Hartlieb happy to be back with Everblades

Ernie Hartlieb made it clear just hours after the Florida Everblades' season came to an end last month that he wanted to come back and make another run at a championship. His was granted Wednesday.

Florida re- signed the 27-year-old forward, making him the second player to be added to the ECHL team's 2006-07 roster. Rookie defenseman Steve Czech signed Monday.

"I thought that if we got the deal done sooner and other players saw that I was signing here that might sway some of them to come aboard," said Hartlieb, who flew to Michigan on Wednesday to visit family. "I love everything about this place, it's my home now, and my motto is do some thing that makes me happy. Playing here makes me happy."

As one of the Everblades' assistant captains last season, Hartlieb scored 54 points (18 goals, 36 assists) in 55 regular-season games, the second highest point total in his professional career.

He added seven points (1 goal, 7 assists) in eight playoff games.

But after helping the team to its second straight Kelly Cup Finals in 2004-05, he saw his effort to win a title fall two rounds short as Florida lost in four games to the Gwinnett Gladiators in the American Conference's South Division Finals. The 7-4 loss in Game 4 on home ice really affected Hartlieb and served as his motivation to return.

"Ernie's the real glue to the team, he's got that type of personality where players gravitate toward him," Everblades team president/general manager Craig Brush said. "He's a real team guy aside from being a very good player, so it didn't take much decision on our part to want to have him come back."

Hartlieb, who was selected as a starter for the American Conference in last year's ECHL All-Star Game, has immersed himself in the community. Hartlieb helped ex-Blades Reggie Berg and Ryan Brindley at their youth hockey camp two weeks ago and ran his own roller hockey camp last week in Fort Myers.

When he returns from Michigan, Hartlieb will begin training camp with Team USA for the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation InLine World Hockey Championships, which are being held in Budapest, Hungary, beginning July 10. The one-week training camp starts Sunday and runs through July 7.

"I've been at the rink working out almost every day and I feel great," said Hartlieb, who suffered a high ankle sprain March 11 that kept him out until the start of the playoffs. "With this tournament coming up, I really wanted to get the deal done before I went overseas. I'm excited about the upcoming season, so first I'll try to bring home a gold medal with Team USA, then see if we can win a championship. We're real close.

"There are actually some players coming into town for this from other teams that I'd like to see in an Everblades jersey. So I'm going to be bringing them over to Germain and try to show them what we've got over here, maybe help convince them to sign on."

Brush joked that Hartlieb fancies himself as an assistant general manager, but acknowledged that his contacts throughout hockey are an added bonus when it comes to recruiting players.

Head coach Gerry Fleming, who signed a two-year contract extension in May, also saw no reason to wait when it came to signing Hartlieb. And with a recognizable name onboard, it should make his job a little easier.

"We just wanted to get it done because Ernie's been a big part of this hockey club for the last couple of years and an important part of our success," Fleming said. "As for his roller hockey, well, there's always a risk of injury in anything you do and he hurt his wrist last year.

But Ernie's a big part of roller hockey's Team USA, and it's a great opportunity for him to stay in shape."