the weakest tripping call ever on Trevor Bruess. Of course the Jackals were able to convert on that power play to take a 2-1 lead 3:35 into the period. About a minute later, the Blades responded with a goal from Matt Beca to tie it up once again (assists to Tardif and Lawson). 23 seconds later the Jackals took the lead for the third time, but the Blades tied it right back up a minute later with a goal from Luc Tardif (assisted by Donald).

About 30 seconds later the Everblades took the first lead of the night with a goal from Trevor Bruess (assists to Van Dyk and Fischer). Unfortunately, another weak call on the Everblades allowed it to be tied up 4-4 with a Jackals goal in the closing minutes of the period. The score remained tied 4-4 when the buzzer sounded on the period.

The third period was quiet, for the most part. the ref decided to put his whistle away and let the guys play. Unfortunately, the Jackals were able to score in the latter half of the period to make it 5-4. The Blades tried their hardest, but they couldn't beat the Jackals netminder and the period enede with the blades losing 5-4 to the Jackals.

The gamesheet is here.

The pictures I took last night:

Some thoughts:
- I really thought the Blades were the better team. They held Elmira in their end for long, intense, stretches.
- I still think that Elmira's goalie is beatable. The guys just need to be ready to pot a rebound.
- I don't know if it was the ice was an issue. The puck seemed to be bouncing a lot more than usual and a lot of guys were having skate issues.
- A few people have mentioned that two Blades goals were not called because the ref was out of position. I'm not sire if that's true or not, but the ECHL's officiating isn't spectacular so I'm not surprised if it is.
- I'm underlining this for impact: The Blades need to stop looking for calls after every slightly illegal play or move from the opposing team. Either the penalty will be called or it won't. The game continues until the ref blows the whistle, no exceptions, don't stop playing, don't stop pressuring.

There is some good news though. The Checkers have returned forward Justin Shugg. I, for one, am happy to have the Shuggernaut return when we need offensive firepower desperately. The Blades signed goalie Billy Sauer yesterday. You may remember him, and his fight with Bobby Goepfert, from last season. I feel like I should make a sign that reads "It's OK Billy, Big Bad Bobby Goepfert isn't here anymore. You're safe... for now."

One more thing, Toys for Tots tomorrow night. If I see anyone in a Blades jersey walk up without a toy you're getting Clacksoned (I'm using this to describe jumping someone from behind and beating them up from now on). Also, Teddy bear toss Saturday. I look forward to getting pelted with stuffed animals and I hope any of you who sit close to the glass do as well.

News and Notes

2011-12-07T13:11:00.001-05:00

Quite a few bits and pieces of news going on in Everblades land.

- First up, Mike McKenzie. Looks like he was able to secure a deal with our old friends, the Houston Aeros. The Checkers were kind enough to release him from his deal. Considering the Checkers are drowning in forwards, it's a nice move to let McKenzie get the AHL time he deserves.

- John Muse was called up to back-up former Everblades Justin Peters in Charlotte. Peters' goaltending partner, Mike Murphy, was called up to the Hurricanes (and actually got his first NHL minutes in relief of Cam ward last night). I'm assuming either Brian Markowicz or Scott Darling will be making an appearance on the bench as back-up for Pat Nagle.

- The Blades made some moves recently to patch up our gutted roster. Last week we traded away Robby Dee for defenceman Jimmy Martin, his stats:

They also signed Augusta Riverhawks forward Lucas LaBelle. You may remember him from the try-outs at the beginning of the season. His stats:

An unofficial signing I've heard about that the Blades haven't announced yet is forward Todd Pocoke. He's an intern with Athletic Republic that works with the team and the Jr. Blades. His stats (I'm hoping these are his stats): Turns out I was wrong. No signing to see here, move along.

- One to file under the maybe Byng is crazy and reading way too much into Tweets from players:

This was directed at a forward named Kerry Bowman. His stats just because:

- OK, done with the roster stuff. $2 beer, wine and hot dogs tonight. Consider this your warning, if you don't show up early I can't guarantee I won't have sucked down all the wine by the time you get there.

- More importantly, Friday Toys for Tots will be collecting unwrapped toys. You get a buy one get one ticket voucher and a kid in need gets an awesome toy. Nobody loses.

- Last but not least, since the puppies have been working:

see more dog and puppy pictures

YouTube Tuesday

2011-12-06T12:29:00.000-05:00

I usually try to stick to videos of the Everblades or at least a video related to the Everblades. Today's video was just too cute to ignore. I'm sure you guys will agree with me.

Friday Links

2011-12-02T11:44:00.001-05:00

It's Friday, and that means one thing. Time fore a heaping spoonful of links. Hopefully, this will keep you guys entertained until game time.

- No word yet on any suspension for Joey Hadad. I really would like to believe a league that claims to be developmental would do something to protect the future of a player sent down for development. I really, really, do. Just as I write that the league hands down a two game suspension and fine for Hadad. They also give Chris Clackson a one game suspension and fine for jumping David Rutherford. While I'm mentioning it, another video of Clackson being a scumbag.

- The Blades announced a trade with the Bakersfield Condors yesterday. In exchange for forward Robby Dee they receive defenceman Jimmy Martin. His stats:

- This game makes me wish my older cousin hadn't disassembled my old NES. I also wish he hadn't disassembled my old SNES while we're at it. At least my N64 is still intact.

- I enjoyed posting that tweet last week so much I think I'll do it every week. We'll call it the tweet of the week. I'm only going to include current Blades players because, let's be honest, Bobby Goepfert would probably win every single week. If you want to vote, tweet or email me who you think deserves the honor. If you don't vote, it's purely my decision. I'm giving the honor to Ryan Donald this week. Mostly because I'm a total homer for the Penguins and because Donald has a spectacular beard.

- I should probably mention my list of current and former Everblades players on Twitter again, huh? Here you go.

- Great find on eBay. The first style of jersey the Blades wore. They used this style from the teams inception in 98, until 2004 when they removed the grey bands on the bottom and added a stripe behind the logo.

- Today's Wikipedia hockey page is every hockey fans favorite strategy- "The Neutral Zone Trap"

- What would Friday be without a puppy? I miss having a boxer around. Best breed ever.

see more dog and puppy pictures

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Gladiators (11/30/11)

2011-12-01T13:01:00.000-05:00

The Blades started their homestand against one of their most hated rivals. The Gladiators, currently 5-3-1-1 in their last ten, are sitting in second place in the division. Games with Gwinnett are always physical affairs, and every so often something controversial happens. This game was no exception.

The Blades started the game dictating the play and being physical. Unfortunately, a momentary lapse, and taking their collective foot off the pedal allowed the Glads to take a 1-0 lead around 14 minutes into the period. Despite some chances, the Blades couldn't convert and the period ended with the score still 1-0.

The Blades were able to make a statement early in the second when Mike McKenzie got a beautiful shot past the Glads goalie to tie things up at the 3:30 mark (assist to Bruess). Unfortunately, a little over three minutes later, the Glads took the lead once again. About eight minutes later, forward Leigh Salters was hit by a nasty high stick that left him cut and bleeding onto the ice. The Glads player guilty of the high sticking received a double minor because of that. Just when it looked like the blades wouldn't be able to make anything happen, David Rutherford ripped one past the Glads goalie to tie things up 2-2 (assists to Roy and Pitt). That late period tally remained the final goal of the period and the teams left the ice with the score still at 2-2.

Unfortunately, the third period was far from pretty or ideal. The Glads were able to take the 3-2 lead early in the period while on the power play. They made it 4-2 about three minutes later. Things were starting to get pretty chippy, and it was obvious the good old nasty Glads were back. To prove that point, Joey Hadad, a player any Blades fan who had been watching for any decent length of time hates with a passion, delivered an elbow to the head of Kyle Lawson. He was thrown out of the game for that hit and, hockey gods willing, will be getting a nice big suspension and fine from the league for that. The Blades couldn't convert on the penalty. In fact, with goalie Pat Nagle pulled, the Blades gave up an empty net goal to make it 5-2. Shortly after that goal, Everyone's second most hated Glad, Chris Clackson attacked David Rutherford while his back was turned.

He was given a misconduct and thrown out of the game. Donald, Roy, and salter received penalties as well. I guess you shouldn't stick up for your teammate when he's unable to defend himself? I have no idea. The Blades were able to score on that power play to make it 5-3, but the Glads got another empty netter seconds later to make it 6-2.

The Game sheet is here.

The photos I took:

Some thoughts:
- It's a shame the Blades couldn't keep up their play from early in the game. They looked great.
- The Blades passing in that game was as rough looking as it was early in the season.
- If the ECHL wants any respect from me they'll hand down a stiff penalty to Hadad. He's been a very dangerous player for as long as I can remeber, and I'm not talking about scoring.
- I'm really hoping Kyle Lawson is OK. The dude just recently came back from injury.

Worth noting- Looks like Robby Dee was traded to the Bakersfield Condors.

Neither team has announced anything officially. No telling if this was a one sided trade for future considerations or we're getting a much needed defenceman.

This puppy sums up my Blades related feeling perfectly. His smooshy face helps as well.

see more dog and puppy pictures

YouTube Tuesday

2011-11-29T12:35:00.000-05:00

The Blades play tomorrow night. To help you make until then, I've found one of the funniest things I've seen in a while. I know I've made no secret of my mascot phobia, but even I giggled while watching this video of Chubby, the mascot for our affiliate the Charlotte Checkers, dance. It's just that good.

I'm pretty sure it's impossible to watch that video too many times.

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Wings (11/26/11)

2011-11-27T08:08:00.001-05:00

I'm going to do my best to re-cap a game that I barely heard thanks to radio issues (but they're going to fix a problem that's been happening all season this week! Sigh).

The first was rather uneventful. The usual chance trading, yada, yada, John Muse being awesome, yada, yada. The radio feed cut out at least three times and cut to commercial during important moments twice. Same old same old.

