The Florida Everblades have announced that they have re-signed defenseman Riese Zmolek for the 2024-25 season, which will be his second with the Everblades and fourth year in the ECHL. The 27-year-old spent his first two seasons in the ECHL with the Iowa Heartlanders, where he put up five goals and 22 assists for 27 points in 78 games with the Heartlanders and served as the team’s captain during the 2022-23 season before being traded to the Everblades in exchange for Will Caverly last August. Zmolek put up four goals and ten assists for 14 points in 53 regular season games during the 2023-24 season and added three goals and three assists in 23 Kelly Cup Playoff games. Prior to going pro, the Minnesota native would play four years at Minnesota State (Mankato), where he put up seven goals and 33 assists for 40 points in 135 games as the Mavericks would win the WCHA regular season championship all four years that Zmolek played there.
There’s a lot to like about this signing for the Everblades. Zmolek has shown to be a leader everywhere he’s gone, as he wore a letter in college along with both of the ECHL teams he’s played with. Heading into next season, expect Zmolek to find himself on the second pairing for the Everblades. Zmolek is the third defenseman signed for the Everblades, joining Adrien Bisson and Jordan Sambrook, both returning to the Everblades. Zmolke’s younger brother, Will Zmolek, signed an AHL deal yesterday with the Iowa Wild.
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