Everblades and Admirals Set to Lace Up the Skates for Second Meeting

WHO: Florida Everblades vs. Norfolk Admirals

WHERE: Hertz Arena – Estero, Fla.

WHEN: Friday, October 29 at 7:30 pm

TICKETS: Purchase tickets for Friday’s game and all future Everblades games HERE.

PROMOTIONS: The first 1,000 fans in attendance at Friday’s game against the Admirals will receive a free Florida Everblades shirt, presented by Michelob Ultra. All kids 12 and under can eat free at Breakaway Sports Pub with the purchase of an adult entrée! Also, enjoy the season’s first 239 deal: two Premium Tickets, two Arepas Cakes and two autographed programs! To order, visit www.floridaeverblades.com/239.

BROADCAST: Watch every Florida Everblades game on FloHockey.TV. Listen to the exciting game action on ESPN Southwest Florida on 770 AM, 98.1 FM, 104.3 FM and online athttps://espnswfl.com. 

ESTERO, Fla. – The Florida Everblades and the Norfolk Admirals will continue their three-game series Friday night at Hertz Arena. The puck will drop at 7:30 pm for the second game of the set featuring the ECHL South Division rivals. 

THE OPPONENT: The Norfolk Admirals, the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes and the AHL’s Chicago Wolves are off to a 1-2-0 start on the young season. The Admirals did not compete during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In its sixth season of ECHL competition since moving from Bakersfield, Calif. in 2015, Norfolk is seeking its first ECHL postseason berth. 

THE SERIES: In 26 all-time meetings with the Admirals, the Everblades have dominated the series to the tune of a 20-3-3 record (.827). Friday’s game will be the second of six meetings between the clubs this season, with the current three-game set at Hertz Arena wrapping up Saturday at 7:00 pm. Looking ahead, the Everblades will visit Norfolk for three games December 8, 10 and 11. 

BLADES BOUNCE BACK BIG: Alex Aleardi banged home a feed from Joe Pendenza with 8:59 remaining in the game to snap a 4-4 tie and propel the Florida Everblades to a thrilling 5-4 comeback victory over the Norfolk Admirals Wednesday night at Hertz Arena. Florida captain John McCarron scored two goals, including the game-tying goal, and added an assist for the victorious Everblades.

Intent on rebounding from an opening-night setback four days earlier, the Blades came out firing on all cylinders, jumping out to a 2-0 lead and outshooting Norfolk 16-9 in the opening period. At the 11:31 mark, McCarron broke open the scoring with his first goal of the year, while Jake Jaremko’s first tally of the season less than three minutes later staked the Everblades to their two-goal first period lead.

Florida’s onslaught appeared to carry over into the second period, as Levko Koper banged home a rebound off a McCarron shot to collect his first goal of the year, a shorthanded tally, to put the Blades ahead 3-0 at 5:17. The tide would shift quickly in Norfolk’s favor, however, as four different Admirals ratted off four consecutive goals in a 9:41 stretch to claim a 4-3 lead heading into the second intermission.

McCarron would answer midway through the third period, as the Captain blasted home a rebound for his second goal to knot the score at 4-4 at the 10:17 mark before Aleardi’s game-winner 44 seconds later. Ten different Everblades collected at least one point in the victory and Florida outshot the Admirals by a commanding 46-28 margin, while Tomas Vomacka registered 24 saves en route to a victory in his professional debut.

LAST SEASON: In 2020-21, the Everblades skated to a 42-19-5-3 record and claimed first place in the ECHL’s Eastern Conference before advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. 

RALPH ON THE RADAR: Veteran Head Coach Brad Ralph is closing on both his 400th win as a professional head coach and 250th victory behind the Blades bench. The veteran leader enters Friday’s game with a 367-147-47 (.696) career mark in 12 seasons and a 235-82-28 (.722) tally in his sixth season guiding the Everblades.

--

JOIN THE FUNBecome a member of the Florida Everblades family by securing a great seat location and big savings with a Blades 365 Membership!

Purchase a new Voucher 12 package that allows you to use 12 tickets in any quantity during the 2021-22 season to earn the exclusive benefits of being a Blades 365 Member! To view the Blades 365 Membership savings, benefits and options click HERE.

Everblades put the FUN in FUNdraising! There is no handling of money or tickets and no limit to the amount of money your group can make with the Everblades easy-to-run online Fundraiser! For more information, or to reserve a Fundraiser Night at an Everblades regular season home game, call or text (239) 948-7825.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Watch every Florida Everblades game on FloHockey.TV. Listen to the exciting game action on ESPN Southwest Florida on 770 AM, 98.1 FM, 104.3 FM and online athttps://espnswfl.com. 

Stay up to date by following the Florida Everblades on Social Media with all the latest news, scores and promotions on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tiktok, and Twitter.

The Florida Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Nashville Predators and the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals.

###