The second was much the same. Matt Beca had an opportunity to give the Blades the lead with a penalty shot early in the period. Unfortunately, the Blades seem to be snakebitten when it comes to penalty shots. No goal. Luckily, during one of the commercial breaks Mike McKenzie was able to give the Blades the 1-0 lead (assist to Devos and Van Dyk). Wish I could tell you what happened on that goal. 770 thought screaming at me about downloading a radio app on to my nonexistent iPhone was more important. The period ended with the Blades still in the lead and some extracurricular activities that were definitely going to result in penalties.

The third period saw both Ryan Donald and a K-Wings player get matching 2 minute roughing penalties as well as 10 minute unsportsmanlike penalties. This was a fantastic set of events since the Blades had already moved Ryan Galiardi, a forward, back to defence to help cover for our thinned out defencive corps. The Blades managed pretty well until the only penalty to be called in the third was slapped down. Because life's not fair, the Blades were on the receiving end. At 13:39 the K-Wings tied it up on the power play and ruined the shut-out Muse deserved. The third period ended with the score tied 1-1. The game would have to be decided by a little sudden death overtime.

Yet again, I heard most of the period, but then... innapropriately timed commercial time, yay! When the game finally comes back on, all you could hear were the ominous sounds of happy K-Zoo fans. I don't have to tell you happy opposing fans means sad Blades fans. Apparently, at 3:38 in the period, the Wings got one past Muse. Of course, I can't tell you how. I'm going to assume it was a total fluke goal because I've decided neither Muse nor Nagle can do any wrong. Either way, the K-Wings won 2-1. Boo.

SOG: 28-40 Wings

Three stars: Mike McKenzie earned the second star the other ywo don't matter.

Some thoughts:
- I just realized I didn't make a single Kory Karlander is old joke. My apologies, here: Kory Karlander is so old he remembers when hockey sticks were carved from mamoth femurs.
- 5 of 6 possible points on the road is awesome. I'm happy with the team right now.
- That said, can we please work on penalty shot/shoot-out situations? We're losing important chances by not taking advantage of these.
- Also, maybe a bit of discipline would be a good idea?
- It would be great to get a defenceman back. Preferably Murray.

The Blades come back for a two full weeks of home games. In there is the annual teddy bear toss game. New this year will be the auction of the bears the players will be making on Monday. I almost want to go witness a roster full of hockey player in Build-a-Bear picking out cute teddy bear outfits. Almost.

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Wings (11/25/11)

2011-11-26T10:34:00.000-05:00

The Everblades rolled into Kalamazoo with a two game win streak and the challenge of playing one of the better teams in the East. Luckily they were up for the challenge.

It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows though. Former Everblade Elgin Reid notched his first of the year with the first shot of the game at the 1:18 mark of the period to give the K-Wings the early lead. About six minutes later, David Rutherford notched his fifth of the season to tie it up 1-1 (assists to Salters and Van Dyk). That score remained when the period ended and the teams left the ice.

Both teams traded chances in the early part of the second. then, it happened. The Blades found that special something and broke K-Wings goalie Riley Gill's will to live. Trevor Bruess started it off at the 12:47 mark to make it 2-1 (assists to McKenzie and Van Dyk). Not to be outdone, Rutherford notched his second of the game with the prettiest goal ever on the power play to make it 3-1 at the 15:47 mark (assists to Roy and McKenzie). Mathieu Roy followed that up with a re-directed goal for a little extra insurance at 17:33 to make it 4-1 (assists to Fischer and Salters). At that point the K-Wings pulled Riley Gill to wake up the team and maybe give the poor sieve-tastic goalie some time to weep in the showers by himself. It put a hamper on the Blades domination, and the period ended with the Blades up 4-1.

The K-Wings tried their hardest to get back in the third, peppering Blades Goalie Pat Nagle with 22 shots over the course of the final period. Unfortunately for them, Nagle was in full beast mode. Nothing was getting by him. Even with about a minute of 5 on 3, the K-Wings could not find a way to score. There were some close calls of course. The most intense was easily the moment around 15:53 when David Fischer had to play goalie. Unfortunately, he was whistled for closing his hand on the puck during that play and the K-Wings had a chance to score on the penalty shot.

My research indicates that Nagle is an Irish surname that means "brick wall"

Boom, denied. The Wings just couldn't make anything work. To add insult to injury, David Rutherford was able to earn a hat-trick with an empty-netter just as the buzzer sounded (assist to McKenzie) to make it 5-1.


Camo seemed appropriate for down here

-The Game summary is here.

- Three stars:
3. A K-Wings player that didn't deserve it.
2. David Rutherford
1. Pat Nagle

-A video of the K-Wings coach making excuses and not giving Pat Nagle any deserved credit:

Some thoughts:
- 1 for 7 on the power play and 5-5 on the penalty kill? I'm a happy lady.
- Three assists for McKenzie, and two for Salters and Van Dyk respectively. Awesome.
- 46 saves on 47 shots is incredible. I want a Pat Nagle shirt so I can wear it constantly.
- Since Poss seems to give the start to the goalie that's been winning I'd bet Nagle will be in net tonight against K-Zoo.
- There's also some rumblings about Brian Boucher with the Canes being hurt or at least not up to playing. The domino of call-ups will no doubt pull John Muse away.

The Blades will play the K-Wings again tonight. Let's hope they can extend their win streak to four. This calls for a puppy (they've been so lucky lately):

see more dog and puppy pictures

Friday Links

2011-11-25T15:12:00.000-05:00

I'm still shaking off the turkey day sluggishness. Lucky for you guys, I've managed to pull myself off the couch long enough to serve you some nice, fresh, links. You read that right. No slightly dry leftover links for you guys. No gravy necessary.

- Third String Goalie is being awesome as usual with their take on Black Friday.

- Um, yuck. Remind me to not eat in Ohio if I happen to ever in end up there.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Ice Hockey Australia." Of course their logo is a kangaroo with a hockey stick. What else would they use?

- Ok, this cake is just plain awesome. I don't even care about it being Flyers themed.

- I have no idea how useful a Nashville Predators themed birdhouse is, but it's out there just enough to be funny.

- Another puppy picture since they've been working pretty well.

see more dog and puppy pictures

By the way, it's an Everblades game night. They play the first of a two game series with Kalamazoo tonight. Oh, and they beat Toledo Wednesday. I was distracted by the whole Sidney Crosby's second game back hubbub. Sorry?

YouTube Tuesday

2011-11-22T12:14:00.000-05:00

While I feel like I'm obligated as a hockey blogger to find a way to make this post about Sidney Crosby, I'm just going to skip that. Instead, Let's enjoy fight videos from the recent series with Greenville.

First up, Luc Tardif, who has somehow become tied for second in fighting majors on the Everblades.

Not to be outdone (or pushed out of his tie for second either), David Rutherford takes on one of my least favorite players in the division.

On another note, the photos from Friday's game are up on Flickr. Enjoy!

Friday Links

2011-11-18T12:01:00.000-05:00

It's finally an Everblades game night. Here's hoping all the time off has been good for the guys.

- The players are wearing special jerseys tonight, and they'll be auctioned off tomorrow (anyone want to grab Bruess' for me? I'd love you forever).

- I went to see the Penguins take on the Lightning last night. Here are the pictures if you're interested.

- This is a neat old Cleveland Crusaders t-shirt.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Cleveland Crusaders"

- How neat are these cupcakes?!

- Anyone know when exactly this Everblades warm-up was worn? I've never seen one around the rink.

- This really isn't hockey related, but I can resist. Connect some famous men from the 19th century to their facial hair.

- I'm still hoping the puppies are good luck. Mostly because of this little guys adorable face.

see more dog and puppy pictures

YouTube Tuesday

2011-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

Today's YouTube Tuesday is a video round-up of the Wheeling Florida series.

First up, the video of the nasty hit on Kyle Lawson and David Rutherford's first fight as an Everblades:

Next up, the highlights of the 11/9 game courtesy of the Nailers. I'm pretty sure Roy going puck hunting under delmas is what got him off of his game so bad in that period. I'm also sure that I wanted blood after Muse was run over.

Side note: I could re-watch Bruess' goal a million times. So awesome.

Last, the highlights from the 11/11 game. Oh man, thinking of that game still gives me happy feelings.

Sadly (but not really), there doesn't appear to be any highlights from Saturday's loss. Too bad.

News and Notes

2011-11-14T12:07:00.001-05:00

The Blades may not have swept the Nailers, but winning two of three games against one of the best teams in the ECHL is nothing to laugh at. I'm not going to do a re-cap of Saturday's game since I heard only around 15 minutes of it thanks to radio issues and I refuse to write my re-caps off of game notes.

-I do have the pictures from Friday's game:

-This is my favorite from the set. Leigh Salters' goal!

-I have a video or two to get up on to YouTube and I'll post those videos along with some others I've found in a big round-up tomorrow.

- It appears that the Nailers player that boarded Kyle Lawson will not be suspended or fined. Super.

- Right before Saturday's game the Blades announced they received Scott Fletcher in a trade from Toledo. I suggest checking him out on YouTube. Dude can throw some bombs.

The Players have a week off until Fridays game. Hopefully, we can get some players healthy.

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Nailers (11/11/11)

2011-11-12T08:28:00.001-05:00

After Wednesday's game, I figured the Nailers would come out with something to prove Friday. Unfortunately for them, the Blades are playing like their families are being held hostage and the ransom is a 10 game win streak.

The first half of the first period was relatively quiet (both figuratively and literally, we really need to make some noise during games guys) until almost 12 minutes into the game when DJ Rutherford netted his third of the season (Galiardi with the assist). Shortly after that the Ref realized he hadn't made a single call and the period was almost over. Thus, the biggest BS call Germain has seen in a long time was made. Goalie John Muse received a penalty for playing the puck outside of the crease. I can't even describe how stupid opting to penalize a goalie for something they all do is. Whatever, Robby Dee was there to fix everything. He netted an unassisted shortie for his fifth goal of the season. The Nailers were able to convert on their next power play unfortunately and the period saw the Blades holding only a 2-1 lead.

Thankfully, Alex Hutchings was able to convert on a power play that had carried over from the 1st 33 seconds into the second for his fifth of the season (Rutherford and Dee with assists). The Nailers got one past Muse a little over a minute later to narrow the lead again. The score stood at 3-2 until Leigh Salters netted his fourth of the season around the 11 minute mark (assists to Lawson and Galiardi). About two minutes later Nailers goalie Patrick Killeen took exception to Ryan Donald cooling him off with a little flurry of ice and tried to fight for the second time in the series. The Blades left the ice up 4-2 on the Nailers.

