Can the Florida Everblades Become An ECHL Dynasty?

To reach the promised land in pro sports, a team needs a particular cocktail of luck and skill, that secret sauce of talent, chemistry, and skin-o-your-teeth fortune that can allow a club to run the table without injury or fatigue-laden collapse.

The very nature of an AA league like the ECHL, or their AAA sister AHL, necessitates a certain amount of acceptance in the art of the shakeup. The best-laid plans of head coaches and GMs can go awry in an instant, as superstars and core pieces move to and fro between partner organizations, making consistency a luxury and long-standing dominance unlikely.  

The recent exploits of the Florida Everblades then, and their entire history of post-season success, is nothing short of miraculous. 

The club has only missed the post-season once in its 25-year history and is currently enjoying the spoils of back-to-back Kelly Cup wins. Their post-season record is sparkling, to say the least, and they find themselves in rarefied air heading into the 2023-24 season, on the cusp of capturing the ever-elusive three-peat title win.

Diving into the tale of the tape, the Everblades are one of only five teams to win consecutive league championships. The others are the Hampton Roads Admirals in 90-91 and 92-93, Toledo Storm in 92-93 and 94-95 (both in the Riley Cup era), the Allen Americans in 2014-15 and 2015-16, and the Colorado Eagles in 2016-17 and 2017-18. 

Perhaps the secret ingredient in the witch's brew that has propelled the Everblades to the upper echelon of the 'E' is head coach Brad Ralph. Ralph has been a constant on the Everblades since joining the club in the summer of 2016 as their fifth head coach.

In the 2017-18 season, Florida set club records for wins (53) and points (112) while reaching the Kelly Cup Finals for the fourth time in club history, earning Ralph the John Brophy Award as the ECHL Coach of the Year. 

His 79 career wins and 130 games coached in the Kelly Cup Playoffs are in first place all-time.

Goaltending has likewise been a hallmark of Florida's success. In both of their back-to-back Kelly Cup wins Blades goaltender Cam Johnson earned the playoff MVP title, putting up sparkling numbers in 2021-22 (15 wins, 1.90 GAA, .0931 save percentage with 4 shutouts) and 2022-23 (16 wins, 2.10 GAA, .922 save percentage with 4 shutouts). He's the first-ever back-to-back playoff MVP and he's tied the playoff record for all-time shutouts (8) and all-time wins in one playoff (16).

The jury's still out for the 2023-24 ECHL campaign. As of press time Florida has yet to reveal their entire roster, though we know that former Blades goalie Anthony Peters has joined Ralph's coaching staff as an assistant coach.

Sport is at its best when there's a compelling story at the heart of the game. Ralph and company have the chance to become the first and only team in the 35-year lineage of the league to win three consecutive Kelly Cups. 

The prospective first dynasty in ECHL history may be close to taking a bite out of the competition, pun intended.