Florida Sports Wires

ESTERO – When two of the hottest teams in the ECHL collide, something has to give. And Friday night at Hertz Arena, it gave in a big, big way for the red-hot Florida Everblades, a 6-2 winner over the Jacksonville Icemen. Four was the number of a magical night, as the Everblades not only scored four unanswered goals to seal the team’s fourth straight win but snapped South Division rival Jacksonville’s four-game winning streak in the process. And a fourth straight sellout crowd of 7,224 fans cheered the Blades to victory. Despite entering play ranked last in the ECHL on the power play, Jacksonville bucked the trend and struck first as Christopher Brown scored just 17 seconds into the first power-play opportunity enjoyed by either team. Brown’s ninth goal of the season gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 12:59 of the first period. Jacksonville’s lead would be short-lived as Gary Haden connected for the Everblades with his second goal of the season at the 18:59 mark. Haden deflected in a shot ...

  SHREWSBURY, N.J. – The ECHL on Monday announced the Protected Lists as submitted by each of its Member teams. Teams are allowed to protect as many players as they wish provided the players protected meet the guidelines as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association which state that teams shall retain the rights to each player that: 1. Signed an SPC in 2023-24 with the Member, and has not been traded or released, OR 2. Signed an SPC in 2023-24, and was recalled to the NHL/AHL or IIHF team, and has not been traded or released, OR 3. Had received a Qualifying Offer last summer for the current Season, DID NOT sign an SPC, and has not been traded or released, OR 4. Has been suspended by the Member or League, and has not been traded or released, OR 5. Signed an SPC on or after the first day of the 2023-24 Regular Season, then subsequently signed an NHL/AHL contract, and has not been traded or released, OR 6. Has exec...

 Photo Gallery by Jim Brady/Florida Sports Wire

CHARLESTON, S.C. -   The South Carolina Stingrays claimed the ECHL Southern Division title Saturday night with a 5-4 shootout win over the Jacksonville Icemen. Lawton Courtnall’s game-tying goal with 4:17 left in the third period helped the Stingrays (45-22-4-1) clinch the South Division for the seventh time in franchise history as they beat the Icemen (43-23-3-1) Garin Bjorklund recorded his first professional win in his pro hockey debut. Following a flurry of attacks from South Carolina, Jacksonville broke through first on Ara Nazarian’s 20th tally of the season for the 1-0 lead. Nazarian intercepted a shot from Chris Grando and flung an attempt of his own past the Stingrays’ Bjorklund for the advantage. Carson MacKinnon doubled the lead nearly four and a half minutes later as he netted his first professional goal for the 2-0 lead. MacKinnon skated between the circles and received a pass before sliding a shot between the five-hole of Bjorklund for the tally. MacKinnon netted hi...

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Icemen, ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack announced today that the team has agreed to terms with forward Sam Sternschein for the 2022-2023 season.    Sternschein, 24, joined the Icemen this past March and posted eight points (4g, 4a) in 11 games.  In addition, he also made three postseason appearances with the Icemen.   Prior to Jacksonville, Sternschein (pronounced Stern-Shine) concluded his senior season at Boston College where he posted three assists in 24 games.  The 6-2, 205-pound rookie forward also played four seasons at Penn State University from 2017-2021, totaling 42 points (28g, 14a) and winning a Big-10 Regular Season Championship in 2020.   From 2015-2017 Sternschein played for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Lincoln Stars totaling 47 points (27g, 20a).    Sternschein joins fellow forwards Jake Hamacher, Luke Keenan, Mike Szma...