Monday, June 12, 2023

Notebook: Everblades take ECHL title

ECHL
The Florida Everblades are, once again, Kelly Cup champions.

The Everblades clinched their second consecutive ECHL title on Friday night, completing a sweep of the No. 1 ranked Idaho Steelheads. Idaho finished the regular season with 119 points while Florida finished 11th in the league's overall standings with 85.

Florida won last year's league title by defeating the Toledo Walleye in five games in the league final.

Florida's roster includes former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Olivier LeBlanc, who appeared in just one post-season game. The 27-year-old, who also spent three seasons at UNB before turning pro, appeared in 10 regular season games with Florida, recording one assist.

This past season, LeBlanc also played 39 games with the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings and seven matches with the AHL's Cleveland Monsters.

BEVERIDGE VIDEO
From John Moore, here's Egan Beveridge talking about joining the Sea Dogs at Saturday's QMJHL Entry Draft.


DUFOUR IN ATTENDANCE
Also from John Moore, here's former Sea Dogs forward William Dufour discussing his first season of pro hockey. Dufour was in attendance at Saturday's QMJHL Entry Draft and welcomed draftees to the Sea Dogs.


MORE COACHING CHANGES
It was confirmed at the draft that Jon Goyens will not return as head coach of the Cape Breton Eagles next season.
The move means Cape Breton, Gatineau, Blainville-Boisbriand, Drummondville and Rimouski are all without head coaches at the moment.

There will also be big changes in Quebec City, where head coach and general manager Patrick Roy and long-time president Jacques Tanguay are expected to leave the club on Tuesday, reports le Journal de Quebec.

NEW POD EP
On last week's episode of The Hockey News On The Q, Will MacLaren and I discuss the Quebec Remparts winning the Memorial Cup, some league news and take a look at Florida Panthers prospects.
MIDGLEY TO BE HONOURED
Former Sea Dogs assistant coach Jim Midgley will be added to the Acadia Hockey Honour Roll later this month.

Midgley was an assistant coach with the Axemen from 2003 to 2007 before leaving to join Jacques Beaulieu's staff in Saint John for a couple seasons.

Midgley, who also spent a couple years as the director of hockey operations at Rothesay Netherwood, was most recently an assistant coach with Gerard Gallant's New York Rangers where he also worked alongside Mike Kelly.

Paul McFarland and Troy Ryan will also be added to the Acadia Honour Roll on June 22.

WHL PROBS
What's going on with the WHL and their lack of success at the Memorial Cup? Kitchener Rangers play-by-play man Mike Farwell discusses.


OTHER THINGS
  • 17-year-old defenseman Elie Warren, who the Sea Dogs acquired on Friday in a trade with the Rimouski Oceanic, was the biggest player selected in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft. Elite Prospects currently has Warren, who is the younger brother of Anaheim Ducks prospect Noah Warren, listed at 6'7" and 238 lbs.
  • Sea Dogs general manager Anthony Stella on the newly acquired Mathis Gauthier: “Mathis is a player we’ve had our eyes on for a while and we believe he can help carry the load for us this upcoming season. We added a leader who can play big minutes.”
  • In an interview with Le Droit, former QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau mentioned that 10 of the 12 arenas in Quebec and one rink in the Maritimes must be updated to meet league and NHL standards.
  • Cape Breton Eagles president Irwin Simon tells the Cape Breton Post that the QMJHL has told him not to bid on the 2025 Memorial Cup unless upgrades are made to Centre 200.
  • The Atlantic University Sport men's hockey schedule for 2023-24 has been released. The UNB Reds begin play on Friday, Oct. 6 at the Aitken Centre against UdeM. Brady Burns and the Acadia Axemen open things up on Oct. 6 as well, hosting StFX.
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)