ECHL Kelly Cup Playoff Preview: Jacksonville Icemen vs. Florida Everblades | South Division Semifinal

Everblades, Icemen Renew Heated Rivalry in South Division Semifinals

For the fourth consecutive season, the Jacksonville Icemen and Florida Everblades meet in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, renewing one of the South Division’s fiercest rivalries. This marks the fifth postseason series between the two clubs since 2019, with Florida having won each of the previous four matchups—including a thrilling comeback in 2024 when the Everblades rallied from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the South Division Semifinals.

Florida (49-15-7-1, 106 points) finished second in the South Division with a .736 points percentage. The Everblades are aiming for an unprecedented fourth consecutive Kelly Cup title, having already secured an ECHL-record four championships. Florida was one of the most balanced teams in the league this season, finishing with 241 goals scored and just 165 allowed.

Between the pipes, Cam Johnson—named the 2025 Nick Vitucci Award recipient as the ECHL Goaltender of the Year earlier today—had already earned All-ECHL First Team honors after leading the league in wins (37) and goals-against average (1.92), while tying for eighth in save percentage (.921).

Top Florida Forwards

• Carson Gicewicz (#15) – Florida’s leading scorer with 28 goals and 55 points in 66 games, also contributed 6 PPG and 3 SHG, with a +32 rating.
• Colin Theisen (#43) – Totaled 51 points (20g, 31a) across 71 games, with 4 power-play goals and 9 first goals, while firing 194 shots.
• Oliver Chau (#20) – Tied Gicewicz in points per game (0.83), producing 48 points (23g, 25a) in 58 games, including 5 power-play and 3 shorthanded goals.

Top Florida Defensemen

• Jordan Sambrook (#6) – Led the defensive group with 32 points (6g, 26a) and a stellar +36 rating over 68 games.
• Kade Landry (#5) – Logged 19 points in 44 games, quarterbacking play with 17 assists and steady defensive positioning.
• Connor Doherty (#28) – Provided physical edge and shutdown defense with 121 PIM and 18 points (4g, 14a) in 60 games.

Jacksonville (42-22-7-1, 92 points) locked up the third seed in the South and qualified for the postseason for the fourth straight year. The Icemen had the third-best home record in the league (25-8-2-1) and showed resilience down the stretch under head coach Sean Teakle, who took over on February 14 and led the club to a 13-6-5 finish.

Top Jacksonville Forwards

• Chris Grando (#13) – Jacksonville’s point leader with 54 points (21g, 33a) in 71 games, including 4 power-play and 2 shorthanded goals.
• Olivier Nadeau (#68) – Led the Icemen in goals with 28 in just 48 games, adding 22 assists and 8 power-play markers.
• Christopher Brown (#10) – Contributed 45 points (24g, 21a) across 70 games, chipping in 7 PPG and a team-high 5 game-winning goals.

Top Jacksonville Defensemen

• Noah Laaouan (#4) – The top-producing D-man with 44 points (8g, 36a) and a +17 rating, while leading team defenders in shot generation.
• Garrett Van Wyhe (#51) – Added 34 points in 53 games with solid two-way play, including 12 goals and 1 SHG.
• Ivan Chukarov (#28) – Steady and consistent, posted 33 points (7g, 26a) in 67 games with a +16 rating and shutdown reliability.

Florida went 5-1-1 in the regular-season series, while Jacksonville was 2-3-2. Four of the seven meetings were decided by one goal. Olivier Chau led all skaters in the series with six goals and eight points, while Cam Johnson went 5-0-1 with a 1.94 GAA against the Icemen. Christopher Brown led Jacksonville with four goals in the season series, and Brendan Harris notched a team-high seven points (2g-5a).

Series Schedule – South Division Semifinals

• Game 1: Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Florida
• Game 2: Saturday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Florida
• Game 3: Wednesday, April 23 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Jacksonville
• Game 4: Thursday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Jacksonville
• Game 5: Sunday, April 27 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Jacksonville (If Necessary)
• Game 6: Tuesday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Florida (If Necessary)
• Game 7: Wednesday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Florida (If Necessary)