All Blades eyes on Cup
With the Florida Everblades’ season just around the corner, training camp is well under way at Germain Arena.
Coach Malcolm Cameron’s first season was just sort of brilliant, leading the Blades to their second Brabham Cup. With an early playoff exit at the hands of eventual Kelly Cup champion South Carolina, a bad taste was left for many on a team which rewrote the recordbook for the team as well as the ECHL.
Many of the best players are returning. Among them are Kevin Baker, Ryan Lang and Peter Metcalf, three of the team’s biggest stars, along with six-year team veteran Earnie Hartlieb.
“I still want that elusive cup” said Hartlieb, 30. “I love to play. I still have fun and so I’m playing again.”
Hartlieb likes what he sees of the players invited to this training camp. “There are a lot of impressive resumes here this year.”
Cameron is impressed also. “Versus any year, I’ve never seen the whole group of guys keeping pace with each other.
“Typically after three or four days you see a group drop off from the rest and that is how decisions (cuts) are made, but here we are six days into camp and there is still a real good pace, level of effort and execution out there.”
After so much success a year ago, Cameron focuses on one aspect he is seeking to improve from last year – goaltending.
“I wanted to get a veteran goalie,” he said. “I’m not blaming anyone for the (exit) by any means, but we outshot South Carolina by 40 shots in that last game and we lost. I wanted to get a veteran goalie that we could lean on in case we got into that situation again.”
The Blades signed Mike Morrison, who brings size and NHL experience to the most important position on a hockey team.
The Blades hit the ice for a pair of preseason games Friday and Saturday at Germain Arena against Gwinnett before trimming the roster to the league mandated 23 players.