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The Florida Eels Announce its 258th College Commitment:  Liam Butler to Concordia University Wisconsin ACHA Division  

Butler a 6’2 190 LBS veteran defensemen from  Oak Lawn, IL  He was originally scouted at Global Showcase in Chicago and we knew right away he was player we wanted in the Eels program. He joined the Eels  last season.  He played both on the Eels Premier and Elite teams.

He defined what it is like playing as an Eel.  He had unwavering commitment to himself and the team. He was a team guy in the locker room off ice and in games. Determined to make himself and his teammates that much better. He was one of our hardest workers and extremely dedicated to his task. A consummate competitor.

Liam is a high character young man no doubt through his leadership he helps lead his team to a first-place finish at the end of the season and win their USPHL Florida Division Regular Season Championship. In fact, his team owned first place the entire season and that was no easy task. It was the fruits of his hard work that helped staple that plateau.

In talking with the CUW coaches they were very impressed with his solid skill set. He is a hybrid defenseman who plays solid in the defensive zone, relentless battle in front of his crease and along the boards, denying zone entry  while very active in the transition game and moving the puck out of the zone. His stickhandling skills and skating has allowed him to be a very offensive player when it is needed. He has a heavy shot from the blueline and is an ever threat to scoring.

While playing for the Eels he was very determined to improve his skills. He knew what he wanted. He had his eye on the big package: College Hockey.  To reach those ends, he came early every day, stayed after practice shooting 100+ pucks a day and all to improve his skill set and reach his ultimate goal to play college hockey – which he now realized. He has committed to Concordia University Wisconsin ACHA Division 2 Hockey. We are very proud of him.  This year he attended Hodges University in Fort Myers to prepare him for his next step.

“It is especially nice to see one of our players advance to college and reach his dreams and goals,” said General Manager Frank Scarpaci. “Liam comes from a very supportive family who have made enormous sacrifices to help their son achieve his goals.

 

Liam will join several other Florida Eels alumni who are currently enrolled at CUW and play for the ACHA team. Sean Doyle and Connor Doyle. Also joining Liam from this year’s team  at Concordia is defensive partner  Dylan Tschabold from Switzerland.  CUW was also the home of Premier Head Coach Frank Scarpaci who played for their NCAA Division III team along with Eels alumni Jari Sanders (Former Captain for CUW) NCAA Division III and Eels alumni Joel Stevenson who also played for their NCAA Division III team.  CUW is also the home of Eels alumni Vyctoria Smith. Liam makes number 8 for Eels alumni who attend CUW. We wish Liam the best in his future.

The Florida Eels are thrilled to announce the signing of 6’2” 185 lbs. forward William  Heikkila from Brampton, ON,  William is physically strong and brings that to his game.  He is hard along the boards and makes his opponents pay the price with his presence. He played for Everest Academy for the past 3 seasons. He brings experience and determination to our lineup. He shares the Eels work ethic and that is leaving everything on the ice. He has a tremendous work ethic and relentlessly pursues the forecheck. He has a nice heavy shot and his pucks get to the net.

 

He is a very enthusiastic player and will bring excitement to every shift and in every game. This is a smart young man Has a high hockey IQ Very coachable. We are excited to have him join our Eels family

The Florida Eels are thrilled to announce the signing of  6’2” 176  lbs. veteran defenseman Payton Donica  from Columbus, IN. Last season Payton played in the Midwest Division of the USPHL and brings key experience and depth to the Eels defense. The Eels scouted Donica  at the USPHL Indiana Combine and loved what they saw.  A great character kid and fits perfectly within the Eels framework. He has strong skill set,  a very good skater and has a great vision of the ice.

 

This young man is very impressive in all 3 zones. He is quick to get the puck out of the D Zone whether with quick outlet passes or his transitional move to jump in on the rush. Payton has a nice accurate shot from the blueline and generates sustained and consistent offense. He has a strong hockey IQ and very competitive. He is a determined young man to bring his game to the Next Level. We welcome Payton to the Eels’ family.

The Florida Eels are excited to announce the signing of 5’11” 157 LBS veteran forward Justin Maroszek  from Sylvania, OH, Maroszek is a 2 year veteran of the league. He is a very talented high skilled player. He is a proven goal scorer with an average of 1 point per game. Indeed, last year in 44 games he scored 13 goals and 29 assists for 42 points.  Justin is a strong skater. Has explosive speed. Plays with intestinal fortitude. Hard on the forecheck and equally relentless on his back checking and defensive responsibly.

 

No doubt Justin fits into the Eels culture. A high character individual. He is extremely dedicated and determined and a total team player. He is known for his strong and unwavering work ethic. One of his strongest attributes is he wears opponents down in all 3 ones. A consummate competitor. He has a high hockey IQ. We are thrilled to have Justin part of the Eels family. We welcome him to the Eels organization.

The Florida Eels Coaches are heading the CCM Junior Showcase. Friday July 17-Sunday July 19th. There will be 400+ players showcasing their skillset looking to find spots on junior teams for the 2020-21 playing season. The Eels have signed well over 50 players from this forum over the past 10 seasons. We will be joined this season by some of our alumni who reside in Colorado.

Florida Eels GM Frank Scarpaci will be one of the guest speakers at the players and coaches seminar

The Florida Eels are thrilled to announce the signing of 5’11” 175 LBS defenseman Henry Hoard from Indiana. He played last season for  Westfield Ice Rocks High School of the  Indiana State High School Hockey Association. He is known for his solid work ethic having been playing for over 12 years. Henry has solid skill set. Very good skater. He plays with a high compete level. A high hockey IQ. Henry knows that despite the Eels reputation for explosive and potent offense, they are defense first. In fact, some of our most decorated players have been defenseman. Hoard is looking towards elevating his game to the Next Level. It is the unmatched Eels training and player development that sealed his decision to join the Eels. Where else do you get 3+ hours of training per day.  Moreover, the advancement of 257 players to college is equally key.

