ECHL Florida Everblades

'Blades fill out training camp roster, get 13 added

Published on October 4, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL)
Florida Everblades News Release


ESTERO, FL - Florida Everblades President & General Manager Craig Brush, along with Head Coach Gerry Fleming announced today that the team has added 13 players to the roster to bring their 2006-07 training camp roster to 21.

Added to the roster are forwards Mike Angelidis, Vince Bellissimo, Derek Damon, Kevin Estrada, Jonathan Lehun, Dustin Johner, Bill Kinkel and Brad Parsons along with defensemen Brett Carson and Bret Nasby. Goaltenders Craig Kowalski, Kevin Nastiuk and David Shantz round out the roster.

Angelidis, a 21-year-old rookie, had a career year in the Ontario Hockey League with the Owen Sound Attack last season, tallying 53 goals, 27 assists and 167 penalty minutes. The Woodbridge, Ontario native also chipped in 14 points (5g, 9a) in 11 OHL playoff games. The 6-foot-1, 190 pound winger spent four years with the Attack and totaled 132 points (78g, 54a) and 492 PIM in 240 career OHL games.

Bellissimo, a 5th round draft pick by the Florida Panthers in 2002, returns to the Everblades after posting 23 points (13g, 10a) in 19 regular season games and 13 points (5g, 8a) in eight Kelly Cup Playoff games last season. The 23-year-old also spent 47 games in the American Hockey League with the Lowell Lock Monsters notching eight goals and six assists. After spending three seasons at Western Michigan University from 2002-05 where he scored 113 points in 110 games, the Toronto, Ontario native made his professional debut with San Antonio of the AHL playing in 12 games and picking up six points.

Damon joins the Everblades after wrapping up a four-year collegiate career at the University of Maine in 2005-06. Last season the 25-year-old picked up 35 points (15g, 20a) in 40 games as a senior with the Black Bears before making his pro debut by skating in three games with Lowell in the AHL. The native of Bangor, Maine compiled 111 points in 159 career games at the University of Maine.

Estrada, a 3rd round draft pick by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2001, returns to the Everblades where he played in just seven regular season games posting six points (1g, 5a), but skated in all eight Everblades Kelly Cup playoff games and notched one goal and four assists. The 24-year-old spent the majority of last season in the AHL with Lowell where he picked tallied 15 points (5g, 10a) in 59 games. Prior to joining the professional ranks last season, the native of Surrey, BC played four years at the collegiate level with Michigan State University from 2001-05 and compiled 42 points in 135 games.

Lehun, a former 6th round pick by the St. Louis Blues in 2003, makes a return to the Everblades after beginning his rookie campaign last year in SW Florida by notching 31 points (11g, 20a) in 31 games before being traded to Pensacola where he skated in two games. The 22-year-old finished off the 2005-06 season by playing in three games in Germany with Berlin of the DEL. The Toronto, Ont. native spent two seasons in the OHL with Owen Sound before turning pro. In 116 career games with the Attack Lehun tallied 87 points (30g, 57a) and 44 PIM.

Johner also returns to the Everblades where he picked up 15 goals and 21 assists in 36 regular season games and chipped in nine points (5g, 4a) in eight Kelly Cup Playoff games. The native of Sylvan Lake, began the 2005-06 season with Las Vegas of the ECHL, seeing action in nine games before getting called up to Omaha of the AHL for five games. The 23-year-old was then traded by Calgary to the Panthers and assigned to the Everblades. A former 6th round draft pick by the Panthers in 2001, Johner also saw action in Rochester of the AHL for 16 games last season.

Kinkel, a 9th round draft pick by the New Jersey Devils in 2002, joins the Everblades after spending last season with the Houston Aeros of the AHL, picking up six points (3g, 3a) and 190 PIM in 56 games. The 6-foor-5, 239 pound winger split in rookie campaign in 2004-05 between Pensacola of the ECHL and Houston. The 22-year-old began his rookie season with the Ice Pilots by playing in 30 games and amassing 180 PIM and chipping in three goals and one assist before getting called up to Houston where he finished the season appearing in 12 games and totaling 41 PIM. The Buffalo, NY native spent three years in the OHL with Kitchener and Kingston before joining the pro ranks. In his three-year junior career Kinkel picked up 390 PIM and added 51 points in 184 games.

