JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Icemen are in the playoffs!
They will start their journey to the Kelly Cup in Southwest Florida, facing off against a familiar foe and reigning ECHL champions, the Florida Everblades.
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News4JAX reporter Briana Brownlee met up with the team before they left.
“We’re excited. I feel we have a chance to flip the script a little,” said defenseman Ivan Chukarov. “You know they won it three years in a row, especially from last season. We all have a little bad taste in our mouths.”
The in-state rivalry continues to intensify, as the Everblades and Icemen seem to meet every year in the first round. The Everblades hold a unique record as the first team in ECHL history to three-peat; however, the Icemen are determined to ice that streak by claiming the Kelly Cup this go around.
“I feel we changed up a little with our system, so we will throw that at them and see how they handle it,” Chukarov added.
Head Coach Sean Teakle emphasized the team’s goals.
“Go down there and get two. If we come back with the split, we will be happy with that and can’t wait to get back in front of our home fans and host three games here,” Teakle said.
As the Icemen head south, fans back home will be on their minds.
For the 2024-2025 season, the Icemen hit a “hat trick” of their own, bringing in the most fans in the league, averaging around 9,200 people per game.
“Overall, the attendance this year we had 322,000 fans that came through the gates during the regular season, and that’s the fifth most in league history,” said Director of Communications Alex Reed.
When asked about the reasons behind the increased attendance, Reed noted, “I think it’s a hockey town. I think it’s a fast game, an exciting game. I think the team’s success on the ice has certainly helped.”
The Icemen and Everblades will face off in a best-of-seven series, with game three returning to Jacksonville.
“Every night at the VyStar, you know it’s going to be a packed house and it’s going to be loud. We know our fans will be behind us, and it’s going to be awesome,” Teakle said.
Chukarov added, “It makes us want to play harder, right? They are showing up for us, and they are spending their hard-earned money to watch us play, especially with everything we’ve gone through this season.”
The Icemen will be in Estero over the weekend, with a return to home ice next Wednesday.
