CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — The Florida Everblades brought the Kelly Cup to Cape Coral, giving fans a chance to meet players and celebrate the team’s championship.
Everblades fans gathered at Huey Magoos for a community meet-and-greet. Fans swapped their seats in the stands for photos with the Kelly Cup.
“It’s cool that you know the community is so local,” said Jessica Lynn, an Everblades fan. “Like bigger cities, I feel like they wouldn’t be able to have that connection as a fan base.”
Defenseman Jordan Sambrook said the connection goes both ways.
“We really want to give back to them and you know obviously support them and by doing nights like this it’s huge for them and a fun night for us for sure,” Sambrook said.
Huey Magoos General Manager Drew Stamm helped bring the partnership to Cape Coral.
“I had no idea they were going to win the cup that year specifically, so it’s just a bonus, you know, being able to have them here,” Stamm said.
For fans, the access makes rooting for the Everblades that much better.
“It is awesome watching it just grow over the years,” said Owen Marge, an Everblades fan. “Because when I was coming here, when I was five, there were not very many people. But then we started winning the Kelly Cup, and just more and more people started showing up for the games.”
While fans made memories, Sambrook is already looking toward the next run.
“It’s a full restart, pretty much,” Sambrook said. “Obviously, our goal is the same: to win the cup. And we definitely want to keep it down here for many years.”
The Florida Everblades open preseason play Oct. 8 at Hertz Arena against the Orlando Solar Bears. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.