Forward Joe Pendenza will have a new look on his sweater tonight as he dons the “C” for the Florida Everblades, becoming the twentieth captain in franchise history. The Everblades started the season without a captain; instead, skating with three alternate captains, Tommy Apap, Bobo Carpenter, and Joe Pendenza, and coach Brad Ralph had maintained that leadership configuration until today when he informed the team that Pendenza would become the team’s captain.
The 33-year-old Wilmington, Mass. native joined the Everblades mid-season in 2019 when he was reassigned from the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL. He earned the “A” as an alternate captain at the start of the 2021 season and has served in that role since. Pendenza assumes the captaincy from Ben Masella, who wore the “C” for the Kelly Cup winning 2022-2023 season, and John McCarron, who wore the “C” from 2018-2022. Pendenza has had the most tenure with the Everblades for five seasons, and he leads the team in scoring through 36 games with 12 goals, 18 assists, and 30 points. He was a vital team member during their Kelly Cup Championship seasons in 2021 and 2022. He led the team in scoring in 2022 with 63 games played, 24 goals, 38 assists, and 62 points, and contributed 16 points in 20 games during the playoffs. His 64 points in 2021 were good enough for third on the team for scoring, and he added 16 points in the playoffs that season.
Assisting Joe Pendenza with team leadership, Oliver Chau and Logan Lambdin will wear the “A” for home games, and Bobo Carpenter will continue to wear the “A” with Riese Zmolek for away games. The new player leadership team, with captain Joe Pendenza at the front, will lead the Everblades against the visiting Greenville Swamp Rabbits tonight at Hertz Arena.
