ECHL: South Division Recap | Week 13

Welcome to the latest weekly update on the ECHL South Division standings! As the season heats up, teams are fiercely competing for the top spots, delivering thrilling hockey action week after week. In this article, we’ll dive into the current standings, highlight key performances, and provide insights into the exciting developments across the division. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a casual observer, there’s plenty to catch up on!

South Division Standings

Here are the current standings for the division:

1. Florida Everblades: 51 points, 24-7-3-0 record
2. Jacksonville Icemen: 45 points, 21-11-2-1 record
3. South Carolina Stingrays: 43 points, 20-10-2-1 record
4. Savannah Ghost Pirates: 38 points, 18-14-2-0 record
5. Orlando Solar Bears: 41 points, 18-16-5-0 record
6. Atlanta Gladiators: 38 points, 17-17-3-1 record
7. Greenville Swamp Rabbits: 32 points, 14-15-3-1 record

The Florida Everblades are at the top of the division with 51 points. Close behind are the Jacksonville Icemen, trailing by just six points, followed by the South Carolina Stingrays, who are eight points behind. The Orlando Solar Bears sit 10 points back from the Everblades, while the Savannah Ghost Pirates and Atlanta Gladiators are 13 points behind the leaders. Lastly, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits find themselves 19 points behind the Florida Everblades.

Overall League-Wide Standings

Week-to-Week Comparison

• Atlanta Gladiators: 17th place, down one from 16th
• Florida Everblades: 2nd place, up one from 3rd
• Greenville Swamp Rabbits: 20th place, down three from 17th
• Jacksonville Icemen: 9th place, up one from 10th
• Orlando Solar Bears: 16th place, up three from 19th
• Savannah Ghost Pirates: 14th place, up one from 15th
• South Carolina Stingrays: 7th place, up one from 8th

In the latest overall league standings, the Florida Everblades have climbed to 2nd place, improving from 3rd. The Jacksonville Icemen have also made strides, moving up to 9th from 10th. Meanwhile, the South Carolina Stingrays have progressed to 7th place, rising from 8th, and the Savannah Ghost Pirates have improved their position to 14th from 15th. The Orlando Solar Bears have seen a significant jump to 16th place, up from 19th. On the other hand, the Atlanta Gladiators have dropped to 17th from 16th, and the Greenville Swamp Rabbits have fallen to 20th from 17th.

ECHL Career Milestones

Kristopher Myllari – 300th ECHL Career Game

Cam Johnson – 100th win – (Florida Everblades)

Dylan Carabia – 150th Game (Atlanta Gladiators)

First Professional Goals

Connor Galloway – Atlanta Gladiators

Hat Tricks

Chris Grando – Jacksonville Icemen

Cody Sylvester – Atlanta Gladiators – 3rd Career Hatty

Team News & Notes

Atlanta Gladiators: Cody Sylvester dazzled fans with his third career ECHL hat trick, scoring three goals in a single game against Cincinnati. The Gladiators are a force to be reckoned with when leading after two periods, boasting an impressive 11-1-1 record. Despite a challenging week with three losses and one win, Atlanta is gearing up to host Orlando on Friday and Greenville on Saturday. When they score first, their chances of winning skyrocket (12-3-1). Their power play is decent at home (16.5%) but struggles on the road (8.0%). Defensively, their penalty kill is solid at home (83.3%) but needs improvement on the road (72.9%). Atlanta has also managed to score a few shorthanded goals at home, showcasing their resilience.

Game Recaps – Karen Zehner

Florida Everblades: Cam Johnson recently celebrated a milestone with his 100th win for the Everblades. Florida is known for their strong starts, outscoring opponents 30-15 in the first period. Last week, they secured two wins out of three games and are set to face Savannah three times this week. The Everblades excel when they score first (16-3-2). Their power play is effective both at home (21.1%) and on the road (15.3%). Their penalty kill is particularly strong on the road (84.4%). Florida has also been successful in scoring shorthanded goals both at home and away, adding to their offensive prowess.

Greenville Swamp Rabbits: Bryce Brodzinski has been on fire, scoring points in 12 of his last 14 games (3 goals and 9 assists). The Swamp Rabbits are formidable when leading after two periods, with a 9-1-0 record. Despite a tough week with three losses, they are ready to bounce back with games against South Carolina and Atlanta. Greenville often wins when they score first (11-6-2). Their power play is average at home (16.1%) and on the road (17.8%). Their penalty kill is strong at home (86.0%) but less effective on the road (77.1%). They have also scored a few shorthanded goals both at home and away, demonstrating their versatility.

Jacksonville Icemen: Matt Vernon has been unstoppable, winning eight of his last nine games (8-0-1). The Icemen thrive when they outshoot their opponents, with an 11-5-0 record in such games. Last week, they dominated with three consecutive wins and are set to play Orlando and Reading this week. Jacksonville usually wins when they score first (14-3-1-1). Their power play is more effective on the road (19.6%) than at home (10.2%). Their penalty kill is solid both at home (83.1%) and on the road (82.5%). The Icemen have also scored several shorthanded goals at home, showcasing their defensive strength.

Orlando Solar Bears: Aaron Luchuk is on the brink of becoming the Solar Bears’ all-time points leader, with 198 career points, just three shy of the record. Orlando has been exceptional on the penalty kill recently, with a 98.0% success rate over the last 13 games. Last week, they secured four straight wins and are preparing to face Jacksonville, Atlanta, and South Carolina. Orlando often wins when they score first (10-3-3). Their power play is effective both at home (19.6%) and on the road (19.4%). Their penalty kill is outstanding, especially at home (91.2%). The Solar Bears have also scored a few shorthanded goals both at home and away, highlighting their all-around game.

