Thursday Checkin’ with the Florida Everblades
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The Florida Everblades are starting to see that proverbial ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ as they inch closer to the end of this nine-game road trip. I’m sure they’re eager for its end because it hasn’t been pretty. As of right now, they sit in last place in the South Division at 2-6-0-1. Certainly not the start they hoped for.
- Florida started the Halloweekend on Friday, October 28 with a 4-7 loss to the Greenville Road Warriors. The teams fought for the lead quite a bit throughout the game, but ultimately, it was the three late-period goals that gave Greenville the edge in the second.
- Less than 24 hours later, there were more tricks, and still no treats, for Florida as they faced off against Greenville again. The Everblades held a 2-0 lead until the second period when Greenville’s Jeremy Gouchie scored back-to-back goals within the first six minutes to tie it up. The final was another loss for Florida, 3-5.
- For Tuesday, November 1, the Everblades made their way to Georgia where they faced off against the Gwinnett Gladiators. G Pat Nagle held tight throughout the first period, until Gwinnett notched a goal at 8:13 of the second. Philip-Michael Devos and Alex Hutchings gave Florida the go-ahead in the final minute, however, two third-period goals gave the Gladiators the 3-2 win.
- Wednesday evening, the Everblades found themselves in Charleston where they dropped another game against the South Carolina Stingrays, 4-1. They have today off, but will face the Stingrays again tomorrow night.
Despite their losses, there were a few players worth mentioning. Before last night’s game Devos was tied for first among rookies for power play goals (he has five!) D Chris Murray was tied for first among defencemen with seven points before Tuesday’s game in Gwinnett. He went on to notch another point with an assist on Devos’ power play goal that night. It is also worth mentioning that, for the week of October 17-23, LW Justin Shugg was the Sher-wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week. And if you were wondering, like I was, why he didn’t step it up for the ‘Blades this week…well, on October 28 he was recalled to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.
LW Justin Shugg
If the Everblades have one really good thing going for them right now, it’s their power play. They’re currently hovering around 22 percent which makes them fifth in the league on the PP. Now if they could only get the rest of the pieces put together…well, the season is still young.
TRANSACTIONS:
D Bobby Raymond – Reassigned by Binghamton Senators (AHL)
G John Muse – Returned on-loan from Charlotte Checkers (AHL)
G Scott Darling – Added as emergency backup goaltender
Lexi Stryker @ November 3, 2011
Indifferent Interim President and College Sports Politics Force UAH Hockey to Hang Up Its Skates
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The South lost its only Division I hockey organization today when it was announced that the University of Alabama-Huntsville is officially disbanding its team. Some were still holding out for a conference affiliation or maybe for university officials to get their heads out of…the sand, but the inevitable became reality today when University of Alabama System Chancellor and interim UAH president Malcolm Portera sent out an internal memo saying that the team is being “moved” back to club status.
Portera makes it sound as though he’s actually saving the program, which he isn’t. Hockey will still be at UAH, but the hopes of producing any more NHL draft picks like Jared Ross are no more. Yeah, the Chargers are still going to exist, sort of, as a club sport. But as many are quick to echo, it just won’t be the same. Remember: colleges don’t officially support club sports.
UAH’s entire athletic department joined the NCAA in 1985 after originally being founded as a club team in 1979, and since then it has been a seemingly unending struggle for success and legitimacy. The team made the college hockey world sit up and take notice in 2007 when they forced top-seeded Notre Dame to double overtime in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
They were officially put on the chopping block when it was denied admission into the CCHA in 2009 once the CHA — Huntsville’s original conference — announced it was disbanding after its other three members found homes in the WCHA. Then CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos insisted that the conference was focused on maintaining and strengthening its current members, despite the fact that it was set to lose 11 of them in 2010.
I’ll leave sorting out the head-spinning politics of college hockey conference alignments to the professionals, but I’m deeply saddened to see the South’s only hope at developing hockey from the ground up shot dead in its tracks. Bottom line: there was always plenty of room for UAH in the CCHA, but no willingness to make it available. So the organization has been treading water for the past two years as an independent Division I team, and that’s been going as well as you would imagine. Read more about …
Ally Pelphrey @ October 24, 2011
Professional Hockey is Officially Back in Atlanta
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The Gwinnett Gladiators have a new slogan this season: “Atlanta’s one and only.” Atlanta’s one and only professional hockey team, that is. But they’re not ignoring the city’s hockey history. Instead they’re branding themselves as the latest in Atlanta’s “rich hockey history.” It’s a turn of phrase some might find arguable, but nevertheless it’s the type of marketing scheme hockey needs in this town.
A lot of nods were made during Friday night’s home opener to Atlanta’s hockey past. The Gladiators organization has kept their long-standing traditions while adopting some from ‘Blueland.’ It’s a great way to make the transition easier for Thrashers supporters (yes, they exist) and make those unfamiliar with ECHL hockey feel welcome. There are even “Not moving to Canada” shirts that fans can purchase in the team gear store.