A little over five minutes into the third, Hutchings scored his second of the night to give the Blades a three goal lead (assists to Rutherford and Roy). Shortly after that, one of the Nailers delivered nasty check on Kyle Lawson. Sending him head first into the boards and leaving him dazed. Rutherford flew in to get some justice (and did pretty well getting it). Matt Beca netted his first of the season once the penalties were worked out to make it 6-2 (assist to Salters). Hutchings followed with his third of the night to make it 7-2 and earn a hat trick.

Some Thoughts:
- Muse stopped 32 of 34 shots. He's on fire right now.
- Two for four on the power play? I'll happily take that.
- Dee's shortie on a PK caused by a BS call was delicious. There was no better way to give the ol' middle finger to the ref than that.
- Gordie Howe hat trick for Rutherford. Awesome.
- How fun is it to watch Hutchings? If he doesn't end up with some NHL time I will be quite a sad lady.
- Bruess might not really land on the scoresheet too much but, Sweet Caroline, I love watching him. The dude does not quit when he wants the puck.

Friday Links

2011-11-11T09:45:00.000-05:00

It's an Everblades game day you guys! The took down one of the best teams in the conference Wednesday, and they take them on again tonight. On top of that it's Veterans day. Hockey and a day celebrating brave men and women who fight for their country? Pretty awesome combination.

- I found pure gold over on eBay. I usually troll the site for interesting jerseys from defunct ECHL teams (lamest jersey collection ever?) and this one came up. I can't recall ever seeing a Renegades jersey before. Too bad it's a youth jersey.

- That made selecting your Wikipedia hockey page for today easy- "Richmond Renegades"

- I wish I could share the picture but I can't. Do click on this link and check out the first hockey fight cake I've ever come across. It's too funny.

- Oh man, WANT. So cool, but I'm not dropping $60 on anything. No matter how "vintage" it is.

- Third String Goalie is celebrating 11/11/11 by chronicling the greatest players to wear 11.

- The puppies will keep coming as long as the streak keeps going. How adorable is that face?!

see more dog and puppy pictures

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Nailers (11/9/11)

2011-11-10T11:45:00.000-05:00

After finishing off their marathon nine game road trip, it would be easy to understand if the guys had come out a little tired looking in their first game back. I guess the Blades got some good relaxation time in on the beach, because they looked great.

The Blades managed to score 4 goals in the span of around six minutes. Luc Tardif led the charge netting his second of the year at the 12:22 mark (assists to Rutherford and Raymond). About three minutes later, Leigh Salters netted his third of the year (assist to Galiardi). Around a minute later Trevor Bruess scored his first of the year (assisted by Galiardi and Raymond) with an awesome behind the back shot that I really hope someone got a video of. Two minutes later, Chris Murray netted his third of the year on the power play (assists to Devos and Rutherford). The period ended with the Blades up 4-0. Of course, the period was not without drama. Chris Murray ended up mixing it up with one of the Nailers in what I assume was a pathetic attempt at breathing some life into a team that had been playing flat.

As could be expected, the Nailers opted to switch goalies between periods. Out was Peter Delmas, the goalie who gave up four goals on eleven shots. In was my favorite crazy visiting goalie from last season, Patrick Killeen. He proved my initial judgement of him correct when a little over five minutes into the game he tried to fight Leigh Salters after mishandling the puck. You read that right. The Nailers goalie went after the guy who is pretty much our enforcer (who, to be fair, seems to have quite the scoring touch at the moment). Salters ended up fighting former Everblade Scott Hothams brother Andrew. Guess who got it on video?

There was really no other occurrences beyond a Nailers goal in the latter half of the period to make it 4-1. Of course, once the horn sounded at the end of the period, the Nailers got up to their old tricks again. This time several scrums erupted, including one involving Matt Beca. It was kind of crazy.

The third was really not much to talk about. Neither team was really able to do anything, and the guys in stripes put away their whistles for the most part. The final score was 4-1.

Game summary here.

Photos from last night:

Some thoughts:
- Holy Moose. John Muse has definitely earned the starting gig. He certainly is a fun goalie to watch. That last ditch save in the first gave me a heart attack... in a good way.
- Pat Nagle should get a start in one of the Back to back games Friday or Saturday. Hopefully, he's had a chance to catch his breath and get to a better place. One would hope the guys keep up their solid play to help him out.
- I have a feeling this game was the first one the Everblades were out-shot in. 28-16, wow.
- My new jersey is 3-0 in the regular season. Boom.

YouTube Tuesday

2011-11-08T10:52:00.000-05:00

I'd like to take you back in time for this YouTube Tuesday.

Picture it, 2000. The new millennium has just started. The whole world didn't end due to that whole Y2K thing. Bill Clinton is president. Oops!... I Did it Again is on heavy rotation.Can it really get any better?

Oh yes it can...

That would be 2000-01 Everblades goalie Bujar Amidovski. He doesn't hold any Everblades records, but it's OK. Goalie fights really do make up for almost anything.

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Road Warriors

2011-11-06T07:53:00.001-05:00

Well, it looks like the ship might really be starting to right itself. Obviously only managing three wins in a nine game road trip isn't ideal, but these last two wins have been great.

The Blades opened up the scoring with a power play tally from Chris Murray (assists to Hutchings and Beca). Around the 3:24 mark, Robby Dee had a chance to make it 2-0 with a penalty shot, but was unsuccessful. Mike McKenzie fought (his second or third of the season I believe) around the 19:24. A few seconds later Greenville was able to slip one past goalie John Muse to tie the game 1-1.

The Blades knew how to respond though. They came out in the opening minutes of the second and took the lead once again with a goal from captain Mathieu Roy (assists to Hutchings and Murray). Less than two minutes later Robby Dee notched his fourth of the season (assist to Rutherford) to make it 3-1. Greenville responded and narrowed the Blades lead to 3-2 at the 8:26 mark.

Luckily, the third period saw the Blades start on the power play and they were able to convert with Murray's second power play goal of the game (assists to Hutchings and McGinnis) 48 seconds into the period. The Road Warriors came on strong but the Blades were able to hold them off. In the closing minutes of the period the Blades were called for a penalty. The Road Warriors opted to pull their goalie for the extra attacker. Luckily, the Blades appear to relish playing two men down. The guys enjoyed it so much Ryan Donald decided to score a short handed empty netter during the 6 on 4. The final buzzer sounded and the Blades skated off with their 5-2 win.

Some thoughts:
- So, uh, I'm thinking the best plan for our power play is to pass it to Murray and let him do his thing. Sheesh.
- Three points for him by the way.
- Roobby Dee is quietly doing his thing, and doing it well, isn't he?
- If he keeps playing the way he's been playing John Muse won't have any competition for the starting job.
- The Blades haven't been able to convert on a penalty shot (they've had two or three attempts) and lost a game in the shoot-out. I'm thinking that might be a good thing to work on.
- *insert usual comment about turnovers and defensive breakdowns*
- *insert usial comment about how awesome it is shot blocking is happening a lot*

The Blades are off until Wednesday. First home game in like two weeks? $2 wine? I don't know about you guys, but I'll be pacing outside the arena three hours before the gates open.

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Stingrays (11/4/11)

2011-11-05T08:27:00.001-04:00

Well, it was bound to happen at some point. Looks like the train is back on the tracks.

Of course, the question is can the Blades actually get the train moving?

Since that remains to be seen, we'll have to be content with a solid win over an offensive powerhouse.

The only goal of the game came in the latter half of the first. Ryan McGinnis netted one with an assist from D.J: Rutherford. The Blades dominated the first peppering the Rays goalie with 12 shots. They also continued to limit the Rays offense to only 7 shots.

They continued the same throughout the second and into the third. Although they had some fantastic chances they just couldn't get anything in. It didn't matter though, John Muse did his best impression of a brick wall and denied everything. In the end, the Blades came away with a well deserved win. They weren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a good win when it was badly needed.

Some thoughts:
- The Blades were 0 for 4 on the power play. Not good, but not the end of the world.
- It feels like a lot of goals are coming from our defense. I need to sit down and look to be sure. A goals a goal, but that's not really something I want to see continue, and the defensive breakdowns have been killing us.
- Remember me mentioning Muse having an opportunity to step up? He did. First professional shut-out and some spectacular, game changing, saves. If he keeps it up, he can carry the team.
- The shot blocking almost makes up for all the turnovers and breakdowns. Almost.

The Blades play their last game of the 9 game (seriously ECHL, what bullshit) roadtrip tonight in Greenville. This should be a very telling game. Either they keep it up or they take a couple of steps back.

Don't uncross your finger just yet people.

Friday Links

2011-11-04T15:03:00.000-04:00

I know things haven't been going well in Blades land. Lucky for you guys I'm here to keep your minds off of it with some spectacular links.

- I do have to mention this bad news. Remember that boarding call (and the awesome penalty kill that resulted) on Dominic D'Amour? He was fined and suspended for three games. That means the Blades won't have his services for tonight or tomorrows games and the first home game against Wheeling. Super.

- Good thing I found an awesome cake that can cheer you up!

- I got so excited when I found this website that details how to build and maintain a hockey rink in your backyard... then I remembered I live in Florida. Not cool.

- Sadly, that makes this Zamboni for sale pretty useless. Unless... are Zamboni street legal?

- Great story about the Jr. Everblades (not to be confused with the Jr. Blades) bringing another banner to add with all the others.

- This 05 Blades season ticket holder jersey is pretty neat. The price is nice as well.

- I squealed like a little girl when I saw how adorable this little guy is. How freaking cute can he be?!

- I'm really pumped about the new franchise in Orlando. Icethetics found out (scroll down to the last story) that the chances of the old IHL Solar Bears name being used again are pretty much for sure since it appears that the ECHL now owns the Solar Bears logo and trademark. Awesome.