Game Recaps – Armand Klisivitch

Savannah Ghost Pirates: Logan Drevitch has been a standout performer, racking up 12 points (3G, 9A) in his last nine games. Savannah is tied for the league lead in shorthanded goals with seven. Last week, they won both of their games and are set to play Florida three times this week. Savannah usually wins when they score first (12-3-2). Their power play is very strong at home (25.6%) and good on the road (19.0%). Their penalty kill is excellent at home (88.3%) and solid on the road (81.1%). The Ghost Pirates have scored several shorthanded goals both at home and away, showcasing their aggressive play.

South Carolina Stingrays: Kyler Kupka has been on a scoring spree, with 12 points (6G, 6A) in his last eight games. The Stingrays are highly successful when they score first (16-2-1). Last week, they had one win and one loss and are gearing up to play Greenville twice and Orlando once this week. South Carolina usually wins when they score first. Their power play is effective both at home (21.2%) and on the road (25.9%). Their penalty kill is outstanding, especially on the road (93.8%). The Stingrays have scored a shorthanded goal at home, adding to their defensive capabilities.

Transaction News By Team

Here are the recent transactions for South Division:

Atlanta Gladiators: The Gladiators have been relatively quiet on the transaction front recently, with no major moves reported.

Florida Everblades: The Everblades have been active, with Will Cranley being reassigned by St. Louis (NHL) from Springfield (AHL) on January 8th. Additionally, Tarun Fizer was loaned from Springfield (AHL), and Cole Moberg was signed to an SPC (Standard Player Contract) on the same day.

Greenville Swamp Rabbits: Greenville saw some movement with Kaleb Lawrence being reassigned by Los Angeles (NHL) from Ontario (AHL) on January 7th. Derek Osik was released from his SPC on the same day.

Jacksonville Icemen: The Icemen made a notable move with Olivier Nadeau being reassigned by Buffalo (NHL) on January 7th. Jonathan Hampton was released from his SPC on the same day.

Orlando Solar Bears: Orlando has been very active. On January 12th, Alexis Gravel and Spencer Kersten were loaned to Belleville (AHL), and Marc Terriault was added as an emergency backup. On January 11th, Mark Cheremeta was traded from Kalamazoo. Earlier, on January 10th, Jake Chiasson was reassigned by Ottawa (NHL) to Belleville (AHL). On January 6th, CJ McGee was traded to Indy, and Djibril Touré was reassigned by Ottawa (NHL) from Belleville (AHL).

Savannah Ghost Pirates: Savannah had some key transactions with Cooper Black being recalled from loan by Charlotte Checkers (AHL) on January 10th, and Keith Kinkaid being reassigned by Charlotte Checkers (AHL) on the same day.

South Carolina Stingrays: The Stingrays saw Garin Bjorklund reassigned by Washington (NHL) to Hershey (AHL) on January 11th, and Ryan Lemire was added as an emergency backup on the same day. Earlier, on January 8th, Zac Funk was reassigned by Washington (NHL) from Hershey (AHL), and Connor Lovie was released from his SPC.

Last Week’s Game Results

During the past week, there were a total of five overtime (OT) games and two shootout (SO) games, adding some extra excitement for the fans. Here are the results for last week:

Atlanta Gladiators: The Gladiators had a challenging week, winning one out of four games, including a high-scoring victory against Cincinnati but losing to South Carolina and Jacksonville.

January 8: South Carolina 7 at Atlanta 3
January 10: Atlanta 1 at Jacksonville 4
January 11: Cincinnati 4 at Atlanta 2
January 12: Cincinnati 3 at Atlanta 5

Florida Everblades: The Everblades had a strong week, winning two out of three games, including a shutout victory against Idaho.

January 8: Florida 4 at Idaho 0
January 10: Florida 4 at Idaho 5
January 11: Florida 6 at Idaho 1

Greenville Swamp Rabbits: The Swamp Rabbits had a tough week, losing all three of their games, including an overtime loss to Orlando.

January 7: Greenville 1 at Orlando 2 (OT)
January 8: Greenville 2 at Jacksonville 5
January 12: Savannah 4 at Greenville 2

Jacksonville Icemen: The Icemen had an excellent week, winning all three of their games, including a dominant victory against South Carolina.

January 8: Greenville 2 at Jacksonville 5
January 10: Atlanta 1 at Jacksonville 4
January 11: South Carolina 1 at Jacksonville 5

Orlando Solar Bears: The Solar Bears had a perfect week, winning all four of their games, including a shutout victory against Adirondack.

January 7: Greenville 1 at Orlando 2 (OT)
January 10: Orlando 6 at Adirondack 0
January 11: Orlando 4 at Adirondack 3 (OT)
January 12: Orlando 3 at Adirondack 2

Savannah Ghost Pirates: The Ghost Pirates had a mixed week, winning one out of two games, including a close victory against Greenville.

January 8: Cincinnati 1 at Savannah 0
January 12: Savannah 4 at Greenville 2

South Carolina Stingrays: The Stingrays had a mixed week, winning one out of two games, including a high-scoring victory against Atlanta but losing to Jacksonville.

January 8: South Carolina 7 at Atlanta 3
January 11: South Carolina 1 at Jacksonville 5

The South Division is a thrilling hub of hockey action for the ECHL, where every team continuously displays their talent and grit on the ice each and every game. As we progress further into the season, anticipate more edge-of-your-seat games, remarkable performances, and crucial moments that will influence the final rankings.

Keep an eye out for our weekly updates and comprehensive analysis to stay informed and engaged with all the latest developments in the ECHL South Division. Don’t miss a moment of the excitement—join us as we document the incredible journey of these teams!