ECHL Game Preview: Florida Everblades at Atlanta Gladiators | 11/14/2024

Date & Time: Thursday, 10:30 AM
Venue: Gas South Arena

The Atlanta Gladiators are excited to present their inaugural School Day game of the 2024-25 season at Gas South Arena, inviting students and educators for a morning filled with thrilling hockey action. Scheduled for Thursday morning at 10:30 AM, this special event guarantees an unforgettable experience for young fans. As the Gladiators face off against the tough Florida Everblades, the arena will certainly come alive with energy and enthusiasm, creating an ideal day for students to support their local hockey team while enjoying a unique field trip. It will hopefully be a loud and proud day for the Gladiators as they host the Everblades on their home ice for the second time this season.

Where to Watch/Listen

Atlanta News & Notes

First up, the latest update from the Gladiators. Wednesday afternoon, the team revealed that defenseman Jeremy Hanzel has been reassigned from the Atlanta Gladiators to the Milwaukee Admirals by the Nashville Predators. During his time with the Gladiators this season, Hanzel has played in 11 games, accumulating two points (1g, 1a). He scored his first professional goal on November 2nd in Savannah against the Ghost Pirates. Last year, he started his professional career with the Admirals, playing five games and recording two assists.

Additionally, Atlanta has announced the signing of forward Patriks Marcinkevics to a contract for the 2024-25 season. Marcinkevics has had an impressive career, marked by achievements across various levels of competition. In the NCDC, he played for the Jersey Hitmen and was named the 2021-22 NCDC Player of the Year, leading the league in scoring with 96 points in 49 games and setting a record for the highest points total in the league’s history. Internationally, Marcinkevics has represented Latvia, including at the World Junior Under-18 Championships Division 1A Tournament, where he played a role in helping his team win gold. Additionally, he played college hockey for Long Island University (LIU) in the NCAA, where he continued to develop his skills and made significant contributions to his team’s performance.

Since being traded from the Quad City Storm to the SPHL’s Macon Mayhem on October 23, the left-shot forward has tallied five points (1g, 4a) in five games. Marcinkevics began his professional career at the start of last season, playing six games and recording three assists with the Utah Grizzlies.

Florida News & Notes

The Florida Everblades announced Tuesday the signing of forward Tyler Kobryn to a standard player contract. Kobryn is entering his second season with the Everblades, having joined them in the 2023-2024 season. He began his professional career with the Tulsa Oilers during the 2020-21 season, recording three goals and three assists in 33 games.

In the 2022-23 season, he played 39 games with the Atlanta Gladiators, scoring six goals and adding three assists. He also had brief stints with the Indy Fuel and Reading Royals, where he contributed an assist in two games with the Royals. The previous season, 2021-22, saw him split his time between the Atlanta Gladiators and the Kalamazoo Wings. With the Gladiators, he played 32 games, recording three goals and six assists, and with the Wings, he added one goal and oneassist in 16 games.

Over those two seasons, he played for five different ECHL teams, including the Atlanta Gladiators, Kalamazoo Wings, Indy Fuel, and Reading Royals, accumulating a total of 10 goals and 10 assists in 91 games.

Originally from Hillsborough, New Jersey, Kobryn developed his skills at the USHS Prep level with Delbarton School, where he competed for four consecutive seasons before moving on to NCAA hockey. He then spent four years at Wesleyan University, amassing 29 points in 97 games, including 16 goals and 11 assists, before turning professional.

Team Statistics Heading into the Game

Here are the complete stats for the Atlanta Gladiators and the Florida Everblades:

Atlanta Gladiators

• Record: 3-6-2-0
• Goals For (GF): 14
• Goals Against (GA): 30
• Power Play (PP): 11%
• Penalty Kill (PK): 80%
• Shorthanded Goals: 1

Florida Everblades

• Record: 7-2-0-0
• Goals For (GF): 25
• Goals Against (GA): 15
• Power Play (PP): 13%
• Penalty Kill (PK): 79%
• Shorthanded Goals: 1

Game Day Matchup

Atlanta Gladiators

• Recent Performance: The Gladiators have struggled recently, with a three-game losing streak. They have scored 14 goals and conceded 30.
• Key Players: Cody Sylvester, Eric Neiley, and Jackson Pierson are crucial for Atlanta’s offense. Goaltenders Drew DeRidder and Ethan Haider have shown strong performances despite the team’s overall struggles. Eric Neiley and Blake Murray were both out of the lineup for the last few games, so it will be interesting to see if either rejoin the lineup in this match up.
• Special Teams: Atlanta’s penalty kill has been solid so far at 80% so their power play efficiency could be a deciding factor.
• Possible Strategy: Atlanta will need to focus on creating high-quality scoring chances, especially during their power plays. This could involve setting up better puck movement and positioning to break through Florida’s strong penalty kill.

Florida Everblades

• Recent Performance: The Everblades are on a two-game winning streak and have shown a balanced attack with 25 goals scored and 15 conceded.
• Key Players: Logan Lambdin and Carson Gicewicz are key offensive threats. The team has a solid defense and goaltending, which has been a cornerstone of their success.
• Special Teams: Florida’s power play poses a significant challenge for Atlanta’s defense, while their penalty kill has proven to be quite effective. The success of Florida’s power play and penalty kill may play a crucial role in this game, particularly if Atlanta has difficulty capitalizing on their own power play chances.

Key Matchups

• Goaltending: The performance of Atlanta’s goaltending will be crucial in neutralizing Florida’s potent offense.
• Special Teams: Atlanta’s penalty kill vs. Florida’s power play could be a pivotal aspect of the game. Don’t count our the ‘Blades on the power play either as they sit just behind Atlanta at 79%.
• Faceoffs: Winning faceoffs will be essential for Atlanta to control the pace and create scoring opportunities.

Strategies

Atlanta Gladiators
They need to maintain their strong defensive play and capitalize on every power play opportunity. Quick transitions from defense to offense, and winning faceoffs, will be key.

Florida Everblades
With the home advantage going to Atlanta and the school day likely to be full of excited young fans, the ‘Blades will need to leverage their balanced attack and solid defense to keep the Gladiators at bay.