- By the way, your Wikipedia hockey page of the day? Easy- "Orlando Solar Bears"

- It occurs to me that sometimes, when you're in a funk, it's best to mix things up. Therefore, I've decided to post a puppy picture, rather than a kitty picture, to inspire the Blades. Also, come on, that face! Look at that face! I just want to baby talk that jowly little face!

see more dog and puppy pictures

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Stingrays (11/2/11)

2011-11-03T13:20:00.000-04:00

Well, it looks like the ship still hasn't righted itself. The Blades lost yet another game last night. That makes it four losses in a row. Somehow, they're not last in the league, but good lord. Something has to give or improve.

The game was the usual chippy affair that always comes against South division opponents. Giving up a goal one minute into the period didn't help. Leigh Salters mixed it up around six and a half minutes into the period, and one of the Stingrays tried to fight Luc Tardif (that's the best way I can describe whatever that was).

The Stingrays maintained their 1-0 lead until about five minutes into the game when Salters basically insured he'll be know as "the only dude actually trying" to Blades fans. Assists on that goal went to Tardif and D'Amour. Unfortunately, a few minutes later, Dominic D'Amour was called for a boarding major, two minutes into the five minute penalty kill, Matt Beca was called for hooking. Somehow, the black cloud that's been hovering over the Everblades dissipated long enough to kill off around three minutes of 5 on 3. Luckily for the Stingrays, the black cloud reappeared in the closing minutes of the period allowing them to make it 2-1. A few minutes after that goal, the Rays decided to go after Dominic D'Amour. While he was on the bench. Oh yeah, you read that right. Somehow, the Blades ended up with more penalties. I guess you have no right to defend a fellow player when an opposing player goes after one of your guys. Maybe it's a new rule? I don't know.

Either way, that penalty carried over to the third, and what do you know, the Stingrays were able to convert. Fabulous. That goal made it 3-1 and another goal in the closing minutes of the period made it 4-1.

The game notes are here.

Right now it feels like the guys take one step forward and then ten steps back. At the very least, the defense breakdowns need to stop. I've lost count of how many goals have been scored this way. We've been lucky to have pretty reliable goalies who are used to how defense is played in the ECHL.

Pat Nagle is not one of those goalies. He's a rookie goalie with no professional experience until this point. Add the fact that he's not getting dedicated time (actually, I'm betting none at all) from a goalie coach and you're looking at trouble. I'm pretty sure any confidence he has is hanging on by sheer force of will. Until he gets his confidence up, or we can be sure John Muse will be around enough to give him time, the defense has to be better than they need to be.

Of course, that's assuming Muse can step up and be our top goalie ow that he's been sent back.

Who knows if that's going to happen.

Ugh. I don't want to think about this anymore. This calls for the one thing that can make you forget about crappy stuff. Yes. This calls for the Holy Hand Grenade (why yes, that was a reference to the one of the funniest movies ever, you're welcome) of Cuteness:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Pray to whatever being you believe in, maybe sacrifice something to the hockey gods, and go through all your good luck routines guys. Every little bit certainly won't hurt for the games on Friday and Saturday.

Me, I'm going to buy a big bottle of cheap wine. Everything is better with cheap wine.

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Gladiators (11/1/11)

2011-11-02T10:47:00.000-04:00

The Blades rolled into Gwinnett in a pretty bad place. They've slid into last place in the South Division. Luckily, for both them and us, they're not last in the conference. Of course, third to last isn't too much better than last.

Needless to say, a win was sorely needed.

A rather uneventful first included delays due to on-ice officials having a skate malfunction and being unable to convert on back-to-back penalties. Both teams left the ice with the score tied 0-0.

The second period saw former Everblade Tyler Helfrich open up the scoring for the Gladiators a little over eight minutes into the period. A little over a minute later, Philip-Michael Devos was able to score on the power play. Assists went to Murray and Fischer. In the closing minutes of the second period, Alex Hutchings was able to give the Blades the 2-1 lead. Assists on that goal went to Pitt and Van Dyk.

That lead would be short lived however. About four minutes into the third the Gladiators were able to tie it up with a flukey goal.

Oh, hey, look at this, highlights of the game. Including the flukey goal that tied the game.

With about eight minutes left in the period, the Glads took the lead and, as it's been lately, the Blades just couldn't get it back. They ended up losing 3-2.

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The full game summary is here.

I'm not ready to push the panic button yet. I'm very willing to give them a when they're in the middle of a nine game road trip. Obviously, it would be nice if they could pull of a win in the next two games. My concern is how well they fare against Wheeling and Greenville in the home games that start next week. Until I see them in person, rather than a blurry image on B2, I'm not ready to make any call.

YouTube Tuesday

2011-11-01T11:50:00.000-04:00

Well, the weekend series didn't go to well for the Blades. They lost both games by giving up leads. It hasn't been pretty at all. I'm going to be optimistic and hope this is just a very early slump and things will pick up soon.

Until then, why not enjoy Leigh Salters handing a beat down to one of my least favorite players in the ECHL.

I'm sure T.J. Reynolds is a very nice person off the ice, but I've been an Everblades fan long enough to dislike him intensely.

Friday Links

2011-10-28T13:04:00.000-04:00

It's that time again! Here's your weekly serving of fresh links.

- Write this down: Saturday's game in Greenville was moved to 2:05. I'm probably going to forget, but I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached to my neck.
- I wrote my first post for the Chasing Checkers blog. The plan is for me to write an update on the Hurricane and Checkers prospects we have. The best part of this whole arrangement is the fact that I know have an editor! Anyone who's read this blog knows that while I excel at photography, snark, and finding random hockey related crap, I'm not very good in the grammar and punctuation departments.

- Remember Scott Darling, the goalie from training camp? Yeah, we signed him. Obviously, we won't be seeing Muse anytime soon and the powers that be decided Pat Nagle is not the kind of goalie you can hang out to dry every single night and still get a win. It will be interesting to see what game, if any, Darling gets to start in. My best guess? One of the games with the Greenville Road Warriors. They're currently the second worst team in the conference. They've score 8 goals and given up 17.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Canadian Women's Hockey League"

- I'm always in awe of what some people can do with cake and fondant:

- I would love this clock if it had any other logo on it.

- If you don't read Down Goes Brown you have no sense of humor. Today's post is one of his best.

- Mental Floss is one of my favorite magazines (I always managed to finagle a subscription from one of my family members around Christmas), they just released this quiz in honor of hockey season starting at the same time as dental hygiene month.

- Kitty time!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

YouTube Tuesday

2011-10-25T12:13:00.001-04:00

The Blades only managed to get two points out of their marathon road trip. Suprisingly, their best showing came from the third game in three nights.

To celebrate, lets watch Trevor Bruess take on one of the Royals. This came a few minutes after the Blades scored their third unanswered goal in the first period.

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only Everblades fan that's really begun to like Trevor Bruess. The dude is half sandpaper, half canonball.

In happy news, Justin Shugg was named player of the week. Congrats dude! This led to me finding out some people refer to him as the Shuggernaut. Pretty sure that's one of the best hockey nicknames ever. Also, the Everblades are tops in the division and second in the Confrence right now. Crazy.

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Titans (10/22/11)

2011-10-23T08:40:00.002-04:00

I have to be honset, I'm not sure how exactly to re-cap this game. I should have know the minute I had to listen to the Trenton broadcast of the game that the Hockey Gods were not looking favorably down upon me.
I don't think I can really write my usual type of re-cap, because sweet freaking Caroline the Trenton radio guy was horrible. I'm pretty sure recordings of him calling games could easily be used by the CIA as a torture device. I'm also pretty sure that if they did, it would be a violation of the Geneva Convention.
Where was I? Oh yes, the game. Let me just break it down into some manageable bits.
- Score Everblades 5- Titans 8
- SOG 33-33
-38 minutes in penalties. Yup. 38. Two thirds of the game saw either one or both of the teams shorthanded. I wasn't watching the game, but I got the impression that a certain striped individual needed to swallow his wistle and let the teams play.
-The Blades were 2/8 on the penalty and the Titans were 4/7.
- The Blades came from behind several times and managed to get a 5-3 lead in the closing minutes of the second. Then Bobby Raymond was called for a BS penalty (that's not me being a homer, the Trenton radio guy said it was BS). The Titans scored on the ensuing powerplay. They then went on to score four more unanswered goals including an empty netter.
- Poor Pat Nagle was completely on his own since John Muse was called up to Charlotte after Justin Peters was injured.
- There was some good news I guess. Bobby Raymond has scored in the last two games, Justin Shugg scored twice and got an assist and Alex Hutching scored a goal and got an assist. So, um, yay.
-The boys got right on the bus after the game for the drive to Reading. They play the Royals tonight. What wonderful scheduling.
- The next time I make fun of our radio guy someone remind me he's very good, we're lucky to have him, and some fans aren't as lucky. Some fans are very unlucky. They have to listen to a guy who thinks he's calling a soccer game.

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Jackals (10/21/11)

2011-10-22T10:30:00.002-04:00

The Everblades played their first road game of the season against one of my least favorite teams (don't know why, I just don't like them). This calls for the first re-cap of the season!

Hopefully, I've kept my blogging skills up with all the fight videos and misspelled kitty pictures I've posted all offseason.

The Blades rolled into Elmira with some unfortunate things working against them. A long, drawn out, road trip, a usually strong and currently undefeated opponent, and a veteran NHLer who actually captained the Buffalo Sabres.

You read that right, HE WAS THE CAPTAIN.

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Needless to say, the guys did not necessarily have the odds in their favor.

Starting line: Fischer, McGinnis, Beca, McKenzie, Rutherford, Muse

The first period saw a lone tally from Elmira at the 10:50 mark and not too much else. Really, not much else happened. It was kind of lame to be honest.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The second period saw the Jackals score two more goals. The first, unassisted, came at the 2:53 mark. The second came a few minutes later at 6:42. Things were looking pretty bleak until a scrum in the Jackals zone led to mutual roughing penalties.

That seemed to get the Blades fired up and shift the momentum because David Fischer slipped one in to make it 3-1 (assists to Rutherford and McKenzie).

