Former Florida Eels defense man, RJ Boyd, was drafted to the NHL’s Florida Panthers in the 2010 NHL Draft.  RJ who is 19 years old and born in 1991 stands 6′ 2″ tall and weighs in at 175 lbs.  He has been playing hockey for the last few years at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Massachusetts.  Cushing  is a coeducational college preparatory boarding school for grades 9 through 12.  Before going off to Chushing Academy to complete high school, RJ attended Edison Prep School in Ft. Myers.

Starting out playing Squirt A and moving his way to PeeWee AA, Bantam A, Bantam AA, and Midget AAA hockey he then went on to play Juniors in the SEJHL and MJHL at the Pro Am Pre Drafts and Chowder Cups.  With hopes of being drafted into the NHL, RJ Boyd now has had a dream come true. Born and raised in Florida, and being selected by a Florida NHL team, he is the very first to accomplish this feat.  Everyone here with the Florida Eels organization is very proud of him and wish him the very best.

Florida Eels Youth Ice Hockey

Florida Eels Youth Ice Hockey

The word came to us in an email today from the Florida Eels hockey director, Frank Scarpaci.  Scott Harrington will be coaching the Eels PeeWee ice hockey team in the 2010-2011 travel season.

Coach Frank says, “Scout will undoubtedly be able to build on those players moving up with his extensive experience, his skill and knowledge of the game. It is our goal to work on skill development and to prepare them for their journey one day to play college hockey.”

The PeeWee age can be the most challenging age in ice hockey for the coach as well as the players.  The players need to start learning proper body contact, checking and working on their slap-shots.  The coach will also need to stress the fact of playing as a team to the players and teach them to work together as one.  “Scott has been selected based on his experience and reputation” says Coach Frank.

Many of the PeeWee players played in the Squirt league this past season and had an outstanding year.  With a win in Huntsville Alabama, at the Regional Silversticks, these kids will have a great upcoming year as PeeWee’s under Coach Scott.

Congratulations Coach Scott your deserve it.

The Florida Eels are very excited about the prospects of having 5 travel teams in the fall 2010. All of the teams will be playing in the FAHL. At tryouts, we will determine whether the teams will play AA or A. It is the policy of the Florida Eels organization that the level of the team should be decided when we evaluate the talent of the players at tryouts rather than arbitrarily designate AA or A.  The Eels teams will be having 3 practices per week for all of the player.  Also 2-3 hours of fitness and off-ice training as well.  In order to

give each player and team the most out of their season.

The league provides a 20 game schedule.  The Eels do not mandate that teams participate in extra tournaments but do strongly encourage that the teams partake in 1-3 Florida Tournaments. Since tournaments are optional these fees are not included.

Tryout includes off-ice strength and conditioning evaluations and on-ice competition. Cost for the tryout weekend will be $100.00 for the primary tryout and $20.00 for each additional tryout weekend.

Florida Eels Ice Hockey

Tryout dates and times are as follows:

May 13th Thursday 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Squirts and Peewees

May 15th Saturday 3:;0pm – 4:30 pm Bantams

May 15th Saturday 4:30 – 6:00pm Midgets

May 16th Sunday 9:00 AM – 10:00 am Mites and Squirts

May 16th Sunday 10:00 am – 11:00 am Peewees

May 22nd Saturday 3:00pm – 4:30 pm Bantams

May 22nd Saturday 4:30 pm – 6:00pm Midgets

May 23rd Sunday 9:00 am – 10:00 am Mites

May 23rd Sunday 10:00 am – 11:30 am Squirts

May 23rd Sunday 11:30 am – 1:00pm Peewees

For more information, please contact Florida Eels GM and Coach, Frank Scarpaci at 941-400-9023 or at scarpacif@aol.com

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The Sunday game brought the Jacksonville Barracudas and the Florida Eels together and the score ended in a 1-1 tie.  Sean Kopper got the only goal for the Eels and the assist went to Trey Dougherty.  This keep the team worried that they would have to settle for playing in the consolation game for 3rd or 4th place.  But later that Sunday night the Trashers and the Barracudas would have to play and the final score put the Trashers on top with the win giving the Eels just enough points to face the Brandon Bulls once again, but this time in the Championship game.  This was a great game that the Eels had.  The 1st period ended 0-0.  2nd period ended with the Bulls in a 1-0 lead.  In the 3rd period Bill Carmelia found the back of the net to make the score 1-1.  With just about half of the final period left the bulls took the lead again and very late in the game put one more in on us to take the championship 3-1.

The tournament officials recognized Brian Hotaling as the Tournament MVP in goal.  The team did have a good weekend and they did play hard.

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The 21st of Novermber was the perfect day for a fundraiser at the Fort Myers Skatium. With 3 Bantam AA games, 2 Junior games and a College roller hockey tournament we knew that the building would be full of people that would love to help out a fellow hockey parent and coach.  With a bake sale, a raffle of close to 20 prizes, and a pasta lunch and dinner going on all day it could not have gone any better.  All of the parents and players that were there starting from 9:00 am that day gave in many different ways.   With all of the bake goods sold, raffle tickets, and dinners the Eels managed to raise a good amount of money so far for the Carlson family. And we are not done just yet.

The Florida Eels still have a few more events that we are planing to put together in the near future.  A car wash will be held soon, a special Public Skate this weekend on Saturday the 28th and the Fort Myers Skatium and a roller hockey event that will be announced very soon also at the Skatium. 

