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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.

The Florida Eels are excited to announce the signing of  6’1” 185 LBS  2000 veteran forward Nick Vasquez from Iowa. Nick has played his past two seasons in the WSHL and NA3HL. His previous 3 seasons he played for the  Des Moines Oak Leafs in his home town. Nick played for the Florida Eels for the past 3 seasons at the Pro-Am NHL Pre Draft, the Pro-AM Sr Chowder Cup showcases and the USPHL Spring and Summer Showcases.  Vasquez is well known by Coach Frank Scarpaci and Alex Sanchez as well as GM Frank Scarpaci.  They are thrilled that Nick has made the decision to play for the Eels junior program in his last year of juniors.

 

The Eels coaches got to see Nick in a variety of situations.  The Pro-Am NHL Pre Draft,  the Sr Chowder Cup and the USPHL Spring and Summer Showcases  have been very challenging. In those events we played against some of the top players and teams in the world including top teams from Sweden Russia Slovakia Czech Republic the Ukraine, Latvia and Canada. These included  players from the USHL, the OHL the QMJHL, the BCHL, the NCDC, the NAHL and a host of other top junior players as well  freshman from a NCAA Div. 1 and 3 college teams.  Like all the Eels players who partook in these games. Nick garnered  incredible seasoning in his   development as a player.  Simply stated you don’t capture that experience during the regular season games. Indeed, the Eels coaches had a perfect opportunity  in these forums to see Nick as a player and as a person. They have all echoed he fits perfectly into the Eels program. A high character individual who has phenomenal  work ethic and will to win.

 

Nick has good skill set. A strong skater and the will and determination of a warrior. He recognizes the Eels coaching staff and its program really is heighted. They train every day for 3-4 hours.  He is very determined to take advantage of this.  His veteran status will help the Eels players and team to reach its goal and mission to top our Florida Division with the eye on the big picture. Nationals. Moreover, Nick knows full well the focus of the Eels is to advance its players to college. He has gotten to know first-hand  many of the Eels players and those who advanced to college. He has participated in our college seminars and that is what he is looking for.

 

The Eels welcome Nick to our family.

THE FLORIDA EELS ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE RE- SIGNING OF ETIENNE CASTONGUAY.

 

 

The Florida Eels are excited to announce the Re- signing of Etienne Castonguay. Last year Etienne joined the Eels in Boston for the second half of the season, during this time he played both Premier and Elite and succeeded in both Divisions. Etienne was dominant at the elite level as he tallied three goals and three assists in eight games before playoffs and in playoffs had two goals one assist in three games.

As a player, Etienne brings a mixture of tenacity and finesse, which explains why he so dynamic. Even though he is highly skilled, his stick battles and physicality are exceptional. At 6’ 1″ 180lbs, Etienne is tall, strong, and athletic, thus adding to his attributes of being a well-rounded player. Etienne played a Signiant role in assisting the Elite team hammer down the top spot in the Florida Division and winning USPHL Florida Regular season title

This year we expect big things from Etienne as he returns as a veteran who knows what it takes to win and develop with our program. We are excited to see what this season brings and the college opportunities that will come for Etienne.

The Florida Eels are thrilled to announce the signing of 2000 Swedish Goalie Max Petre’ to the Eels junior program for the 2020-21 season. Our Swedish scouts have followed him for several years and some of our scouts have been his goalie coaches. For 2019-20 Petre’ played for Vallentuna BK Div.1 and Vallentuna BK J20 and Wings HC J20 Elite. In 2018-19 he played for Balsta HC and the previous year he played for Wings HC J20 Elite, Wings HC J18 Allsvenskan and Wings HC J18 Elite.

 

This is a seasoned young man who has played in some very competitive environments and is looking to bring his game to the USA and advance to college hockey. He is quite poised and mentally tough. This is a strong character young man and he fits right within the Florida Eels.

 

Max is known for his strong skill set and his athleticism. He plays a hybrid butterfly style with the European flavor. He has a strong glove and quick feet. He challenges his shooters and very a very disciplined style. He plays well under pressure with a high compete level. He has a great attitude and work ethic. Moreover, he is a great team guy.

