‘Blades announce trio of transactions

ESTERO, Fla. — Florida Everblades head coach Brad Ralph announced on Saturday a trio of transactions that includes the return of forward Steven Lorentz and defenseman Derek Sheppard along with the addition of defenseman Brandon McMartin.  

The American Hockey League’s Charlotte Checkers have assigned Sheppard to the ‘Blades, while Lorentz was reassigned to Florida from Charlotte by the Carolina Hurricanes. Florida added McMartin after claiming the blueliner off of waivers from the Atlanta Gladiators.

Sheppard returns from Charlotte after being called up on Thursday to the Checkers, which lost two defensemen to emergency call-ups to Carolina earlier in the week. The Ajax, Ontario, native leads all ‘Blades defensemen in scoring with 29 points (11g-18a). He has played in 45 games for the ‘Blades in his rookie season, while he has tabbed one point in six games for Charlotte.

Lorentz returns from Charlotte after his third stint with the team this season. In the five games Lorentz played from Feb. 15-23, he recorded a goal and two assists with a +5 rating. The two assists came in Lorentz’s first multi-point game of his AHL season in a 5-2 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Feb. 23. The Waterloo, Ontario, native has racked up 23 points (9g-14a) in 19 games for Florida this season.

A 6-foot-2, 220-pound defenseman, McMartin played five games for the Gladiators after spending a bulk of the season with the Knoxville Ice Bears in the Southern Professional Hockey League. In 32 games this season with the Ice Bears, McMartin has tallied 11 points (2g-9a) and racked up 43 penalty minutes. Prior to turning professional, McMartin played four seasons at the NCAA Division III level, two seasons with SUNY-Brockport and two seasons with SUNY-Canton. He logged 69 career collegiate games and totaled 35 points (7g-28a).

Florida finishes a stretch of three straight games against the Orlando Solar Bears with a Saturday matchup at the Amway Center in Orlando. Faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

—

Single-game tickets for all regular season home games start at just $10!

Ticket packages for the 2019 Kelly Cup Playoffs presented by Smile Direct Club and 2019-20 season ticket packages are on sale now! Become part of the Everblades Family with a Partial Season or a Flexible Voucher Package that fits your schedule and budget! All Ticket & Voucher Packages provide savings and special benefits! To view the Ticket & Voucher Package options CLICK HERE.

SPECIAL OFFER! Purchase a new ticket package for the 2018-19 season and receive a $20 gift card to Ford’s Garage and an Everblades tote bag!

Private Arena Tours are also available to select your season seats! Call the Everblades office at 239-948-7825 to schedule your tour today!

The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes