His name has become linked with the Florida Everblades. When Southwest Floridians think of their professional hockey team, they often think of three things: the team’s green alligator mascot, Germain Arena and Reggie Berg.

Entering his seventh season with the team, the 30-year-old Berg owns nine franchise career records and can break six more in the 2006-07 ECHL season.

“Reggie’s the mayor. The legend,” Florida forward Ernie Hartlieb said. “He’s a hell of a hockey player. He’s been here forever. Everybody knows Reggie around here, everybody loves Reggie.”

Reggie Berg is the face of the Florida Everblades

They have a combined 12 prospects from the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers. They have three goaltenders who could start for many of the ECHL's other 24 teams.

They have a proven enforcer (6-foot-5 Bill Kinkel), proven ECHL scorers (Reggie Berg, Vince Bellissimo, Dustin Johner) and four proven veterans (Brent McDonald, Berg, Ernie Hartlieb and Ryan Brindley).

The Florida Everblades, who have reached the postseason in every campaign of their nine-year history, have the roster and talent to post a ninth consecutive winning season in 2006-07. But will the group which plays in tonight's ECHL regular-season opener against Texas stay together? Will the Blades suffer the same number of promotions it had last season in its first year with two NHL affiliates?

Blades look promising

A new beginning for one team, and the beginning of what is certain to be a roller- coaster season for the other is what will take place tonight at Germain Arena.

When the puck drops on the 2006-07 ECHL season at 7:30, the Texas Wildcatters will have a team on the ice for the first time since April 9, 2005, with last season wiped out by Hurricane Rita.

The Florida Everblades, on the other hand, will be embarking on a quest to reach the playoffs for the ninth straight time — which is every year the franchise has been in existence.

The icebreaker
2006-07 Season Preview

Now it’s going to be hard to ignore expectations of success for the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, because they run in the family like never before.

Prior to June 19th of this year, the Everblades were the son showing up his father time and again over their brief eight-year history. They’ve never missed the playoffs, while their parent organization, the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, struggled continuously near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, save for the 2002 season when they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals.

But on that very late spring evening - actually two days before the official start of summer, all of that changed thanks to a baby-faced rookie goaltender by the name of Cam Ward and a resilient mix of long-term veterans and up-and-coming rookies. Behind Ward’s Conn Smythe-winning effort in net, Carolina disposed of the Edmonton Oilers, 3-1, in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals inside Raleigh’s RBC Arena to bring the state of North Carolina its first NHL championship.

Everblades 2006-07 Season Preview: All in the family
Everblades 2006-07 Season Preview: South Division
Everblades 2006-07 Season Preview: West Division
Everblades 2006-07 Season Preview: Pacific Division

The European emigration in professional hockey made itself felt with the Florida Everblades after last season, but coach Gerry Fleming says it’s just another factor in the nature of minor league hockey.

“It happened early enough in the summer that the guys that we didn’t expect to come back we replaced with quality players,” Fleming said. “We feel pretty confident. The players that we have had here in the past all have been good players, and they have an opportunity to go over to Europe and make the money that they can make. We wish them the best and we know we’ve had some part in their development as hockey players.”

Now as the Everblades prepare for the 2006-07 ECHL season, which starts Friday night at 7:30 against the Texas Wildcatters at Germain Arena, Fleming is looking at another solid group that includes a number of returnees to go with the newcomers. Fans will see familiar names like Ernie Hartlieb, Reggie Berg, Ryan Brindley and Brent McDon-ald to round out the league-mandated veteran maximum, which over the years has kept the franchise solid both on the ice and in the seats.

Everblades drop puck on season on home ice
Wildcatters open in Fla. Tonight
Much about the Wildcatters remains the same, but not the players or the coach

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Next Game
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Who: Texas Wildcaters at Florida Everblades
When: Friday, October 20, 2006; 7:30 PM
Where: Germain Arena
TV: B2 Network
Radio: Sportsradio 770 AM
Internet: www.abc-7.com
Web site: www.floridaeverblades.com

Everblades defenseman Brett Nasby will be at the Max Muscle on South Cleveland Ave (41) between 1 and 2 PM, tomorrow (Saturday). This is the new nutrition store next to the Clarion Suites in the Blockbuster plaza just north of College Parkway.

Also, just a reminder but the Fort Myers News Press has their pull out Everblades section in today's paper. (I assume the Naples paper is doing the same, but living on the Cape, I never see the print edition of the Naples paper.)

And finally, The Everblades game vs. Texas on October 21 will all be available via the internet only, which fans can access courtesy of Waterman Broadcasting by visiting www.floridaeverblades.com or www.abc-7.com. The game begins at 7:30 p.m. with the pre-game show starting at 7:10 p.m. Fans can still watch the game for a small charge via B2 Networks by clicking the link on the Everblades website.

Derrick LaPoint, who was the Green Bay Gamblers first round selection in the 2006 USHL Entry Draft, was named the USHL Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.

<a href="http://www.floridapanthers.com/Newsroom/RecentNews/index.cfm?id=535>Prospect Derrick LaPoint Named USHL's Defensive Player of the Week</a>