If the Gladiators continue to play with the hard charging energy they brought to their home opener, they’ll have no problem drawing crowds even bigger than the “over 5,000” reported on Friday night. They posted a blowout 6-1 win over Greenville in front of an energetic crowd, many in Thrashers jerseys, who were more than ready to get back to watching hockey.
It might not have looked like an NHL game but it definitely felt like an NHL game as Atlanta fans continued a long tradition of making a sparse crowd sound like a sold out arena. The crowd went especially crazy for Alpharetta, GA native Brad Miller when he notched his first goal of the season and returning fan favorite Pat Galivan, who scored two goals during the game.
John Wroblewski, the second head coach in franchise history, has arguably already left his mark. The Gladiators seemed to play a more solid game than in past seasons, going 2-for-3 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill. The team could take a page from Greenville’s book, though, and pass the puck more.
Gwinnett and Greenville have a rematch tonight at 7:05 PM. Attendance is expected to be even higher since there won’t be any rush hour traffic to beat. People are encouraged to arrive early for a special tribute to Atlanta’s past teams: the Flames, Knights and Thrashers.
Ally Pelphrey @ October 22, 2011
Down on the Farm: South Carolina Stingrays
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Most hockey fans already know plenty about the NHL teams here, but what about the ones in the AHL and ECHL? This is a series outlining some fun facts about our minor league teams.
The South Carolina Stingrays, based in North Charleston, are the oldest continually operational ECHL franchise to remain in its founding city. The Stingrays were established in 1993 and since 1995 have been owned by a conglomerate of local business owners. They are the first professional hockey franchise founded in the state of South Carolina, and currently play at the North Charleston Coliseum.
The Stingrays won the Kelly Cup in 1997, 2001 and 2009, making them tied with the Hampton Roads Admirals for most league championships. Twenty-two Stingrays players have gone on to play in the NHL, and the team’s latest claim to fame is that former Stingray Rich Peverley won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011.
In 1995 the Stingrays organization was offered an expansion spot by the AHL, but chose to remain in the ECHL for various reasons including, organization officials said, keeping hockey affordable for their fans. The team developed a large fanbase from the beginning, setting records for largest home crowds in the ECHL, but attendance has since dwindled and in the 2010-2011 season they averaged only 3,400.
The Stingrays are currently affiliated with the Washington Capitals of the NHL and the Hershey Bears of the AHL. In the 2010-2011 season they went 37-29-3-3 in 72 games. Their current head coach is Spencer Carbery. You can find their current roster here.
Ally Pelphrey @ October 22, 2011
Down on the Farm: Gwinnett Gladiators
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Most hockey fans already know plenty about the NHL teams here, but what about the ones in the AHL and ECHL? This is a series outlining some fun facts about our minor league teams.
The Gwinnett Gladiators are another ECHL relocation team. Originally founded as the Mobile Mysticks of Mobile, Alabama, the franchise ceased operations in 2002 and moved to Duluth, Georgia in 2003. As the Gladiators they have qualified for the Kelly Cup playoffs six out of eight seasons, and were the one-time South Division and American Conference champions in 2006, falling 4-1-0-0 to the Alaska Aces.
During the 2011 offseason they announced new affiliation agreements with the Phoenix Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres of the NHL and the Portland Pirates and Rochester Americans of the AHL. Their previous affiliations were with the Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL and the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Now the only professional hockey team in the Metro Atlanta area, the Gladiators anticipate a significant increase in attendance and season ticket sales (reported at upwards of 2,000 so far) for their 2011-2012 season.
On August 3, 2011 the Gladiators announced John Wroblewski, former Wheeling Nailers assistant coach, as the second head coach in franchise history after Jeff Pyle took the head coach position for the Texas Stars of the AHL. Pyle had been head coach of the Gladiators since their inception as the Mysticks.
The team finished out the 2010-2011 season with 68 points (30-34-3-5) in 72 games. Their current president and general manager is Steve Chapman. You can find their current roster here.
Ally Pelphrey @ October 17, 2011
Down on the Farm: Greenville Road Warriors
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Most hockey fans already know plenty about the NHL teams here, but what about the ones in the AHL and ECHL? This is a series outlining some fun facts about our minor league teams.
Formerly the Johnstown Chiefs, the Greenville Road Warriors were relocated to Greenville, South Carolina in 2010. The Johnstown Chiefs were one of five franchises that founded the East Coast Hockey League in 1988. The team’s name was taken from the Charlestown Chiefs of the much-loved hockey movie Slap Shot, which was filmed in Johnstown.
Despite playing in the ECHL for 22 seasons, the Chiefs never won a single title. After struggling financially for several years while the owners attempted to find new ownership, it was announced on February 13, 2010 that the team would be relocated to Greenville. A five-year deal was reached with the Greenville Arena District Board to bring the team to the city’s BI-LO Center. Previously Greenville was home to the Grrrowl of the ECHL, but that team folded in 2006.
