ECHL: Blades happy to be back home

It's been two weeks since Everblades fans last saw their ECHL team play at TECO Arena, and when they take their seats tonight they'll see a different look and a fresh attitude. The Charlotte Checkers (3-4-2) will try to knock Florida (6-3-3) from its perch atop the Eastern Conference's Southern Division in the first of back-to-back games between the two teams.

"They're a good hockey team.

Every year they're well-coached with Don (MacAdam)," Everblades head coach Gerry Fleming said. "I know last year they came in here and gave it to us pretty good on a couple of occasions (Charlotte won 5-2 at TECO on March 25 and 5-1 in Charlotte on Nov. 22). They have an aggressive team, they play hard, they compete and they're in our division so it's going to be a battle this weekend."

With center Reggie Berg on the seven-day injured reserve with a concussion, Fleming and team president/general manager Craig Brush brought in some help in the form of 6-foot-4, 210-pound forward Jay Leagult. The 24-year-old native of Peterborough, Ontario has 191 American Hockey League games under his belt but did not play all of last season while rehabbing his separated left shoulder.

Fleming said Legault will center the second line with rookies Chad Larose and Carl Mallette as his wingers, and expects his size and experience to be an advan tage on the ice. Legault described himself as a power forward who can move the puck.

"My agent (former Boston Bruin) Steve Kasper, he was talking with (Florida) about a month ago to see what they can work out, and they were ready to have me here," Legault said. "I came down Sunday and have just been skating with the team the last few days. They want me to play this weekend, then I'll go back home and get my things. I've been wearing the same clothes for three days."

The Everblades reached Legault in Peterborough where he was at home with his wife, Shan non, and their two-year-old son, Dylan. He played in juniors with Everblades rookie forward Brandon Coalter on the Oshawa Generals and Everblades defenseman Peter Reynolds on the London Knights.

Reynolds was recalled by Florida's AHL affiliate, the Lowell (Mass.) Lock Monsters on Thursday afternoon. But Fleming will have Ryan Van Buskirk back on the blue line after losing him for all five road games last week to a suspension.

NOTES: Forward Stuart Pietersma was suspended by the league for one game Thursday after receiving a major slashing penalty in last Saturday's 3-1 win at San Diego. The Gulls player he slashed, NHL veteran forward Billy Tibbetts, was suspended Wednesday for three games after receiving a 10-minute misconduct and a game misconduct for choking an official. He pushed the official's face and forced his forearm under the official's throat, who was trying to keep him from going after Pietersma.

After the game, Tibbetts tried to find Pietersma in the Everblades' dressing room, then went out to the team's bus in the parking lot and challenged Fleming to a fight before speeding away in his car. "I didn't expect it out of him, to start rolling around and screaming like somebody hot shot," Pietersma said of the slash on the elbow, which resulted in a broken arm for Tibbetts. "I saw him come out to the bus, he took a step on the bus and Gerry stood up and walked him back off. He's got some problems." ... Also departing the team this week was rookie goaltender Daniel Boisclair, who was loaned to the Peoria Rivermen.