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New EJHL South Big on Florida Flavor Four Squads Help Make Up Seven-Team League


By Matt Mackinder I


t was a win-win situation to have the Southern Atlantic Hockey League (SAHL) form a partner- ship with the Eastern Junior Hockey League


(EJHL). Over the past summer, the EJHL entered into an


affiliation with the newly-formed SAHL and renamed the SAHL the EJHL South. The new Tier III league will operate under the EJHL banner and follow all league practices and guidelines. And while the EJHL may fly under the radar of the casual hockey observer, the facts don’t lie. Since the league started in 1993, the league has placed over 1500 players in NCAA hockey, including fifteen Division I All-Americans, six Hobey Baker Award finalists (Matt Gilroy won the award in 2009) and has seen 25 EJHL alumni play in the NHL. “For our families and players here in the


south, this is historic,” added SAHL vice-president David Falkenstein. “Though there are many junior hockey leagues and products, there is no confusion about the enormous value that the EJHL offers to all its players in terms of complete player development. We are humbled by the op- portunity to participate as an affiliate of the EJHL and this is the culmination of a dream for most of us. “Players from our region can play closer to home


and have similar player development and collegiate advancement opportunities afforded the vast number of successful players that have been associated with the EJHL.” According to EJHL league officials, the affiliation


is designed to substantially raise the standard of play in the south, provide improved league infra- structure, player development, college promotion, and increased visibility through an expanded league schedule that includes both regional competition and showcase competition at EJHL events. The purpose of the affiliation is to extend the


rapidly growing southern hockey marketplace and the advanced player development and academic-based junior hockey model that has been successful in the


coast and have players on the roster from Arizona to Michigan to Quebec. The Eels have had more than 60 players move on


to the college level and had one alumnus, R.J. Boyd, drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2010. Space Coast coach Shawn Ray coached in the


EJHL several years ago with New York Apple Core and brings that experience to the EJHL South. The Hurricanes were national Junior C champions in 2007. Tampa Bay, formerly known as the Jackson-


ville Ice Dogs, made back-to-back appearances at the Junior B national tournament in 2009 and 2010.


Needless to say, the Florida contingent should be a force in the EJHL South this season. The other three teams are the Atlanta Jr. Knights, East Coast (N.C.) Eagles and Hampton Roads (Va.) Jr. Whalers. “This is great for the sport of junior hockey


advancement of student-athletes over the past 20 years. Four Florida-based teams will call the EJHL South home – the Florida Eels (Fort Myers), Palm Beach Hawks (Lake Worth), Space Coast Hurricanes (Rock- ledge) and Tampa Bay Juniors (Ellenton). All four bring unique qualities to the league. Palm Beach recruited players literally from coast to


and for players involved in this affiliation,” said EJHL commissioner Bob Mainhardt. “We believe in the promise and potential of the southern hockey footprint and we have total confidence that with the implementation of our player development model and with the EJHL branding and product extended to this region that junior hockey players from the south can reach their ultimate goals and dreams.” EJHL South teams will participate in EJHL show- cases and play exhibition games against EJHL clubs and take advantage of the exposure to NCAA and NHL scouts that currently scour the league for future talent. The EJHL South will also play an all-star game in conjunction with the annual EJHL All-Star Classic.


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