WHO: Florida Everblades (20-6-2-1) vs. Worcester Railers (13-13-1-1)

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WORCESTER, MA – For the final time during the 2025–26 season, the Florida Everblades head on the road to face a non-division opponent as they open a three-in-three series Friday, January 9 against the Worcester Railers at 7:05 p.m. ET.
 
Entering the weekend, the Blades sit atop the South Division standings, holding a one-point lead over the Atlanta Gladiators with 43 points. Florida returned to action last weekend, earning three of a possible four points against in-state rival Orlando with a 3-2 victory Friday before falling 4-3 in overtime Saturday.
 
Coach Ralph’s group enters the series playing some of its best hockey of the season, going 8-1-1-0 over its last 10 games. The Blades have also found success away from home, collecting points in seven of their last eight road contests and posting a 6-1-1-0 record during that stretch. Overall, Florida leads the ECHL with 12 road wins and owns the second-best road record by win percentage with a 12-3-1-0 mark away from Hertz Arena.
 
This season the Blades are 6-2-0-1 outside the South Division, including a perfect 3-0 record against the North Division. 
 
On the other side, the Railers find themselves sixth in the North Division with 28 points, trailing Trois-Rivières and Maine by one point. Worcester has struggled of late, dropping three of its last four contests, including its last two in a row. The Railers opened a busy week with a 4–1 setback against Adirondack in Glens Falls.
 
Special teams could play a key role in the series, particularly away from home. Florida owns the league’s top road penalty kill at 90.4 percent and ranks fourth overall at 86.3 percent, while also allowing the second-fewest goals per game in the ECHL at 2.10. Worcester, meanwhile, has found success on the power play, ranking seventh in the league at 21.2 percent, but has struggled on the penalty kill, sitting 27th at 76.4 percent despite being tied for the sixth-most shorthanded goals this season.
 
Anthony Romano has been a driving force for Florida this season, earning selection as the Everblades’ All-Star representative while leading the team in scoring with 25 points (9g–16a). Romano enters the weekend with points in 13 of his last 14 games. In goal, Will Cranley has been equally impressive, winning eight straight starts and ranking third in the ECHL in both goals-against average (1.78) and save percentage (.934).
 
For Worcester, Anthony Repaci leads the Railers with 20 points (8g–12a) after coming off a career season in which he paced Worcester with 65 points in 57 games. Between the pipes, former Everblade Parker Gahagen has provided stability, ranking ninth in the league in goals-against average (2.28) while posting a 6-2-1 record and a .927 save percentage in 10 appearances.
 
This weekend marks the first meeting between the two sides since the 2023-24 season when Florida hosted and swept Worcester. Florida has controlled the all-time series owning a 5-1 record in six meetings, including wins in each of the last five matchups.
 
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