Staying In The Swamp

The Swamp isn’t where most people would expect good hockey to thrive, but after being named four-time Kelly Cup Champions and making history by winning three consecutive championships, this Everblades team in Southwest Florida has rewritten the narrative. 

For the player lucky enough to don the Blades sweater, staying here means something greater.

Jordan Sambrook: Leading the Way

“It's the best place to play in the league, and I take a lot of pride in that,” said defenseman Jordan Sambrook as he enters his fifth season with the Blades. After leading the Blades’ blue line in points during the regular season with 32 and adding eight more in the postseason, Sambrook’s value goes well beyond what he generates on the ice. 

“Spending my whole time there now, or most of my time at least, I've been able to generate some great connections with the fans and with the community,” Sambrook said. “It's the best place to play in the league, and I take a lot of pride in that.”

As far as his offseason goes, Sambrook is honing in on his footwork.

“Just continuing to get faster,” he said. Coupled with aiming to be in the best shape possible ahead of another full season on the ice, Sambrook wants to continue to establish himself as a two-way defenseman. 

“Me and [former Everblades Assistant Coach] Anthony Peters, when he was here, focused a lot on rounding out my defensive game,” he said. “They trusted me a lot on the penalty kill and last season I got to play a lot on the power play, which I really enjoy as well.”

Playing a full 60 minutes that promotes offensive chances and maintains defensive strategy requires looking at the ice from a different perspective, a perspective that is more positional than purely physical. 

Sambrook isn’t just focused on taking away options from his man, but also trying to look for a way to transition to offense himself. Much like a double-edged sword. 

“With defensemen, I feel like we see the whole ice, starting from the very back end,” he said. 

With his experience, he also sees an opportunity to lead, especially with younger talent like Kade Landry. 

“For me to be a leader and for me to lead the way for these other guys. I really want to do that…”

Staying in the Swamp feels familiar for Sambrook, especially since he’s already shared the ice with Landry and knows how to support him on and off the puck.

Kade Landry: Growing into a Key Defensive Role 

Trailing Sambrook in points in his rookie year last regular season, Landry is focused on building off his first full pro season, a leap he says was no joke.

“The biggest difference from going pro this past year was how long the season is and how many games you play coming from college, where you play 30 a year, to then playing 72. It's a big jump.” Landry said. “Everyone's a grown man in the coast, so you know, everyone's strong and just continuing to get stronger.”

But now knowing what it takes, Landry knows how to prepare and what to focus on going into next year. 

“I find my skating is one of my best attributes, so just being able to keep building on that motor,” he said. After sustaining an injury just before playoffs, he’s putting in the work this offseason to regain strength and stay durable through a full pro schedule.

“That's been kind of my main focus, strengthening that and getting it back to feeling good again. But then just continuing to maintain strength and work on getting faster, stronger and just get ready for the season.”

Landry is dialed in on one aspect of defending the Swamp, describing it as the heartbeat of their defensive core: defending the rush. 

“There's a lot that goes into it. The forwards have to help us out with how hard they backtrack and track, and then it allows the D to have good gaps and to break up plays at the red line or at our blue line.”

A structure that worked out for the Blades with 241 goals scored and 165 goals against in the regular season, followed by a 29 to 39 split in the postseason, the Blades averaged nearly 1.5 goals for every goal they gave up. 

“I think just having a foundation of defending the rush, having principles that go with that, I think we're a really tough team to play against, and it showed,” Landry added. 

Whether it’s individuals like Landry reading Sambrook’s transition into the zone and creating options for the puck carrier, or the group as a whole pushing to evolve familiar systems into something sharper, it’s these shared principles and commitment to Everblades standards that form the foundation of a dominant on-ice dynamic. 

Jesse Lansdell: Driving the Offense

Of course, half of that equation is burying those goals, and Jesse Lansdell is one of the guys up top making it happen. Seamless gameplay on ice requires team chemistry, something that is not only ingrained in Everblades culture on and off the ice but strengthened even further by bringing back key players. 

“One specific person I'd be excited to see is my old roommate, Jesse Lansdell. It goes from seeing him, hanging out with him all day, every day, to a little bit of cold turkey not seeing him. So I miss him and I'm excited to see him for sure,” said Kade. 

Fresh off a 39-point regular season and 7 more in the playoffs, Lansdell wasted no time re-signing. 

“It was kind of an easy decision for me,” he said. “It was just like, ‘Let's sign it, get going.’” 

After completing his first full season in pro hockey, he’s focused on rounding out the specifics of his game to be more explosive in tight areas. 

“Working on that first step still and then being more shot-ready, so I can be more of a dual threat going into this year.”

Perfecting his first step as a forward maximizes acceleration and ensures he beats his opponent off the mark each time. With no access to a full group of guys to mimic game-time scenarios, Lansdell plans on shooting on as many goalies as possible until he hits the ice. 

“You can do some in tight puck stuff on goalies, and that's kind of something I'll be doing the next few months here,” he said. “I'll get a lot of touches in front of the net.”

Consistently finding the back of the net from gritty goals in dirty areas, heading into the season, Lansdell acknowledges that maintaining his touch around the net is key to staying effective when it comes time to fulfilling his role in October. 

Everblades Culture: The Backbone 

From the blue line to the goal line, each of these players obtains a skillset that is unique to their own game but fits into a larger interconnected system. Their styles might differ, but why they do it is the same: the culture and the pride that come with calling the Swamp home.

“It's really special. It's obviously a privilege being able to play there, right from President Brushy [Craig Brush] and Ralphy [Brad Ralph], our head coach. They do such an amazing job at supplying us with everything that we need to be successful, and we get treated outstanding,” Landry said. 

This sense of support doesn't end in the locker room or on the bench but extends into the stands where a passionate fan base shows up, game after game to bring the Everblades culture to life. 

“Our fans are incredible. Our fan club, it really is a community feel in Florida there with our team. It takes a village to have what we have, and it's just so special to be a part of. I'm honored to be back, and I'm just super excited to have a great summer of hard work and come with my best foot forward.”