Three minutes later, Bobby Raymond decided he wasn't going to let Fischer have all the fun and notched one of his own to make it 3-2 (assists to Murray and Beca). The Blades had some pretty great chances after that, but just couldn't convert. The period ended with the Jackals leading 3-2.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The Blades kept of the pressure for the early part of the third. Goalie John Muse mad some great saves, but there was nothing he could do when a blast from a Jackal flew passed him after he was bumped. That goal, scored with less than 6 minute left in the period made a comeback hard to believe in. A few minutes later the Jackals score on the empty net to make it 5-2.

------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a good game from the Everblades, they dominated a decent amount of the play, but they just didn't have the bounces go in their favor.

Friday Links

2011-10-21T12:30:00.001-04:00

The Blades play their first road game of the season tonight. They also play tomorrow and Sunday night. That's about a 317 mile trip in under three days. Fun right?

- Anyway, I've updated the link to listen to the game online. If you want to go old school and listen on the radio it's on 770 AM.

- I've waited long enough... look who's back!

Obviously, I've been in heaven since the news was announced. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a reliable defenseman that lands on the good side of the +/-.

- Sadly, his arrival means we had to release Deron Cousens. I swear, if I win the lottery I'm buying an ECHL franchise and taking in all the players the Blades release. It'll be like the island of misfit toys.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Rossall Hockey"

- I'm tempted to buy this book just to find out what happens.

- I love old advertisements. They're just so funny.
- I laughed so long at this kitty. Of course, that might be the cold medicine I'm still taking laughing for me.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

YouTube Tuesday

2011-10-18T10:15:00.000-04:00

I'm sick as a dog, but I adore all eight of you. That's why I dragged myself out of my nice comfy bed and set down the tissues and Vicks and found you this neat video. I'm sure I'm way too old to know if this band is cool or not, but I find the music pretty catchy. Of course, that could be the store brand Nyquil talking. Anyway, here you go!

Now, off I go to feed my hypochondria on WebMd. It's got to be scarlet fever... or maybe the bird flu.

Photo Time!

2011-10-17T11:57:00.001-04:00

A little late on these, but here are the photos I took at Friday's game.

Also, here's a video a fan took of the opening intro. It's a little hard to see, but it's just about the most hilarious thing ever.

Friday Links: Everblades Edition!

2011-10-14T14:49:00.001-04:00

Hockey season is officially here! It took long enough, eh?

- Woody over at the Blades' Blog has a nice round-up of everything you need to know for this season. He gets major points for linking to my very favorite Everblades fan blogger. What great taste that guy has! Huh. Where did that stuff on my nose come from?

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Florida Everblades!"

- This penny hockey game is too cool. Good thing my Birthday isn't too far away cough, cough.

- Looks like Tyler Helfrich is on Twitter. I think this picture is a must by the way.

- Apparently Robby Dee is as well, but he has his tweets protected so I'll leave him alone. You can check out my list of current and former players here.

- Gotta say, I'm not a fan of the Stingrays military jerseys. I'm going to hope they look better in person.

- In the process of moving over the summer I discovered that I have a ton of Everblades stuff. Well, maybe not a ton, but it does fill a box. So here's the deal. I'm going to give my junk to you and pretend it's a really fun prize. Time for the first contest to win my Blades ~~junk~~ stuff: About all I'll be donning to celebrate opening night is my jersey and a cute nail polish. You guys might be planning on going all out. Like body paint and wigs all out. If you do, send me a picture. The winner gets this really awesome (stretching things, right?) 09 Kelly Cup rally towel (the hunky model is not included). I'll post the picture on the blog for everyone to see too.

- That reminds me, the ECHL is hosting a neat contest over on their Facebook page. They're going to select a fan photo of the day and feature it. You just have to post it on their wall. Obviously, we need to let the rest of the league know which team has the best fans. Get on it guys!
- I can't make the alumni game tomorrow. I'd love if someone could send me pictures.
- It's good to see that this kitty is an Everblades fans too.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

News Round-Up

2011-10-13T16:42:00.001-04:00

- First up, the Everblades have now released every single player they had under try-out. Considering how the play in last Friday's game looked, that might not have been a terrible idea. The Blades also traded away Evan Stephens to Chicago (I'm sure that won't bite us in the butt later or anything) and released Greger Hanson.

- The Blades then went and traded with Elmira (I still get an immediate reaction of "icky" to that name) and received Dominic D'Amour in return for future considerations. I'm happy with this move by the way. Any move to bring back any member of the 08-09 roster is automatically approved.

- Yeah... Scott Pitt and DJ Rutherford are on the IR list already.

- Here's your updated roster!

- The Jr. Blades continue to dominate their league. Their next two games are in town on the 29th and 30th (the Skatium for the former and Germain for the latter date). You really should check them out. I've enjoyed every game I've been to.
- This gave me an intense case of the happys: An ECHL team in Orlando! Road trips! Instant Rivalry! Road trips with built in trips to Disney/Universal/Sea World and maybe a stop in Tampa for good measure! Awesome. I hope this goes down. I can't wait to invade their arena and be the most obnoxious visiting fan on Earth.

YouTube Tuesday

2011-10-11T11:48:00.000-04:00

How about we take a little trip back in time and watch one of the most popular Everblades of all time stick up for a teammate.

I love finding gold on YouTube. Anyone have the story behind the Canes jerseys? I don't think I've ever seen those around the arena.

More Photos!

2011-10-10T13:05:00.000-04:00

Five days until the Blades play the first game of the season! While you wait, here are the photos I took at Saturday's game:

The full set is here if you're not fond of the sideshow.

Photos and Videos

2011-10-08T09:23:00.001-04:00

Since I'm still getting back into regular season form there won't be any re-cap of the game. Luckily, my photography skills didn't degrade as much as the guys passing skills. You can head over to the flickr stream for the game or enjoy this sideshow.

I also managed to get video of two of the fights from last night:

Hopefully, the game tonight goes a little better than last nights. Sheesh.

Friday Links

2011-10-07T11:37:00.001-04:00

It's finally here! the first game of the season happens tonight. To be fair, it's a preseason game. Not that it matters really, hockey is back!

- Make sure you check out my Flickr stream tomorrow for pictures from the game tonight. No guarantee on when they'll be up, but it will. Also, if you have any specific player you'd like a picture of, leave a comment here or shoot me an email and I'll do my best to get one (this includes photos of players from the Chicago Express).

- I've started a Twitter list of current and former Everblades players. Makes keeping track of what the guys are up to easier.If you know of any player I'm missing, please let me know!

- Also, if you're not on Twitter please consider joining. I'm pretty good about tweeting goals, fights, and other interesting events. You really are missing out on how funny some Everblades are too.

- Looks like the Everblades Alumni game will be against the FGCU Eagles (I'm guessing their D2 squad). Too bad I'm going to miss it.

- This cake is so neat.

- How fun would it be to make this scarf in Everblades colors?

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Inline Hockey"

- I love this hockey pinata. It's taking everything I have not to make a joke about Buffalo by the way.

- I wish my cat would do this for me. Lazy Bum.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

You Tube Tuesday

2011-10-04T11:00:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite things about the Blades signing players is wasting way too much time over on YouTube watching highlights. Lucky for you guys, I've hand picked the very best videos just for you.

You saw the videos of goalie John Muse in action a couple of Tuesdays ago, but you haven't seen Pat Nagle in action yet:

That save 10 seconds into the video made me happier than a video of a bunch of kittens ever could.

Chris Murray in action:

Philip-Michael Devos:

Alex Hutchings being Alex Hutchings:

And Kyle Lawson (skip to the 10 second mark for his great defensive play):

Friday can't come fast enough can it?

Blades Receive Players

2011-10-03T16:35:00.001-04:00

Things are starting to shape up in Everblades land. Last night the Charlotte Checkers assigned four players along with Evan Stephens and Scott Pitt. Both Stephens and Pitt had been invited to take part in the Checkers training camp. Some familiar names are amongst the players sent down. Both Kyle Lawson and Matt Beca will be back this season. Defenseman John Murray and goalie John Muse are the newcomers. You may remeber that Muse being sent down to the Everblades was a pretty sure thing when the Checkers signed him. Chris Murray has spent much of his career bouncing between the ECHL and AHL.

John Muse's stats:

Chris Murray's stats:

The Blades also had three players from Norfolk assigned today. Familiar face Alex Hutchings will get another chance to get under the skin of the entire Eastern Confrence. Joining him will be rookie forward Philip-Michael Devos and rookie goaltender Pat Nagle.

Stats for Philip-Michael Devos:

Stats for Pat Nagle:

The updated roster:

Not counting the training camp invitees the roster stands at 21 skaters and 2 goalies. From the sounds of things, the Checkers may need to make one more cut to get their roster to a manageable size. If that happens, it means that the Everblades will probably have to make cuts as well.

A Look Inside: Training Camp Roster

2011-09-30T13:00:00.001-04:00

The first step to examining who is who at training camp is to learn the guys already on the team. As of right now, these are your 11-12 Everblades:

Learn them, love them, pick a favorite or a least favorite (amazingly I haven't yet).

Worth noting- a couple of guys on this list are currently trying out with an AHL club, and obviously won't be in camp.

Now, time to examine the guys trying out. Remeber, practice is supposed to happen at 2:45 on the Green rink at Germain.

Forwards
Ernie Hartlieb
Do I even have to post his stats?

Lucas LaBelle

Oleg Kuzmin-
You may remember him trying out last season. He played last season with the Jr. Blades and absolutely tore up their league.

Colin Reddin-

Jesse Gimblett-
One of a pair of twins trying out (scroll down for his brother).

Defensemen
Tyson Gimblett-

Kent Trentowski

Goalies
Brian Markowicz
-Our emergency back-up goaltender for large chunks of last year. He never played in a game, though he came close to beiung put in at least once.

Scott Darling

Friday Links

2011-09-30T10:18:00.001-04:00

I know I'm not the only one who was looking forward to today. The first day of training camp means we're so close to season you can see it. To celebrate what is essentially hockey Thanksgiving by making today's links all about the Blades. It's a Bladestraviganza!

- First up, a definition of hockey Thanksgiving- We're close enough to Christmas (opening night) you can taste it, but not quite there yet. To make up for it you see a ton of old friends you haven't talked to much for the last six months and maybe eat some pretty unhealthy food (anything you buy in the arena).

