ESTERO, Fla. – The Florida Everblades, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues and AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, have added four players to their roster for the upcoming season.
First, defenseman Sean Allen was released from his professional tryout contract by the Thunderbirds and subsequently reported to Florida. Allen, 26, split last season between the Dundee Stars of the EIHL in the United Kingdom and the Cincinnati Cyclones. The Ontario native recorded two assists and 88 penalty minutes in 21 games with Cincinnati last year.
Following Allen's addition, the Thunderbirds assigned three players to Florida: forward Greg Meireles, defenseman Jeremie Biakabutuka, and goaltender Will Cranley. Meireles, 25, is on an AHL deal with Springfield after spending last year with the Iowa Wild. The former Florida Panthers draft pick totaled 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) across 47 games last season. Meireles has played in the ECHL only once before; in 2021, he appeared in 31 games for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
Biakabutuka, 22, is in the second year of his three-year entry-level contract with the Blues. Last year, the Quebec native played 63 games with the Orlando Solar Bears, recording four goals and 14 assists before adding one assist in 11 playoff games. He also played one AHL game in Springfield.
Cranley, also 22, is in the final year of his entry-level contract with the Blues. The 2020 St. Louis draft pick split last season between the Reading Royals and Utah Grizzlies, amassing a 9-15-4 record in 33 games.
The Everblades' regular season is slated to begin Saturday, October 19, on the road against the Jacksonville Icemen. On Friday, October 25, Florida will raise its fourth Kelly Cup banner to the rafters before their home opener against the Atlanta Gladiators.
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