ESTERO, Fla. - Florida Everblades General Manager Craig Brush, along with Director of Hockey Operations and Head Coach Brad Ralph, announced on Tuesday they have agreed to terms with Alberta natives, forward Kody McDonald and defenseman Cole MacDonald for the 2022-23 season.
McDonald, 24, tallied five goals and 10 assists to finish with 15 points in 29 games in the 2021-22 season. The forward will be heading into his second season with the Blades.
From 2014 to 2019, McDonald played in the Western Hockey League for the Prince George Cougars, Prince Albert Raiders and the Victoria Royals. Collectively, he played in 323 regular-season games. He scored 95 goals and 91 assists in those games. McDonald appeared in 26 postseason games, tallying six goals and six assists.
Before starting his professional career, the Lethbridge, Alberta native played U Sports hockey for Carleton University from 2019-21. During his time as a Raven, McDonald totaled five goals and seven assists for 12 regular season points. In the 2020 playoffs, McDonald played in four games, tallying one goal and two assists.
MacDonald, 26, is a familiar face to the Everblades organization. He played in two games during the 2019-20 season and 43 contests in 2020-21. He tallied seven assists in the 2020-21 regular season. MacDonald returns to the Everblades after playing for Unia Oswiecim in Poland and ASC Corona Brasov in Romania during the 2021-22 season. The defenseman will be heading into his third season with the Blades.
The Wetaskiwin, Alberta native played U Sports hockey for St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia from 2016-20. During his time with the X-Men, MacDonald tallied 20 goals and 69 assists in 140 regular season games. He tallied seven goals and 10 assists in 27 games in the playoffs.
Highlighted by the raising of the 2022 Kelly Cup Championship banner, the Everblades 25th Anniversary home opener is Saturday, October 29 at 7:00pm against the Jacksonville Icemen at Hertz Arena.
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