Photo: Taylor Trebotte/Atlanta Gladiators

ESTERO, FL – Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic became the 32nd Everblades player to reach the National Hockey League when he made his NHL debut for the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday night in Columbus against the Blue Jackets.

Nedeljkovic (nuh-DELL-coe-VITCH), 21, entered Tuesday's game in a relief effort halfway through the second period, and finished the game stopping all 17 shots faced in 29:57 of game play.  Carolina lost the game 4-1.  A native of Parma, Ohio, Nedeljkovic fittingly made his big debut in his home state at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Nedeljkovic is 2-0-0 with a 2.83 goals-against-average and a .921 save percentage in three appearances with the Everblades this season. On December 30 in a game at Atlanta, Nedeljkovic became just the 12th goaltender in ECHL history to score a goal (Photo with first goal puck below).  He has also played in 18 games with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers this season.

Nedeljkovic becomes the 32nd Everblades player to reach the NHL as an "ECHL Graduate" and becomes the 612th ECHL player to reach the NHL. To view the full listing of Everblades who have played in the NHL, CLICK HERE

The 6-0, 190-pound netminder is a second-round (#37 overall) selection of the Hurricanes in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

The Everblades return to action this Friday (Jan. 20) when they play host to the Orlando Solar Bears in another Wawa Sunshine Cup Series match-up at Germain Arena.  Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. Additional promo information listed below.

Upcoming Home Games & PromotionsFriday,  January 20 vs. Orlando, 7:30 p.m. – Americana Night, present by Thompson Family Law!  Kids eat FREE in the Breakaway Sports Pub with the purchase of an adult entree!

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Ticket Information

Game Tickets: Everblades tickets may be purchased at the Florida Community Bank Box Office located at Germain Arena, or at any Ticketmaster outlet, or online atwww.ticketmaster.com

2016-17 Season Ticket Plans Now Available!  Full and flexible partial season ticket plans are currently available for the 2016-17 season. We offer several tickets packages designed to help fit your budget and schedule.

Special Offer!  Purchase any new ticket package for the 2016-17 season, and receive a $20 gift card from Ford's Garage!  Locations include Cape Coral, Downtown Fort Myers and Miromar Outlets in Estero.

Discounted Group Tickets: Bring your group of 10 or more to a game at a discounted price, and you may also receive an Everblades souvenir! Group tickets are available for all home games. For more information on group tickets, call 239-948-7825.

This release courtesy of Fort Myers Technical College & Cape Coral Technical College

The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliateof the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes###