When you think of Florida, you think of hockey, right?  Of course not, you think of curling.  But it’s too bad you don’t think of hockey, because it is alive and well in the state.

You might point to the Florida Panthers and say otherwise, but the franchise has done a lot to right the ship, and it’s starting to pay off in attendance.  You would be ignoring the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have made two trips to the Stanley Cup Final, winning the Cup once.  Also, don’t forget that Florida teams have been to the Final three times in the last twenty years, which is two more than teams from Ontario.  Just saying.

Don’t forget the minors as well.  The return of the Orlando Solar Bears has been the feel good story of the ECHL for a few years.  And the other ECHL Florida team has been around for a long time, by minor league standards.  Yes, Florida is a hockey state, Virginia.

The Florida Everblades have long-term stability other teams should be jealous of.  They have been around since 1998, which doesn’t seem like long, but when you consider some of the other teams that Florida has hosted briefly (Jacksonville Barracudas, Florida Seals, Tallahassee Tiger Sharks, Miami Matadors, Jacksonville Lizard Kings, I COULD GO ON), it’s a remarkable run.  And considering their popularity (averaging almost 5,000 fans a game, according to HockeyDB.com), they aren’t going anywhere.

Welcome to their home, Germain Arena.

For some reason, there was a fan festival outside the arena before the game.  Perhaps they do this every week.  I didn’t see any advertising of special event.

The least popular attraction was the band.  Are these guys even supposed to be there?

Let’s head inside.

The crowd hasn’t shown up yet.  You can see the underside of seats overhead, usually the sign of a good and aging barn, the kind I like.

What is that coming down the hall?

That gator has swagger.  Aw yeah.

If you are ready to head inside, hit that link and let’s do this.

This is usually the kind of minor-league rink I love.  Steep seating area to see over the people in front of you, one level rather than multiple tiers, and very few distractions.  By minor-league standards, it’s a nice scoreboard as well.  Where it falls down is the small seats.  The guy next to me took up more than just his seat and it took a little jostling to get him to understand that I wasn’t going anywhere.  With people on either side of me, it was cramped.

It’s a little hard to see but there is a bar and restaurant about the seats in the corner.  Get to the rink early if you want to eat there.  There was a 25 minute wait when warm-ups began.

Oh, I should mention, parking was $5.  Since the most negative thing I heard about these posts recently was my complaint about paying $15 for parking in Chicago, I think updates are warranted.  If you want to park for free, park in the lot of the Outlet Mall next door.  I don’t know if they tow, but other people were doing it, and you leave the arena though the Outlet Mall anyways, so take your chances if you are cheap like I am.  Just don’t come complaining if they take your car.

Alright, let’s get to the game.  Opening face off.

There weren’t many goals in this game, and I only caught this first one.  You could see it coming a mile away.

Plenty of good up and down action.

The goalie needed a bit of help at the TV timeout.  If this were the NHL, it would have waited until an icing call.

The first period ended 1-0 Everblades.  Intermission was… um…. what?

I don’t think that’s… er….

This couldn’t get more awkward, could it?

Oh, I guess it could.

Germain Arena is more than just a minor-league rink, it also features two rec rinks and a decent pro shop.

Let’s head back for the second period. 

Those jerseys are a thing of beauty.

Good save.

And we have our first fight.  What surprised me was that the crowd stayed in their seat for the scrap, even though they were vocal and enthusiastic about it.

Hard to tell who “won” this one.

While the shots were even in the second, the action was in the Everblades end, with Greenville scoring twice.  None of these went in, but you can see how physical things got.

The second period ended 2-1 Greenville.  Let’s not stick around for more weird monkeys on the ice.

Germain Arena is primarily a hockey arena.  I’m don’t know this for a fact, just going out on a limb here.

If you are in the market for a unique souvenir, you could do worse than this alligator hat.

Sure, it costs $20, but tell me it doesn’t look good.

While we are talking about money, everything at the arena costs about a buck or two more than it really should.  Pucks over $5 are a crime against humanity, and the food is pricey for what you get.  Chicken Parm is a staple of hockey, but you should avoid the sandwich here.  It was awful.

One thing I love in an arena is when the team takes the ice by walking past the fans.  If the kids can fist bump with the players as the head out, you create fans for life.

Third period action.

We had our second fight of the night.  It was a long one, ending when the guys tired out.

This is how close the Everblades came to tying it up: post!

Speaking of posts, the goals aren’t red like you normally see.  In the minor leagues, if you can sell something, you sell it.  Ads on jerseys, ads on the posts, anywhere you can put an ad, you will see one.  It’s what keeps minor league hockey alive.

In the end, Florida couldn’t get the equalizer and the Swamp Rabbits won it 2-1.  Something you don’t usually see after a home loss is the team saluting the fans.  Even if it was a little less hearty, they still gave it up for the fans.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to a pro hockey game without one fan wearing a Red Wings jersey.  Can’t swing a dead cat…

The intermission entertainment was the Fur Circus, and they were taking pictures with the fans on the way out of the arena.

Please allow me to fuel your nightmares for the next few weeks.

Never let an opportunity go by.

If you go to a Florida Everblades game, eat before hand, sit a little higher where you get a little more space, and take the time to roam around the arena.  It’s a good place to see a game.

If you are concerned about Florida being a “non-traditional” market, don’t be.  Sure, they don’t grow ice on trees here like they do in Canada.  Ice is generally for your boat drinks.  But who cares?  The game is alive and well here, and if it can work in Texas, you bet it can work here.

If you don’t think hockey belongs in the south, the Everblades are here to prove you wrong.

 

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While it’s a labor of love and fun to do, bringing you these dispatches from the road costs real money.  From tickets and gas to parking, it adds up.  It also takes time to process and post images.

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