A very special THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who donated time to cook, those who bought the food to make,  who contributed money to the cause, who solicited restaurants  and local stores who contributed, those who ran around to pick up items, those at the bake sale, those who sold tickets, those who helped publicize the event to the media,  and those who simply came to eat.

Next weekend marks the opening weekend for the Florida Eels Junior C team. The Eels are fileding two teams this year. the Junior C and Junior B squads.  The 4 Junior C teams from the Florida Division will battle it out for the Showcase Championship.  These will  be very exciting games. Come and meet and support the many new faces of the Florida Eels. We have added 14 new players this year to our program and we look forward to you and your family being in attendance and supporting our local teams.  Below are the dates and times of our games.

Leave a comment on this blog post if you would like.  Thanks

The Florida Eels and the Tampa Black Bears will joining forces in the 09/10 youth ice hockey season here is Florida.  The two teams will be coming together to form a Bantam A team.  This joint venture came to be this past Saturday night as the Bantam age players for the eels were holding a skills clinic.  Coach Frank Scarpaci and Coach Chris Frontiero of the Black Bears put there heads together while at the Fort Myers Skatium to bring the teams together.  In the upcoming season the Bantam A team will be wearing both the Florida Eels jerseys and the Tampa Black Bear jerseys throughout.

“With this agreement comes the ability to expose youth hockey players, in the Tampa Bay area, to what I believe is the finest hockey program in the southeast” said Coach Frontiero.  “We are very happy to have the Florida Eels as our sister affiliate.”

Coach Scarpaci said,”The black bears are well run and this is an opportunity to open some doors for the and for us.  Having the bears as our sister affiliate just makes our program here that much more accessible.  Our goals are the same, to get as many of these kids to college as we can.  And perhaps even some day see the first Florida born player in the NHL.”

If you would like more information on the Florida Eels youth hockey teams or this article you can check out the
Florida Eels website.

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The Eels fought a hard battle against the Beantown Bullies Friday morning at 7:00 am. In the stands watching the Eels were 11 Div I and 3 Colleges including BU BC Northeastern, Holy Cross and others. Moreover, also in attendance were the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers. 

Despite the loss, the Eels played phenomenal. The average size of the Beantown and New Jersey and the Hitman players was over 6’0 tall. The Beantown Bullies had over 16 players who played Major Junior, Prep School or Junior A Elite and the Hitman had an equally potent group of boys. 

Eels Sniper Marcus Marion Schools Walpole Top Goalie in Pre Draft

At the Hitman game and Walpole game the arena was packed with at least 30 scouts from the New England Colleges in observance of those games.
The Walpole Express fell to the Eels in a 5-2 old fashion barnburner. The Walpole Team had many of their Junior A and B players in that game

Over all the Eels had a fantastic weekend. The weekend was filled with enormous exposure opportunities and visibility unlike never before.

     Chad Darcy commits to UNH. Chad Darcy has been with the Eels for Five years. It is extremely exciting that he will be going off to UNH this fall. Chad is a defenseman/forward who size no doubt has been imposing at 6’5” 210 pounds

     Chad Darcy has been with the Eels for Five years. It is extremely exciting that he will be going off to UNH this fall. Chad is a defenseman/forward who size no doubt has been imposing on his opponents, at 6’5” 210 pounds.

     Chad has been with the Eels for the last 5 years. He started with the Eels playing Bantam AAA, Midget AAA and with the Junior team. He attended Stephen Husmann Prep at JP Igloo and Edison Academic Center. Chad is definitely a by product of our intense training program. He came to the Eels from South Boston Mass as a young recruit and has excelled as one of our Elite players. There was never any doubt that he would reach his goals. He never sat back and took things for granted. Hard work on and off the ice. In school and out. As a player he reminds many scouts of Hale Gill.  We are very proud of this young man.

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Iain Guzinski, former Eel’s Junior player has joined the US Marines. Iain is the second member of the 2007-08 Eels Junior Team to join the Armed Services. We all remember, Josh Marion joined the Army last year. Josh is currently serving his tour of duty in Iraq.
 
Iain played 2 years for the Eels Junior team. He graduated from Edison Academic Center last Spring. He is 6’4″ tall weighing 220 pounds and all muscle. His physical presence was well known amongst the SEJHL opponents and the many teams we played up north in the dozens of tournaments we played in New England and Michigan. Iain was a specimen for physical fitness and training. He spent at least 1 ½ hours each day at the Ft Myers Skatium fitness center.
 
Although Iain had several opportunities to attend colleges up north, including Daniel Webster University and Bridgewater State College, he chose to defer college while he served his country. I was not the least bit surprised when Iain announced he was going to defer his plans on attending college. He was a patriot from the words get go. He is so proud of being an American. He believes in the virtues of our great Nation, of Freedom, Independence and Democracy. He often spoke often about joining the Marines.
 
We all know Iain by his imposing size. But as his coach, teacher and mentor, I knew an other side of him: A kinder, softer and caring young man. He was a strong believer in god, attended church twice a week. Not too many people knew this but when others were talking about who their favorite NHL player was, Iain would often speak to me about issues of right and wrong, morality and justice… Iain was a champion of the underdog. He never liked anyone taking advantage of another person or was sensitive to the guy who stood alone or newcomers. He would be first to volunteer to help out as well. He showed absolute respect for adults and authority.
 
We here at the Eels are indeed extremely proud of Iain. Just like his teammates who have gone on to seek their quest in college, Iain too has sought to reach his dreams as a Marine. It is boys like Iain who sacrifice their time and lives to represent and defend the interest of the USA. We thank you Iain from the bottom of our hearts. Good Luck and God Bless.