ECHL: Everblades release protected players list

ESTERO — The Florida Everblades released their annual protected list on Thursday, ensuring for the time being that the team will maintain ECHL rights for 21 players. The protected list is the first in a multi-step process of re-signing players for next season’s team.

Among the notable names are defensemen Bobby Raymond, David Fischer and Mike Egener, as well as longtime forwards Mathieu Roy and Ross Carlson. Two goalies that finished the season with Florida, Mike Zacharias and Ryan Zapolski, were also named to the list.

Every player that finished the season on the Everblades roster was named to the list, with the exception of players on two-way American Hockey League/ECHL deals. Those players, like goalies Bobby Goepfert and Javoslav Janus, and forwards Matt Beca and Mike McKenzie, are not eligible for the protected list.

“It’s not that important in terms of who is and who isn’t on the list,” Florida president and general manager Craig Brush said. “You put the names of the people that you can, and then you sort through it from there.”

Forwards Alex Imbeault and Brad Snetsinger were on the list, but aren't expected to return to the team.

Teams are allowed to protect an unlimited number of players provided the players protected meet the guidelines as defined in the collective bargaining agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association.

The agreement states that teams shall retain the rights to each player that signed a standard contract during the 2010-11 season and was not released or traded, regardless of recall to the National Hockey League or the AHL. Players that received a qualifying offer last summer, but who didn’t sign a contract for the 2010-11 season are also eligible, as are players that signed an ECHL contract and then left to sign with an NHL or AHL team.

The Everblades named one player that didn’t play the 2010-11 season, defenseman Tim Maxwell, who was acquired last offseason in a trade with Utah. Maxwell played this past season in Europe. Florida also named Nick Tarnasky, who left the team to sign with AHL Springfield after only three games.

Scott Hotham and Matt Caria were the only players eligible for the list that the Everblades excluded. Both were members of the 2009-10 team. Hotham played this past season in Europe, while Caria is attending college in Canada.

Defenseman Eric Olimb was named to the list, despite the fact that he’s already signed with a team in Europe. Zacharias has also come to terms with a European club. Snetsinger and Imbeault said during their exit interviews that they didn’t expect to return to Florida next season.

“We retain their rights,” Brush said. “They’ve gone over there and if they don’t like it they might want to come back over here so we want to give ourselves options.”

The league announced Thursday that all future consideration trades must be completed by 3 p.m. on June 13, and that teams are required to submit their season-ending roster by 3 p.m. on June 15.

Season-ending rosters may include up to 20 players and cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2010-11.

EVERBLADES PROTECTED LIST

Goalies (2): Mike Zacharias, Ryan Zapolski

Defensemen (9): Bobby Raymond, David Fischer, Brad Good, Eric Olimb, Evan Stephens, Deron Cousens, Mike Egener, Trevor Hendrikx, Tim Maxwell.

Forwards (10): Mathieu Roy, Drew Larman, Ross Carlson, Alex Imbeault, Brad Snetsinger, Scott Pitt, Tyler Helfrich, Dusty Collins, Mike Kennedy, Nick Tarnasky.