- Just as I was writing this post I saw three more signings pop up.

- Stories on this season's roster from the NDN and News-Press. According to both articles the team is "younger" "hungrier" and "grittier". Okeydokey then.

- A new season means you need a new jersey (at least that's what I tell myself to excuse having four jerseys in my closet) Lucky for you, there are quite a few Everblades jerseys on eBay right now. This one looks like the best deal to me (a little too big for my tastes).

- Remember former Blade Shane Hnidy? Looks like he'll be an analyst for the Winnipeg Jets radio broadcast.

- This has nothing to do with the Everblades, but it was so funny I had to post it.

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Be sure to check back later for a breakdown of all the training camp invitees!

You Tube Tuesday

2011-09-27T18:48:00.000-04:00

For once my procrastination has paid off. The Everblades announced two signing today. One, forward Leigh Salters, we already knew about. The other, Swedish forward Greger Hanson, was a surprise. What's even more surprising about his signing?
Videos of him in action.

It just keeps on going too.
I'm calling this now, first player with an ECHL contract to get picked up by an AHL team? Greger Hanson. Count on it.

Friday Links

2011-09-23T12:18:00.000-04:00

We're closing in on hockey season. Just a few more servings of fresh Friday Links to keep you going.

- Before we go any further let me say this. If you are at any hockey game, actually, any public event, and you see someone do something racist or whatever offensive -ist they happen to do, it is your responsibility as a decent human being to get security or someone of authority involved. Aside from the fact that throwing something onto a sporting field or ice sheet is dangerous to the athletes (who's livelyhoods depend on not having broken bones or torn ligaments), it can also harm someone sitting in front of the person doing the throwing. It's just not cool, and it's everyones responsibility to keep public spaces civil.
- The ECHL approved a new team. The San Francisco Bull will start playing in the Western confrence next season. They'll be playing in the historic Cow Palace. The home to the San Jose Sharks for the first two season of their exhistance.
- Which leads to your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Cow Palace"

- I think the only thing better than a hockey themed cake is hockey themed cupcakes.

- This goalie made out of licence plates is the neatest thing ever.
- The Greatest Hockey Legends blog has a great post on hockey board games.
- Ohhh... now I get it.

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You Tube Tuesday: He's Baaack!

2011-09-20T19:29:00.000-04:00

I love any sort of announcement from the Everblades. They are, for the most part, one of the most reliable sources of good news to land in my Twitter stream, facebook wall or inbox. My favorite announcement is, by far, a player signing. The only way they make those announcemnts better is to announce a player I liked has decided to come back.

Seriously, it's just like getting a hockey themed cake for your birthday. Not that I'm dropping hints or anything guys (if I was I'd mention a half Blades, half Penguins cake that somehow involves Iceburg and Swampee hugging would be the greatest thing on Earth).

Where was I? Uh, yeah... David Fischer is back!

Still my favorite phot from last season. Awwww.

How can I not be happy? We get more of this:

My view of the tail end of the same fight:

Oh man. Season really is almost here. I'm so ready.

Jr. Blades Photos

2011-09-17T09:00:00.004-04:00

It was great to photograph the Junior Blades game against FGCU's D3 squad.

I had to pull out my fvorite photo. Such a great moment.

As usual, I battled the cruddy practice rink lighting, but I think the photos turned out really well:

If you weren't able to come by, you really should head over tonight. It was a pretty great game, and tonights should be even better.

Friday Links

2011-09-16T12:06:00.000-04:00

It isn't Friday without a heaping spoonful of useless links, is it? Well, here you go!
- Two more weeks until Blades training camp opens! If you can't make it that long and need a hockey fix the Jr. Blades will be taking on the FGCU Eagles tonight at 8:30 down at Germain. Come on down! Hockey! Cheap hockey with no parking fee! I'm praying to the hockey gods that the bosses upstairs let them play on the big rink. I hate the Germain practice rinks more than anything.

- Yesterday was Thursday and that means a Blades signing was announced. Good sweet Georgia, "Power Forward" has to be one of my favorite hockey terms.

- That brings us to today's Wikipedia hockey page- "Power Forward"

- Once I find a guy ~~dumb enough~~ wonderful enough to propose to me I can totally order this awesome wedding cake topper!

- You guys know I adore the Third String Goalie blog, but they've really outdone themselves this week. They've been running a "training camp" to help you learn more about collecting hockey jerseys. It's worth spending some time reading through their last few post to pick up some great tips.

- I wish I wore the sort of clothes that require cuff links. If I did, I could totally buy these hockey
cufflinks!

- Bring on the kitty!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

News and Notes

2011-09-14T10:00:00.005-04:00

Here's a quick serving of some random bits and pieces for you.

- Oh, hey, look what I found! Photos from the College Classic staring Josh Van Dyk:

- The Chicago Express now have two former Everblades on their roster.

- I tweeted this yesterday, but I'll post this article again. It looks like the Bakersfield Condors are going to go without an NHL or AHL affiliate.

- I shot my first hockey game of the season! It was great to see the Florida Jr. Blades hand the Tampa Bay Juniors a stomping. Here's a handy dandy sideshow for your enjoyment:

- I really do recommend checking out one of their games if you can. It's amazing how skilled such young guys can be. Take a look at their schedule and maybe head on over. They only charge around $5 and they're a ton of fun to watch.

YouTube Tuesday

2011-09-13T12:49:00.001-04:00

Today's YouTube video stars the Blades latest signee, Josh Van Dyk. If you don't particularly feel like watching the entire video you can skip ahead to the 2:40 mark to watch him score a gorgeous one timer.

Beautiful right?

Hockey season needs to hurry up.

Friday Links

2011-09-02T20:42:00.000-04:00

After a magnificently lazy day I've finally dragged myself to the computer to serve you a heaping helping of the hockey links I know you all love (this is what I tell myself at least).

- First, I'm going to ask you guys one more time. Please head over to Facebook and vote for Caity! One of her competitors has supports who don't seem to believe that a lady is capable of loving and knowing about hockey. Not cool. The Everblades were one of the reasons she fell in love with hockey! Let's help a fellow fan out. After you vote please consider adding it to your wall and getting your friends involved. They harass you to vote for their dog or baby in contests the least they could do is vote for Caity.

- Next, some Blades news. Tickets go on sale this weekend! Yay! Also, Everbabes tryouts are tomorrow. Uh... yay?

- Your Wikipedia hockey page of the day- "India National Ice Hockey Team". Yeah, I had no idea either.

- Whats more awesome than a hockey themed cake? Probably a hockey themed cake with adorable animals playing hockey!

- I had no idea what cribbage was until I Googled it.Honestly, I'm still not quite sure what it's all about, but this hockey cribbage board is still neat.

- I found a Blades jersey on eBay one of you lovely readers may like. The boys wore that style from 04-07 and it was the first re-design the Blades jerseys went through. The next re-design introduced the terrible crossed alligator tail logo that only lasted for a year (thank god).

- Some interesting reading- "10 interesting facts you may not know about the miracle on ice"

- It's kitty time!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

YouTube Tuesday: Help a Fan out Edition

2011-08-30T16:52:00.001-04:00

You read that right. It's time I put this blog to better use. Rather than posting pictures of cats with poorly spelled captions and drooling over hockey cakes I think it's time to use the blogs powers for good.

Um, and talking about the Everblades. We sometimes talk about the Everblades on this blog too.

Anyway, here's the deal. Meet a friend of the blog, Caity. She's working pretty hard to win a contest the Florida Panthers are running to become a special reporter.

You may remember Caity did on-ice interviews for Everblades games in the 09-10 season.

So, how do you vote? All you guys have to do is head on over to the Florida Panthers Facebook page and click the like button. Then, you scroll down until you find Caity's video. Click the like button and you've voted for the candidate with a Blades connection and a passionate hockey lady.

Good job. Here's your treat.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Friday Links

2011-08-26T16:37:00.000-04:00

Look who's back... Evan Stephens! I love that the team announced this right after a full on whine-tastic post about not getting any signings. Whatever. I'm still hapy. Mr. Ivy League returns.

- I've also been reminded that there was no need to drown any sorrows because we still hold Bobby Raymond's players rights. If the B-Sens send him down, he has to come here. I have no words. No words.

- I can't decide if this hockey stick coat rack is neat or icky. Oh well, it's still a cool idea.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Anyang Halla"

- It's pretty cool that our assistant coach has an article on Greatest Hockey Legends.

- This is so wrong, but it's funny. So funny.

- I think this kitty will make an appearance any time the Blades lose this season.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Where are all the Signings?

2011-08-25T13:28:00.001-04:00

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.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

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.

YouTube Tuesday

2011-08-23T12:33:00.000-04:00

Today's video comes with a little history lesson (that is vaguely related to the Everblades, hang in there).

First, the video of an epic brawl from the the early years of the ECHL:

Oh, did I forget to mention the goalie fight? Silly me.

Anyway, you just saw a showdown between the Hampton Roads Admirals and Greensboro Monarchs. Teams eventually left the ECHL to become AHL franchises. The Monarchs became the Carolina Monarchs and played for a single season in 1995-96. They were forced to fold when the Hartford Whalers NHL franchise moved to the area and became the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hampton Roads Admirals left the ECHL for the AHL in 2000, and became the Norfolk Admirals.

Do you see the (tenuous) connection to both teams? I really do have a knack for pointing out the Blades connection in everything, huh?

Friday Links

2011-08-19T12:25:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you guys have been absolutely lost without your weekly dose of random hockey links.

- First, some roster news: Ryan McGinnis is coming back. I feel horrible that I really don't remember anything about his time as an Everblade, but that was the season Anton Khudobin was in net and Brad Zannon and Ryan Lang were being all amazing and gingeriffic. Honestly, how was I supposed to notice any other player? Um, anyway, yay! Welcome back dude!

- You guys know I can't get enough hockey cakes. I don't think I could adore this pond hockey cake more.

- I'm not saying someone should buy me this, but I'd be very happy if I received this as a present.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Legion of Doom"

- You guys know I love the Third String Goalie blog. I was wondering how I could love them any more than I already do. Then they announced that they were looking for jersey submissions from their readers. It's true love now. I just have to decide which of my jerseys need to be send in.