 

The Eels  are very excited Henry about joining the Eels family this season.

The Florida Eels are excited to announce the return of Mikhail Melikov. It is without a doubt that Melikov was one of the Eels most valuable players last year. Without question he was one of the USPHL top players.  Melikov is a 2002, 6’0″, and 195 lbs. Last year Melikov played defense for the Eels Elite, where he won Defenseman of the Week countless times, won Player of the Month and was a year end All Star. He came in 10th overall in league scoring, he was 1st for defenseman goals by eight and was the only defenseman in the league to break twenty goals and was one of the youngest players in the league. Additionally, Melikov led the Eels Elite team in scoring by six goals, including playoffs. Stats aside, Melikov’s potential is phenomenal.  For how skilled he is, he actually uses every bit of his frame; he thinks the game at a very high level; high hockey IQ and has the skillset to fulfill what he sees.

 

The Eels coaching staff sees Melikov as a force to be reckoned with. Coach Sanchez echoes, “He is a player that is not only consistent but rises to the occasion. Looking at his stats last year, we can see that he does not just score in games that result in blowouts, but he scores in the games where it takes everything for the team to win. I remind you that he played defense last year and had six game-winning goals… this is an achievement for any player, but it is remarkable for a defenseman. We believe that his success can be attributed to the extra work he puts in.” Premier Coach Frank Scarpaci says, “Melikov is at the rink before practice shooting pucks, and he is there, after the gym every day. He always is asking to do practices with both teams, and he never gets tired of the game. His love for the game and commitment to get better will help set him apart from other players his age as he continues developing.”

 

It is needless to say that we are excited to have Melikov back. We hope that he continues to develop and wreak terror in the league. This year is a big year for Melikov and his development, and we believe the sky is the limit for him.

The Florida Eels are extremely excited to announce the Re-Signing of 2001 veteran Adam Gaudet 5’9” 165 LBS forward from Saint-Donat, QC Canada. Gaudet came to the Eels after playing for Banff Hockey  Academy Prep where he scored an impressive 15 goals and 13 assists in 36 games. We scouted him for some time and we knew he had solid skill set and was very excited to have him join the Eels last season. Adam ripened into one of the top forwards in the entire USPHL. He did this through hard work and determination. This kid has  incredible work ethic. He is one of our hardest working players. He would stay 3-4 days per week for additional ice practices and shoot over 150 pucks per day. His goal was to be amongst the best and you can’t  simply have dreams of accomplishing that – he is a prime example of someone who knew to get to the Next Level in your game you had to pay the price and that price was to be the most dedicated and determined player on the team.

The fruits of his efforts paid off.  In his first year with the Eels he scored a very impressive 21 goals and 18 assists for 39 points in 41 games. That is an average of 1 point per game and that is not an easy task in this league echoes Premier Coach Frank Scarpaci. This kid has incredible over all skill set. He is so hungry and tenacious on the fore-check.  He has excellent vision – he sees the ice so well and that is what makes him so dangerous. He knows where his teammates are at all times and can thread the needle with a pass with such ease. He is a smooth skater with deceptively quick acceleration that eludes opponents. He has soft hands and has an extremely accurate and lethal wrist shot. We project him to be at the top of the league this season.

 

Coach Scarpaci says Adam is solid in all 3 zones. As strong as he is offensively, he is equally impressive defensively. He smothers opponents and thaws their game. He is always the first guy back on the back check. He is a go to guy on the power play and penalty kill alike.

 

General Manager Frank Scarpaci says he brings so much to the team. A high character individual and a great leader. Always encouraging his teammates and painstakingly helps the younger guys. Unwavering  commitment to his team.    Gaudet   brings tremendous energies both on and off the ice.  An impact player.  He plays with a high compete level. He is a player the college coaches key in on.  We are thrilled that Adam will be back this season. He has a job to complete. That is Nationals.

The Eels are proud to announce the return of  2001 Zachary Simbro  for the 2020-2021 season. Simbro is from Slinger, WI.  He is one of many players we have had from Wisconsin. These guys bring all grit to their game. Always a hard nose blue collar effort.

 

Last year Simbro played a major role on the Florida Eels Elite team Regular  Season  First Place finish in the Florida Division.  During the regular season, Simbro was steady and reliable on defense, he stuck to structure, made good quick passes, and played extremely physical. He has solid skill set and moves the puck very well. Once playoffs came, it was without a doubt who our most valuable defenseman was, Simbro had two goals and one assist in the games against the Charleston Colonials.  In this series, it was without a doubt that Simbro was the most hated player on the ice; he played shutdown defense, hammering guys along the way, and scoring.

 

Zach brings a strong physical presence to his game. At 5’10” 185 pounds he uses his weight and strength to his advantage. He is very aggressive in the corners and in front of the crease. He wins loose puck battles and is a consummate competitor. General Manager Frank Scarpaci echoes that Simbro is a great character young man. He has shown us last season he is very dedicated and determined. He brings everything to the ice.

The leadership that Simbro brings to the Eels is among one of his attributes that we are grateful to have back. When talking to Coach Sanchez about Simbro’s season and return, he said, “He is a great player to have around. He lays everything on the line, and when the game is over, there is never any doubt that he didn’t do all that could.” This year we expect Simbro to start off where he left. With his exceptional work ethic and leadership qualities, there is no doubt as to why we are excited to have him back and help him in his quest for college hockey. He is hungry and wants to win. You can see it in his eyes.