Excitement builds for Everblades’ third straight Kelly Cup Final

The Florida Everblades are Eastern Conference Champions for the third year in a row and are back in the Kelly Cup Final.

“Thought we had it made when we were up 4-1, but we made out,” Everblades fan Mike Thornton said about Tuesday’s 4-3 series clinching win.

Now, the matchup is set. The Everblades will face the Kansas City Mavericks in the final.

When the tickets went on sale Wednesday morning, some of the team’s loyal fans showed up to the box office at Hertz Arena to secure their seats.

Sinclair Lagergren and his daughter, Ali, were among those fans.

Sinclair said about Ali’s fandom, “she’s a big fan. She’s always texting me what the scores are and how things are going. So she listens to all the games.”

Ali added, :I never thought I would like hockey and here we are. I dragged him over here to get tickets. “

Thornton has been a season ticket holder the past three seasons, each of them included a trip to the Kelly Cup Final.

“To be honest with you, the way they played earlier in the year I had my doubts,” Thornton said. “As a lot of people might have. The end of the year same as last year they got hot. If you’re in the playoffs that’s what’s you got to do.”

The Blades are now four wins away from history.

“I think there’s something extra behind the opportunity to become the first year ever to win it three straight years in a row,” Everblades Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice President Chris Palin said. “So you know it feels the same the last couple years with a little extra emphasis on that three peat.”

The Everblades are traveling to Kansas City for Game 1 of the Kelly Cup Final on Friday. The Blades return home for Game 3 on June 5th.