By John Sellars, Head Equipment Manager, Florida Everblades

After a two-year hiatus it was great to see everyone at the annual meetings this Summer down on Marco Island, FL. It was an amazing venue and location! A huge thank you to everyone that helps organize the annual meetings, all of you don’t get enough credit for the amazing work and dedication that you put in to getting everything set up to perfection, so thank you!  As the ECHL is about to kickoff it’s 35^th season, congratulations to the Florida Everblades on capturing the 2021-22 Kelly Cup Championship over the Toledo Walleye, 4 games to 1. Coming into this season the league welcomes it’s 28^th franchise, the Savannah Ghost Pirates. Who will be playing out of Savannah, GA at the newly built Enmarket Arena. After the last two seasons of managing Covid-19, the league has relinquished the majority of its Covid protocols which is a huge relief to all of us. Thank you to all of the medical staff, athletic trainers, and equipment managers for your efforts last season in combatting Covid-19, I know it was a battle for all of us. Looking ahead, the Norfolk Admirals will be hosting the 2023 ECHL All-Star Game at The Scope in Norfolk, VA. There was quite a few positions available in the league during the off-season, congratulations to those who moved up and welcome to all of the new faces! Wishing everyone a safe and successful season!