Exactly ten seasons since their previous ECHL title, the Florida Everblades—Nashville’s AA affiliate—captured their second championship last night, defeating the Toledo Walleye four games to one.
Florida took their second straight South Division title, finishing the regular season with a 42-20-10 record. The Everblades dispatched the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in a 4-2 series in round one, swept the Jacksonville Icemen in round two, and beat the Newfoundland Growlers four games to one in the conference final.
In the regular season, Blake Winiecki and John McCarron (brother of Nashville’s Michael) led the team in scoring with 70 points in each. Tomáš Vomáčka appeared in 22 regular-season games, finishing with a 0.897 save percentage and 3.793 goals allowed below average. He did not appear in a single playoff game. Frequent Milwaukee Admirals call-ups Jake McLaughlin and Xavier Bouchard helped lead the Everblades blue line, playing in 49 and 59 games, respectively. Up front, Naples, FL native Zach Solow recorded 12 points in 18 regular-season games.
A power-play tally from Zach Solow pulls the @FL_Everblades even midway through the opening period #KellyCupFinals22 pic.twitter.com/luXNrJWk2i
— ECHL (@ECHL) June 11, 2022
During their playoff run, Solow led the Everblades in scoring with 18 points in 19 games, including two goals in the championship-clinching game. Former Admiral Joe Pendenza was second in scoring with 16 points in 20 games. AHL veteran Cam Johnson, who recorded a 0.931 save percentage in 18 playoff games, was given the June M. Kelly Most Valuable Player Award.
#ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin presents June M. Kelly Playoffs MVP award to Cam Johnson of @FL_Everblades pic.twitter.com/UUvn4NGnzN
— ECHL (@ECHL) June 12, 2022
Last summer, Florida’s coach Brad Ralph signed a five-year contract extension; this was his sixth season with the Everblades.
All statistics are courtesy of eliteprospects.com or echl.com.