 

The Eels have a long history with Swedish netminders. They have done very well for the Eels and we love their training and development. Max is a product of the same goaltending schools. We feel he will excel like his Swedish brothers before him. The Eels are very excited that he will be joining us in the Fall, and we expect him to be another Eels player who will advance to the College ranks. We welcome Max as an Eel.

The Florida Eels are pleased to announce the signing of Justice Scheltgen. Justice is a 2001, two-year veteran from London, Ontario, and has major success with Eels Elite. As a 6’3″ 215 lbs. power forward, Justice makes his presence known every time he touches the ice, whether it is his physicality, heavy shot, or toughness in front of the net, the opposing team feels his presence. Coach Sanchez believes that it is not just his size and strength that makes Justice successful but his hockey IQ and ability to read the game.

When asked about Justice’s development and performance Coach Sanchez said,
Justice has a ton of potential; we saw this from him his first year here. A 2001 player at the time being 17 playing against 20 and 21-year-olds, he was never scared and began to adapt to the speed of the play by making quick and smart decisions. By the end of the season, Justice’s speed progressed tremendously, allowing him not just to be noticeable but a game-changer. Unfortunately, Justice had an accident that he was lucky to survive but also had to learn to walk again. The fact that he was dedicated enough to work through something this traumatic to play hockey again shows what kind of person and player Justice is, one that lays everything on the line. Surely, he had a slow start when he first came back towards the end of last season, but by playoffs, Justice was exactly where he wanted to be, and the team needed him to be.

GM Frank Scarpaci echoes that Justice has his eye on the big picture. That is playing College Hockey. He knows full well that the Eels are amongst the top in Junior Hockey in player development and in advancing players to college. To date that is 257. Furthermore, with Justice returning for his third season, he is expected to make an immense impact this year. It is needless to say that we as an organization are excited to have Justice back and believe that he will contribute to our success as an organization.

The Florida Eels Announce its 257th College Commitment: Dylan Tschabold to Concordia University Wisconsin ACHA Div. II Men’s Ice Hockey Program. Tschabold 6’2 180 LBS defensemen from Switzerland has been with the Eels since 2013 when he joined the Eels youth program as a bantam. He later played midget for the Eels and subsequently joined the Eels Junior program 2016-17. He played one season on the USP3 team for one season and 3 seasons on the Eels Elite team.

He defined what it is like playing as an Eel. He was one of our most loyal and dedicated players. A consummate Eel. He was an example of the Eels player development model, having played as a youth player moving up to from bantam to midgets and then advanced to juniors.

Dylan is a high character young man. He was selected as Assistant Captain last season for the Eels Elite team and no doubt through his leadership he help lead his team to a first-place finish at the end of the season and win their USPHL Florida Division Regular Season Championship. His previous year he helped his team win the Florida Division playoffs and advanced to Nationals.

He was very determined to improve his skills. 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. It is not easy to come from a foreign country like Dylan did. He came here from Switzerland and attended an American high school – Hibernian Private School and worked really hard to reach his lifelong dream. Last year he attended Hodges University in Fort Myers to prepare him for his next step.

Dylan will join several other Florida Eels alumni who are currently enrolled at CUW and play for the ACHA team. Sean Doyle and Connor Doyle. CUW was also the home of Premier Head Coach Frank Scarpaci who played for their NCAA Div. III team along with Eels alumni Jari Sanders (Former Captain for CUW) NCAA Div. III and Eels alumni Joel Stevenson who also played for their NCAA Div. III team. CUW is also the home of Eels alumni Victoria Smith. Dylan makes number 7 for Eels alumni who attend CUW. We wish Dylan the best in his future.

The Florida Eels All Star Defensemen Ragnars Udris Commits to Buffalo State University

 

The Florida Eels Junior Program is honored  to report that Regnars Udris from Latvia has committed to Buffalo State University for the 2020-21 academic year. This is very exciting for Udris.  He came to the USA with a dream to attend an American College or University and play NCAA college hockey. His dream is now being realized. Buffalo State University is one of the top academic programs and has an outstanding men’s NCAA Division I college hockey team.

