WHO: Florida Everblades (19-6-1-1) vs. Orlando Solar Bears (10-14-2-1)
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 at https://espnswfl.com.
ESTERO, Fla. – The Florida Everblades ring in 2026 on Friday, January 2, with Peanuts Night presented by Animal Refuge Center, as they welcome the Orlando Solar Bears.
Entering the holiday break, the Blades were playing some of their best hockey, winning nine of their last 10 contests and posting a 12-1-1-0 record over their last 14. Florida has been especially dominant within the South Division, skating to a 13-4-1-0 mark. Offensively, the Blades are led by Anthony Romano, who has collected points in 12 of his last 13 games and enters the weekend with 23 points (9g-14a). Hudson Elynuik leads Florida with 10 goals and has recorded 17 points in 13 games. In net, Will Cranley ranks fourth in the ECHL with a 1.76 goals-against average and .935 save percentage, while Cam Johnson also sits fourth league-wide with 10 wins.
On the other side, the Solar Bears are coming off a decisive 6–3 victory over the Jacksonville Icemen on Tuesday at Kia Center. After a slow start to the season, Orlando has found its form, posting a 9-2-2-1 record over its last 14 contests. Spencer Kersten paces the Orlando attack with 32 points (15g-17a), including eight points over his last three games. Kersten’s 32 points rank third in the ECHL, while his 15 goals are tied for the second-most league-wide. Former Everblade Reece Newkirk sits behind Kersten with 26 points (9g-17a) and has also surged of late, recording eight points over his last three games. Newkirk’s 26 points are tied for the 13th most in the ECHL.
Florida has held the upper hand in the season series, winning five of six meetings against Orlando and outscoring the Solar Bears, 21–5. Cranley has played a pivotal role, winning all three of his starts against Orlando, including a pair of shutouts.
Special teams will be a key storyline, as Florida enters the matchup with a league-best 86.8% penalty kill, while Orlando counters with the seventh-ranked power play at 21.3%, including the league’s third-best road unit at 23.8%.
Following Friday’s meeting, the two teams will conclude the weekend series on Saturday, January 3, with a 7 p.m. ET faceoff during Marvel Super Hero Night, presented by NCH.
JOIN THE FUN
Season ticket plans for the 2025-26 campaign are on sale now! Become a Blades 365 Member for the 2025-26 season and enjoy incredible savings and benefits! To view the Blades 365 Membership savings, benefits, and options click HERE.
Group Packages are available for a group of 10 or more! Everblades put 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.
Grab the newest and hottest Everblades merchandise by checking out the entire collection that is available online by visiting shop.floridaeverblades.com or at the Hertz Arena Pro Shop!
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, or online at espnswfl.com. Stay up to date by following the Blades on social media with all the latest news, scores, and promotions on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and Twitter.
Friday, January 2nd
Blades Host Solar Bears to Ring in New Year
Upcoming Home Games
Full Schedule
Wednesday, January 28th
Hump Day Deals
Puck Drops:
7:30 PM EST
Hertz Arena
at
Hertz Arena
Friday, January 30th
Hertz Night
Puck Drops:
7:30 PM EST
Hertz Arena
at
Hertz Arena
Saturday, January 31st
Hispanic Heritage Night
Puck Drops:
7:00 PM EST
Hertz Arena
at
Hertz Arena
Latest News
More News
Blades Eye Series Sweep Over Icemen
Icemen Hold Blades at Bay in 4-2 Decision
Florida Everblades Agree to Terms with Lukas Sillinger
Will Cranley Added to ECHL All-Star Classic
Special Teams Show Up Big for 5-1 Win Over Icemen
Florida Everblades Announce Rescheduled Home Games
Get Hockey Updates
Sign up for our email newsletter to be the first to know about news and upcoming games!
-
ECHL Network
-
ECHL Teams
-
Adirondack Thunder
-
Allen Americans
-
Atlanta Gladiators
-
Bloomington Bison
-
Cincinnati Cyclones
-
Florida Everblades
-
Fort Wayne Komets
-
Greensboro Gargoyles
-
Greenville Swamp Rabbits
-
Idaho Steelheads
-
Indy Fuel
-
Iowa Heartlanders
-
Jacksonville Icemen
-
Kalamazoo Wings
-
Kansas City Mavericks
-
Maine Mariners
-
Norfolk Admirals
-
Orlando Solar Bears
-
Rapid City Rush
-
Reading Royals
-
Savannah Ghost Pirates
-
South Carolina Stingrays
-
Tahoe Knight Monsters
-
Toledo Walleye
-
Trois-Rivières Lions
-
Tulsa Oilers
-
Utah Grizzlies
-
Wheeling Nailers
-
Wichita Thunder
-
Worcester Railers
-