- What would Friday be without a kitty?

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

YouTube Tuesday

2011-08-16T16:23:00.000-04:00

The longer the off season stretches, the more stuff I realize I miss. Case in point: Mini Mite intermission hockey. Because there's nothing cuter than 1/4 sized hockey players.

If hockey season takes any longer getting here I might start missing those terrible arena cheeseburgers and horrible $1 beer.

News and Notes

2011-08-10T15:21:00.001-04:00

I promised a re-cap of the Blades news from the last two weeks and here it is.

- The Blades signed forward David Rutherford (you can find him on twitter here). This video of him in action is pretty spectacular.

Anyone want to wager on when he gets poached by an AHL team? I give it two months into the season.

- Maybe it's just my hatred of change, but yay! Tyler Helfrich is back!

- Other good news: Mike McKenzie and Matt Beca have re-signed with the Checkers. I find it hard to believe that McKenzie will be back, but I'm pretty pumped at the prospect of seeing Matt Beca in action again.

- Possibly not good news (depends on how you feel I guess): Trevor Hendrikx and Brad Good are headed to the CHL. Brad Snetsinger is headed to play in Europe with an Italian team.

- The team announced Kevin Reiter's replacement. We get... the Nailers broadcaster? OK... I guess it's at least a weather upgrade for him. I can't make any judgments on his style as I rarely had to listen to the other teams broadcaster. So, uh, yay!

- The team announced the preseason games this season will be against one of the two new... or maybe three, do the Titans formerly known as the devils count? Either way, we play the Chicago Express. I love that we get an early introduction to one of the newest teams in the league.

- Last, but not least, all the Everblades related blog stuff is updated. The roster, calendar, map, affiliations and league chart are all current. Remember, the calendar has the games and players birthdays and will have the special promotions when those dates are announced.

YouTube Tuesday

2011-08-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

I have to apologize for the unplanned blogging vacation. It's a bit of a long story, but let's just say that I'm now enrolled in TLA (tangelo lovers anonymous). You just don't realize you have a problem until those delicious little bits of citrus come into season. Next thing you know, you wake up covered in tangelo rinds in the produce section and some very angry Publix employees are suggesting that you pay for the two dozen tangelos you ate.

Anyway, uh, back to hockey blogging! I'll post a full summary of the Blades news that's happened since my last post. Until then... goalie derby!

They have to do this during a couple of intermissions next season. This is twenty times better than watching yet another race to put on gear and shoot competition.

Friday Links

2011-07-22T15:03:00.000-04:00

First, the good news:

Mathieu Roy is back!

- I wonder if the person who made this would make a custom Everblades badge holder for me to wear at work.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today is a team that sports the greatest name (and logo) in hockey- "Landshut Cannibals"

- How awesome is this cake?!

- I found this great quiz over at Mental Floss (my absolute favorite magazine). You have 5 minutes, can you name all 30 NHL teams. I did, and I had a whole minute and a half left when I was done. (FYI, this is from before a certain team was moved to Winnipeg).

- I must be a child, because I still find stuff like this funny.

see more Sports Pictures

YouTube Tuesday

2011-07-19T10:12:00.000-04:00

Well, the Checkers made it official yesterday. They signed goalie John Muse to a two way contract. With Mike Murphy and former Everblade Justin Peters guaranteed the two AHL spots on the team, it's likely we'll see Muse fill the roll Bobby Goepfert played in last season.

I'm pretty sure there is no better way to celebrate the prospect of seeing a very promising goalie start his professional career than with a ton of YouTube videos of his college career.

Exciting right? Make sure you follow him on Twitter (if your up with the newfangled technology kids are using these days).

Friday Links

2011-07-15T19:39:00.001-04:00

Well... better late than never, right guys?

- One benefit to posting so late? The Blades finally got around to announcing a signing. Look who's back:

I'm only going to say what I've said before, I look forward to him proving me wrong this season.

- An even better benefit? Chasing Checkers found confirmation of a goalie signing that may just affect the Everblades/

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- Gold Coast Blue Tongues

- Along those lines, Australia has a hockey league! Road trip?

- I adore this cake:

- Oh man. Someone needs to buy this old school birdcage goalie mask for me. So amazing!

- A top ten list of the worst sport logos ever. I have to agree with all of them, especially the two hockey teams that made it.

- A kitty making a refrence to one of my favorite movies? Perfection.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

YouTube Tuesday

2011-07-12T12:42:00.000-04:00

I completely forgot that yesterday was the blogs two year anniversary. I can't believe it's been that long. It honestly feels like I've only been at this a couple of months. Anyway... happy birthday blog!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

On to the fun. Today's YouTube selection is a double feature staring two players that must come back for next season to be bearable. Both videos also happen to be from a 6-0 blowout of the Toledo Walleye (somehow this makes it infinitely better).

First up David Fischer:

And now... Mathieu Roy (sign him already Blades [or make the announcement, whatever]):

I have to admit, I'm really going to miss Kevin Reiter. That dude really could call a hockey game. The Blades better hire someone just as good if not better. Preferably better.

Friday Links

2011-07-08T12:30:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you were all lost without your usual dose of Friday fun. Lucky for you, the links are back!

- First, I have to embedd this video of our very own Jimmy Williams being interviewed.

- I wish I could post a picture of this hockey cake, but I can't. It's just too coll. I think the Febreeze bottle is the best part.

- This jersey is so awesome, I'm really considering buying it. Too cool.

- As always, CHL Photos has another stunning picture. My first impression? Those goalie pads look old.

- Kitty time!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Blades Make Qualifying Offers

2011-07-06T10:00:00.002-04:00

The Everblades made their qualifying offers to players last Thursday. They were only able to make these offers to players that had been on the season ending roster.

From what I understand, the deal with the offer is that a non-veteran player has until August 1st to accept the offer. If he does not the team can either sign him for whatever they want or decide not to pursue anything further. Either way, the players ECHL rights are owned by the team.

Veteran players, on the other hand, are a little different. After the August 1st the player become a restricted free agent. This allows other teams to make an offer to the player. The team who held his rights then has7 days to match the offer. If that player receives no offer by the 31st he becomes an unrestricted free agent and anyone can sign him.

The Everblades made offers to these players:
- Brad Snetsinger
- Eric Olimb
- Bobby Raymond
- David Fischer
- Ross Carlson
- Dusty Collins
- Scott Pitt
- Ryan Zapolski

The interesting part of all of this was a little tidbit from Greg Poss in the NDN story on the offers being made (the full story, with some great quotes from Poss, is here).

"Second-year Blades coach Greg Poss said the team has already agreed to contracts with some of the players from the season-ending roster who did not receive offers Friday."

You may be wondering who was on the season ending roster. Good thing I'm here for you.

I've put a line through the players who have signed in Europe and highlighted the players who have received qualifying offers.

- Mathieu Roy
- Drew Larman
- Ross Carlson
- Alex Imbeault
- Brad Snetsinger
- Scott Pitt
- Tyler Helfrich
- Dusty Collins
- Mike Kennedy
- Nick Tarnasky
- Bobby Raymond
- David Fischer
- Brad Good
- ~~Eric Olimb~~
- Evan Stephens
- Deron Cousens
- ~~Mike Egener~~
- Trevor Hendrikx
- ~~Mike Zacharias~~
- Ryan Zapolski.

It's pretty interesting to see who is left, isn't it? If what he said was true, some of the players on the season ending roster who were not given offers are already signed. It's interesting right? Mathieu Roy and Drew Larman, two players I said I wanted back in a post at the end of the season, might be signed already.

I think the only reason Olimb was given an offer when he all ready has a contract in Europe was to ensure we maintain his rights. I'm also pretty sure that Alex Imbeault was serious about retiring.

Obviously, the possibility of certain players re-signing is exciting. Of course the Blades will probably pull their usual once a week signing announcement on Thursday between noon and two (you think I'm joking don't you? I'm not, just wait), and make us all wait and wonder. Jerks.

YouTube Tuesday

2011-07-05T11:30:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure why, but the Reading Royals have to be my least favorite ECHL team. No idea why...

I Hate the Off Season

2011-06-29T13:02:00.000-04:00

I honestly do. You know why? Because all the energy I normally expend on the Everblades and the NHL teams I follow has nowhere to go.

It gets more and more bottled up, and next thing you know, I've turned the ECHL history into a handy dandy (technicolor) chart.

You read that right folks.

I turned all 23 years of the leagues history into one (long) chart.

I'm not sure if that makes me crazy or the biggest hockey nerd on Earth. Maybe it's both.

Where was I? Oh yes, the chart tracks the league from the first teams up until the season that's about to start. As the franchise relocates the color is changed. It's pretty interesting to see how many times some teams have changed locations and names. It's also funny to see some of the names. Oh man, Whoopee? The best.

(an easier to read version is here)

It's kind of amazing to see how unstable the ECHL has been at times. I have a little more respect for the league now. It's incredible how they have stuck in there. I also understand why the league seems less than enthusiastic about granting franchises. They have really been burned in the past.

Anyway, one thing is very obvious. The Blades have to make an announcement soon. It's pretty clear I'm going stir crazy.

YouTube Tuesday

2011-06-28T11:26:00.000-04:00

Is there really any question that we need Mathieu Roy back?

Jr. Blade Blog: Inside training camp

2011-06-25T10:00:00.002-04:00

The Florida Jr. Blades held training camp last weekend for a few recently-inked players and Jr. Blades hopefuls. Nineteen-year-old forward Jimmy Williams is returning to Florida for his second year in blue and green, and gave fans an inside look on training with the Jr. Blades.

If you happened to be at Germain Arena recently, you might have been able to get a sneak peek of some Jr. Blades action before the season even starts. This past weekend was the final Jr. Blades tryout and training camp. Last season, we had what many consider to be a successful inaugural season, but those of us returning know that we have unfinished business to attend to.