The franchise enjoyed more success in its first season as the Greenville Road Warriors than it ever did in Johnstown. The Road Warriors clinched the South Division title with 72 points (46-22-3-1), and saw a reported 53% increase in attendance. They are currently affiliated with the New York Rangers of the NHL and the Connecticut Whale of the AHL. Their current owner and general manager is Neil Smith, and their current head coach is Dean Stork. You can find their current roster here.
Ally Pelphrey @ October 8, 2011
Down on the Farm: Florida Everblades
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Most hockey fans already know plenty about the NHL teams here, but what about the ones in the AHL and ECHL? This is a series outlining some fun facts about our minor league teams.
The Florida Everblades of the ECHL were founded in 1998, and unlike many minor league hockey teams in the South, they are not a relocation team. The Everblades are based in Estero, Florida and play at Germain Arena. The team is affiliated with the Charlotte Checkers and Norfolk Admirals of the AHL and the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL.
The Everblades’ fanbase is one of the best in the league, finishing first in attendance in the league for five seasons and never lower than fourth. The team itself has not missed the playoffs since its inception and has appeared in the Kelly Cup finals twice.
In the 1999-2000 season, the Everblades won the Brabham Cup, which is given to the team that has the best position in the standings in the entire league. The Everblades took the trophy with 108 points (53-15-2), but fell in the first round of the playoffs to the Augusta Lynx.
The Everblades won the E.A. Gingher Memorial Trophy in 2004 as the Eastern Conference champions and in 2005 as the American Conference champions. They lost the Kelly Cup to the Idaho Steelheads of the Western Conference in 2004 and to the Trenton Titans of the National Conference in 2005.
They finished out the 2010-2011 season with 79 points (37-30-5) in 72 games and lost in round one of the playoffs. Their current president and general manager is Craig Brush and their current head coach is Greg Poss. You can find their current roster here.
Ally Pelphrey @ October 6, 2011
Down on the Farm: Charlotte Checkers
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Most hockey fans already know plenty about the NHL teams here, but what about the ones in the AHL and ECHL? This is a series outlining some fun facts about our minor league teams.
The Charlotte Checkers of the AHL at present have played only one season (2010-2011) in their current location. The franchise was originally the Capital District Islanders (1990-1993), and became the Albany River Rats until 2010 when the franchise was sold to MAK Hockey, LLC. The new ownership relocated the team to Charlotte and renamed them the Checkers, not to be confused with the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL, which dissolved once the AHL Checkers came to town.
The Charlotte Checkers are the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, and play at Time Warner Cable Arena in Uptown Charlotte. The Checkers finished their first season in Charlotte with a record of 44 wins, 27 losses, two overtime losses, and seven shootout losses. They finished third in the East, making it to the third round of the Calder Cup playoffs before losing to the Binghamton Senators.
Although a newer franchise in the South, the Checkers set the attendance record for a hockey game in Charlotte, drawing a reported crowd of 12, 512 at their inaugural game on October 15, 2010 and then breaking that record on February 26, 2011 with a reported crowd of 12,993. To put that into perspective, Time Warner Cable Arena seats roughly 14,000 spectators.
Their current owner, CEO and governor is Michael A. Kahn. Their current head coach and general manager is Jeff Daniels. You can find their current roster here.
Ally Pelphrey @ October 6, 2011
A Little Bit About Us
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Fried Checkin’ was first conceived after several Thrashers bloggers found themselves without source material, but still with a passion for writing about the coldest sport in the warmest climate. Originally the brainchild of former Bird Watchers Anonymous writer Tim Fabiniak, it was brought to life by editor-in-chief Ally Pelphrey.
The site is made up of an enthusiastic team of writers from all over the United States and mostly based in the Atlanta-area who are committed to bringing you hockey news at all levels from the South. This includes NHL, AHL, ECHL and college hockey. Now, we here at Fried Checkin’ realize that what exactly “the South” is can spark a lot of debate. For us this means the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Nashville Predators in the NHL; the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL; and the Florida Everblades, Greenville Road Warriors, Gwinnett Gladiators, and South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL. These are the teams you’ll see the most of here, as well as the UAH Chargers and some just for fun club hockey coverage.
The writing staff is comprised of three Atlanta residents and a Philadelphian. How does that work? We don’t know! But all of us at Fried Checkin’ believe that hockey is for everyone, even people who can wear shorts to their team’s home opener, and we’re dedicated to showing what hockey in the South is all about.
Ally Pelphrey @ October 1, 2011
Carolina Hurricanes
Florida Panthers
Tampa Bay Lightning
Nashville Predators
Charlotte Checkers
Florida Everblades
Greenville Road Warriors
Gwinnett Gladiators
South Carolina Stingrays
UAH Chargers