Home › Sports › Florida Everblades
What you need to know for Everblades camp
More Florida Everblades
- Blades win in overtime on O'Brien's goal
- Blades get Baker back from Rochester
- Blades Page: Meet Andrew Fournier
Tell us about it
- What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
- Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
- Upload photos & videos
- More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.
STORY TOOLS
Share and Enjoy [?]
ESTERO — What you need to know for Blades camp:
EVERBLADES TRAINING CAMP INFO BOX
WHAT: Florida Everblades training camp
WHEN: This week: today from 9-10:30 a.m. and 3:30-5 p.m.; Tuesday from 9:30-11 a.m. and 4:30-6 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30-11 a.m. and 5-6 p.m. Next week: Monday - Thursday 10-11:30 a.m.; Preseason games vs. Phoenix, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Germain Arena -- today at recreation rink; most other days on main ice
COST: Free and open to the public
WHAT'S NEW: The Blades begin their 11th training camp with a new coach and more than 20 new players. Former Texas Wildcatters coach Malcolm Cameron replaces seven-year veteran Gerry Fleming, and just two players return from last year's Blades squad.
WHO'S BACK: From last year's team, just four-year Blades veteran Ernie Hartlieb and penalty minutes king Brad Herauf.
WHAT TO WATCH: With a slightly swollen roster of signees and more players expected to be sent down from affiliates in the AHL and NHL, Blades training camp will be hot with competition. No slacking this week -- especially for defensemen. The Blades signed eight, plus around four could be headed down from AHL training camps. Then there's former second-round draft pick Nate Hagemo, who's in Estero on a tryout. Cameron said for Hagemo to make the team, someone else would have to be cut. So this is no warm-up week for defensemen -- it's a fight for a roster spot.
WHAT ELSE TO WATCH: Rookie goalie David Leggio arrives in camp on a two-way contract with the AHL's Albany River Rats. He hasn't played pro hockey before, but Cameron likes Leggio's background as a former ECAC goalie of the year at Clarkson. He's likely to be the Blades' go-to goalie this year, unless David Shantz really picks things up from last season, when he struggled. So keep your eye on Leggio in net. Is he ready? And watch Shantz on Tuesday when he arrives from Rochester, where he was at AHL camp -- can he regain the form that won him an ECHL all-star spot in '06-07?
NAMES TO CHANT: Cameron brought with him an experienced corps of scorers. Will they produce in Florida the way they have on other ECHL teams? Check out the stickhandling and shooting from No. 15 Mathieu Roy, No. 20 Ryan Lang, No. 22 Mark Lee, No. 71 Kevin Baker, No. 83 Danick Bouchard -- and No. 19 Yannick Tifu if he's sent down from Albany.
THE MISSION STATEMENT: Put together a team that will ride out injuries and call-ups to erase last year's first-round playoff exit and win Florida's first-ever Kelly Cup. Do it with speed, intensity and a wide-open offense similar to what Cameron ran in Texas last season.
CAMP ROSTER
2 D Wes Cunningham
4 D Craig Switzer
5 D Kyle Peto
6 D Brad Zanon
7 D Jeff Dunne
21 D Aaron Brocklehurst
x D Nate Hagemo (tryout player)
24 D Michael Grenzy
x D Jonathan Paiement
49 D A.J. Thelen
9 F Ernie Hartlieb*
12 F Justin Bowers
15 LW Mathieu Roy
16 C Colin Nicholson
17 LW Brad Herauf*
18 C Dan Travis
19 C Yannick Tifu
20 LW Ryan Lang
22 C Mark Lee
x F Jacob Micflikier
27 C Ross Carlson
43 C Andrew Fournier
71 RW Kevin Baker
83 RW Danick Bouchard
x G David Leggio
1 G David Shantz
x G Nate Zervos
Key: Bold = returnee; Italicized = rookie; Asterisk = veteran
Comments
This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below. Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. Break our rules, and we will ban you. No exceptions, no second chances. Read our privacy policy & user agreement.
Post your comment
(Requires free registration.)