The Florida Everblades have locked down second-generation pro Matthew Barnaby for the 2023-24 season.
Reigning Kelly Cup champions the Florida Everblades have signed forward Matthew Barnaby for the 2023-24 season.
Barnaby, 25, joins the Everblades after suiting up for division rivals Orlando Solar Bears, last season. The native of Buffalo, New York appeared in 42 games for Orlando in 2022-23, scoring five goals and seven assists.
He's entering his third ECHL season after debuting with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in 2021 and spending 2021-22 with the Fort Wayne Komets. He sports 10 goals and 12 assists across 76 ECHL games.
Barnaby began his pro career in the SPHL, starting in 2019 with the Evansville Thunderbolts and finishing 2021 with the Huntsville Havoc, compiling 27 goals and 32 assists in 67 games.
He turned pro after finishing his junior career in the USHL, splitting the season between the Chicago Steel and Youngstown Phantoms, banking 10 goals and 19 assists through 53 games that season.
Barnaby’s father, also Matthew Barnaby, was a known commodity and pesky presence who played 834 NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks, and Dallas Stars. He earned 113 goals and 300 points across his big league career (including 22 points through 62 playoff games), with a whopping 2,562 penalty minutes.