 

No doubt, Frank Scarpaci Florida Eels  Premier Coach notes, Regi was one of the USPHL’s best defensemen last season. He came to the Eels as a veteran defenseman. Before playing juniors, he played high school in California, Tier I for the  Anaheim Junior Ducks, Juniors in Latvia. Moreover.  Regi had the privilege playing  for the World Juniors for Latvia . He also played for a USPHL NCDC team before settling in with the Eels Premier team. There he blossomed as a player and a leader.

 

With the Eels he was selected as Player of the Week, Player of the Month and as a year end  All Star. As a defenseman, he owned all 3 zones. He played in 164 games as a junior player. Scored 27 goals and 77  assists for a total of 104 points for  averaging  .75 points per game. He is a very smooth skater and has outstanding skill set.  Regi was a great leader for the Eels. He was named assistant captain He held led his team to win the Florida Division USPHL Premier Division and its advancement to Nationals.  These tangible and intangible qualities no doubt captured the eyes of the BSU coaching staff enough to impress them to commit.

 

Florida Eels General Manager Frank Scarpaci echoes  Regi had many options at the college level but Buffalo State University was his first choice. Buffalo State is one of the top NCAA Div. III programs and he is very excited about playing there. Moreover, he is really looking forward to playing for Head Coach Steve Murphy, and his  coaching staff, including Dan Yustin, Cos Polino, Marcus Michalski, and Jason Hill.  BSU  plays in one of the toughest Divisions in all NCAA Div. III hockey.  He is looking forward to the next level in his playing career – playing college hockey. And that is underscored being able to play for one of the top coaches and such a storied and herald program such as Buffalo State University.

Moreover, Buffalo State University has the field of study he is looking for. This is a win win for Regi, and we are very proud of him and wish him well.

Congrats To Florida Eels Rookie Easton Moore for being drafted to the NCDC Philadelphia Hockey Club.

 

Philadelphia Hockey Club

NAME	BIRTH YEAR	POSITION	HOMETOWN	LAST TEAM PLAYED
Jonathan Buffington	2001	D	Highland Village, TX	New Jersey Titans 18U
Chase Cochrane	2001	F	Colorado Springs, CO	CarShield AAA 18U
Artom Dmitriev	2002	F	Simferopol, UKR	Serebryanye Akuly Moskva U18
Jaden Hewes	2001	F	Anchorage, AK	Truro Bearcats
Sam Libetti	2001	F	Marlton, NJ	Philadelphia Flyers Elite 18U
Grant Longtiin	2000	F	Bourbonnais, IL	La Ronge Ice Wolves
Chris Lottridge	2000	D	Anchorage, AK	Fort Knox
Easton Moore	2002	F	Bentley, AB	Florida Eels
Jack Mortson	2002	F	Westland, MI	Victory Honda 18U
Kyle Patton	2001	F	Holland, PA	Deerfield Academy
Conor Ronayne	2002	F	Plymouth, MI	Victory Honda 18U
Brody Selman	2000	F	Mahwah, NJ	Rockets Hockey Club
Sawyer Senio	2001	F	Red Deer, AB	Nipawin Hawks
Justin Song	2000	D	Farmington HIlls, MI	Metro Jets
Brayden Van Meter	2002	F	Kasilof, AK	Arizona Bobcats 18U

 

Easton started playing juniors this past Fall. He played in 24 games for the Eels Elite team.  He scored 11 goals with 24 assists. He was elevated to the Eels Premier team and in 20 games he scored 2 goals and 9 assists, for a combined total of 13 goals 33 assists for a total of 46 points as an Eel.

He is a perfect example of player development for the Eels program. He is a very smooth skater. Good hands and a nice shot. High hockey IQ for a young player. The coaches developed  his confidence  and this fueled his play. You can see from his previous year playing midgets how much he improved. He went from 19  points as a midget to 46 points playing Junior A Hockey. for the Eels.  This past year was a great forum for him and it speaks volumes in his over all development as player.  He is a very dedicated and determined player. He is a high character individual.

We are very excited that his play brought him under the radar of the NCDC coaches.