      The camp consisted of one practice, off ice testing and three scrimmages. Everyone felt anxious and excited, and it was especially noticeable on the faces of players hoping to make the team for the first time. During the practice, everyone was a little rusty and it was pretty obvious. Personally, I felt my skating and stick handling was still pretty fluid, but I just needed to get used to the speed of the game again. For the rest of the summer I plan on being on the ice three times a week. Whether it is teaching younger kids to play, or just getting a game in at open hockey, it should help me stay fresh and eliminate that adjustment period where you have to shake off the rust.

      After taking a beating the first scrimmage of 10-3, my team bounced back to win the second two scrimmages. Everyone on the team settled in, lines started to form and gel and you really got a sense of who was going to stick around for the season. Everybody seemed to enjoy being on the ice, it doesn’t get any better then playing three games on a weekend in the off-season in south Florida.
      The scrimmages were over with, and the camp came to a quiet end. I enjoyed every second of it, joking around in the locker room, seeing old buddies, and even chirping coach a little bit. I look forward to my last season of junior hockey; the bus rides, the chirps, the laughs, all of it. I’ll be trying to soak it all in.

I think I can speak for everyone on the team when I say we all have the same goal for this year: Bring home a national title.

YouTube Tuesday

2011-06-21T12:27:00.000-04:00

Time for some old school Everblades action.

I don't know what I'm more nostalgic about. That old Blades logo or Brad Herauf in a Blades jersey.

The Newest Everblade?

2011-06-20T19:11:00.000-04:00

Reports out of France are that the Blades have signed French forward Luc Tardif Jr. The story, in French, can be found here. I'll quote the translated article here though.

"Luc Tardif Jr is still Rouen but not for long. The athletic wing of the France team (1.92 m, 100 kg) income for Dragons de Rouen (Seine-Maritime), in his original club, there are two seasons to stuff yourself with national honors (Magnus Cups, a Cup of France, one League Cup, a champions Trophy), toured the question hexagonal.

So the young man of 26 has signed a contract with FloridaEverblades, a club of the ECHL South Division (East Coast Hockey League), one of the American professional leagues in early October. In the meantime, until the end of September, it remains licensed in Rouen. And of course that it will deceive his possible new team during the camp ..."

His stats from Elite prospects-

A video of him mixing it up with a Danish hockey player in a "friendly" international game-

There hasn't yet been an official announcement from the Blades about him being signed.

Actually, there's been no word from the Blades about anything.

If he is in fact signed by the Blades he looks promising. It's going to be a big adjustment after all those years playing Euro hockey to be dropped into the ECHL and the North American style of hockey, but he looks scrappy, I think he'll be fine.

YouTube Tuesday

2011-06-14T13:07:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday people! I thought I'd share one of my favorite hockey videos on YouTube with you.

Friday Links

2011-06-10T11:06:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday people. We won't have to wait much longer for the Everblades to start signing players. There are only six more days until ECHL teams can start signing players.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Les Boys"

- Coolest cake ever!

- Did you know John Wayne starred in a hockey movie? I couldn't believe it either. The sad thing is, there doesn't seem to be any legitimate copies in print. How sad. There are tons of movie posters out there though.

- The hockey off season has been so boring I've found myself interested in a new sport. Rugby! It's like football only without the padding and protection. The best part? We have a (kind of) local team to cheer for. The great thing is that the Jacksonville Axemen (Jacksonville is more local that Philadelphia), stream all their games for free from their site (it's not a pretty site, but who cares, free sports on the Internet). They play Boston tomorrow at five. Definitely worth a your time I think.

- This is the funnest thing ever. I doubt a baby in that would get any trouble from the other babies.

- Cue the kitty:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

YouTube Tuesday

2011-06-07T14:49:00.001-04:00

Fun fact: I am still upset Steve McJannet retired, and I'm beyond upset that he did not retire as an Everblade.

Yup. That's what the Everblades were missing last season. Perhaps a bring back McJannet campaign is in order...

Friday Links

2011-06-03T14:03:00.000-04:00

It's only the start of the off-season and I'm already counting down the days until hockey starts. While we wait, how about some links?

- This certainly doesn't help the waiting, but it is good news... next season's schedule!

- Some big blog news: In about two weeks Jr. Blades forward Jimmy Williams will start posting. I'm really excited about being able to bring you guys a behind the scenes look at the Jr. Blades as well as a little peek into the world of a hockey player.

- By the way, if you're on Twitter you can give Jimmy a follow.

- This post on Cecil "Tiny" Thompson over at Third String Goalie is pretty awesome. I love the old school goalie photos.

- Can it be Friday around here without a hockey themed cake picture? Not at all.

- No hockey themed kitchen (everyone has this right?) is complete without a cutting board made out of recycled hockey sticks.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Seibu Prince Rabbits"

- It's odd, these logo mash-ups look odd, but they're not too hideous.

- Cue the kitty:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Breaking Down The Numbers: Ticket Increases

2011-06-02T12:16:00.001-04:00

(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

2011-05-31T17:49:00.000-04:00

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.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

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).

YouTube Tuesday

2011-05-31T16:45:00.000-04:00

I'm back from my blog vacation. To get back in the swing of things I figured I'd start off slow. I think a Tim Spencer fight is the best way to do that.

I hope I'm not the only one wishing for some form of hockey miracle to bring him back. He was scary good at what he did.

A Quick Note...

2011-05-03T11:49:00.001-04:00

Things have been a bit crazy in Byngland and will probably stay crazy for a good two or three weeks. Thus, I'm taking a little blogging hiatus. I'll pop back in if the Blades announce any big news (I doubt they will). I will still check my e-mail and keep up with my usual random mumblings and updates on how the players in the AHL are doing over on Twitter. Later people :)

Friday Links

2011-04-22T10:20:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but this off season's getting old already.

- Greatest Hockey Legends has some neat trivia on the Lady Byng Trophy. Obviously, it's my favorite hockey trophy.

- Your Wikipedia hockey page for today- "Gordie Howe Hat Trick"

- This cake combines my three favorite things. Cake, Ninetendo, and hockey.

- I shouldn't have to say anything more than this- Swampee bobblehead!

- I know I've linked to directions to make a tabletop hockey game before, but I can't resist this one. It has real ice!

- I know one person who will love this iPhone skin.

- Poor kitty.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

YouTube Wednesday

2011-04-20T12:31:00.000-04:00

I'm a little late on this, but I think these two videos will make up for it. If you don't get a little misty eyed you might need to see a doctor.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

2011-04-15T09:00:00.002-04:00

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.

News and Notes

2011-04-14T13:48:00.002-04:00

I have to apologize for the disappearing act. I really didn't know what to say when the Blades were eliminated. Though the elimination didn't come as a surprise (it just didn't feel like they were going anywhere). It still made me sad, and lets be honest, I'm not an on the ball blogger when they're doing well, so losing and having the season end was the perfect excuse to slack (or spend the time normally reserved for blogging reading trashy romance novels, whatever).

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

It doesn't matter though, I'm back on the blogging horse now.

I'll let you have a second to dance around with glee and do your best Miss America happy cry...

Done? Good. Time to do a round up of everything you may have missed.

- Since I have nothing to say about the icky end to the season, enjoy this read.

- I know a lot of you adored Alex Imbeault, and I know I never hid the fact that I wasn't on board the Imby train, In fact I think it appeared I was pulling a Snidely Whiplash and tying him to the tracks (oh lord, Imbeault in a Nell wig is the best mental picture ever). Still, it is a little sad that, according to Woody, he's thinking about retirement if he can't find a team in Europe. Good lord, who will I irrationally dislike if this happens?

- WE WILL FINALLY BE JOINING THIS CENTURY! VIDEO BOARD! YESSSSS! Honest to god, I've complained about that stupid dot matrix thing since my second ever Everblades game, and I'm not alone. Good riddance to outdated technology.

- Three former Everblades are in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Way to go boys!

- If anyone went to the Jersey auction last night, I'd love to hear how it went and how much each jersey went for.

- Stadium Journey, a website that reviews different stadium and arena experiences, recently featured Germain. I have to say, I think they were generous in some places, but very spot on in others.

That's it for know. Tomorrow will be a post that might make you hate me. I apologize in advance.

FGCU ROLLER HOCKEY TEAM REMAINS UNDEFEATED AT 1ST NATIONAL TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE

2011-04-10T00:02:00.001-04:00

Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles - National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association

Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles - National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association

Re-Cap: Everblades vs. Wings (4/5/11)

2011-04-06T16:53:00.001-04:00

The Everblades had to come out big in the first game of the first round of the playoffs. They had to make a statement, not just to the K-Wings, but to the fans that they were ready. That they were ready to finally give 100% for each end every period. Though it was by no means a flawless preformance, I'd Like to think the Blades came pretty close to sending that message.

The first period was pretty equal. Both teams traded chances. The K-Wings were a bit more dominant, but goalie Bobby Goepfert played the same game that has been winning games in spite of the effort of the players in front of him all season. When he wasn't there, there was always a Blade to sweep the puck away from a dangerous situation. It was amazing. The team was actually supporting each other. The Wings did lead in shots, 13-5, but that was almost entirely due to the three penalties called on the Blades. Thankfully, in spite of the shots, the game was still 0-0 when the period ended.

The second saw one of the teams finally take the lead, when about nine minutes in, Ross Carlson scored to give the Blades a 1-0 lead. Around six minutes later Matt Beca score a short-handed, unassisted goal to make it 2-0. It was a pretty good shortie to get considering how terrible a call the penalty was. The K-Wings came on strong, but the Blades all played their parts and the period ended with them still up 2-0.

It was only a matter of time that the Wings would finally be able to take advantage of all the power plays that were handed to them. They made it 2-1 about six minutes into the period on the power play. While the Wings came on strong for the rest of the period the Blades all stood tall and held them off. They got a hard earned win and are now up 1-0 in the best of five series.

Some thoughts:

- I know I'm biased, but good lord, what horrible officiating. If your going to put your whistle away it should be put away for both teams.

- 31 of 32 shots denied. Oh my. To quote someone on Twitter last night " Who needs to outshoot opponents when you have Geppy?"

- Matt Beca and Alex Hutchings together are the stuff of K-Wing nightmares. They created so much chaos it was hilarious.

- There is nothing more depressing than an empty arena. I know it was short notice guys, but it would have been nice to see more people.