Parsons joins the Everblades after splitting last season between South Carolina of the ECHL and Helsinki in the Finnish League. The 27-year-old began the 2005-06 campaign by skating in 39 games with the Stingrays and tallying 38 points (12g, 26a). Parsons closed out last season playing in 12 games with HIFK Helsinki and scoring two goals and four assists. The native of Kingston, Massachusetts is entering his fifth professional season and along with his two seasons with South Carolina, Parsons has seen action at the AHL level with Portland. As a pro Parsons has picked up 124 points (35g, 89a) in 232 games.

Defensively Carson makes his professional debut in 2006-07. The 4th round draft pick by the Hurricanes in 2004 completed a five-year junior career in the Western Hockey League last season by posting career high numbers with the Calgary Hitmen. The 6-foot-5, 215 pound blue-liner had a career high in goals (11) assists (29) points (40) and PIM (62) in 72 games with Calgary. The Whitewood, Sask. native also chipped in seven points in 13 WHL playoff games with the Hitmen last year. During his junior career, which began with Moose Jaw, Carson posted 110 points in 268 games.

Nasby, a 5th round draft pick by the Panthers in 2004, also makes his professional debut this season after skating in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals and the Erie Otters the past three seasons. Last year the 20-year-old split the season between the Generals and Otters, beginning the year with 14 points (5g, 9a) in 20 games with Oshawa before completing the season with 17 points (4g, 13a) in 32 games with the Otters. The 6-foot-3, 190 pound native of Grimsby, Ont. totaled 55 points in 174 career OHL games.

Between the pipes, the Everblades see Kowalski and Nastiuk return. Kowalski, an 8th round draft pick of the Hurricanes in 2000, closed out the 2005-06 season on the Carolina Hurricanes playoff roster and returns for his third season with the Everblades. The 25-year-old began last year with the Everblades and compiled a 12-6-0 record with a 2.80 goals against average and a .915 save percentage in 18 games. The Clinton Township, Michigan native earned a call up to Lowell of the AHL where he finished the regular season by posting a 6-11-3 record and a 3.38 GAA in 20 games.

Nastiuk returns for his second season with the Everblades. The 4th round draft pick by the Hurricanes in 2003 split his rookie season last year between Lowell and the Everblades. The 21-year-old began the season with the Lock Monsters and posted a record of 1-7-3 with a 3.45 GAA and an .887 save percentage in 11 games before joining the Everblades. The native of Edmonton, Alta. closed out the regular season with a record of 13-4-2, a 2.52 GAA and a save percentage of .924 in 20 games. Nastiuk saw action in three Kelly Cup Playoff games last year, going 1-0. Prior to turning pro, Nastiuk spent four years in the WHL with Medicine Hat, leading the Tigers to the WHL title and a trip to the Memorial Cup in 2003-04.

Shantz joins the Everblades for his rookie season after spending the past three years in the OHL with the Mississauga Ice Dogs and Peterborough Petes. The 2nd round draft pick of the Panthers in 2004 compiled a 31-14-3 record with a 2.87 GAA in 49 games with the Petes last year. The 20-year-old then helped lead the Petes to the OHL title and a trip to the Memorial Cup by posting a 16-3 record with a 2.61 GAA in 19 OHL Playoff games. In his three seasons at the junior level, Shantz has compiled a 62-42-10.

The Florida Everblades, proud affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers, begin the 2006-07 season on Friday, October 20 when they host the Texas Wildcatters at 7:30 p.m. at Germain Arena. Florida Everblades full season tickets & mini-plans are now available! Reserve your seat for all the exciting action today by calling (239) 948-7825. Visit www.floridaeverblades.com and www.germainarena.com for more information on group ticket packages, pricing and upcoming Germain Arena events.

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