the coaching staff and teammates. Later, Haldane
would learn that his fellow teammates, and
players from other teams were gathering at the
hospital awaiting updates on his condition.
After about another three hours, he started to
regain feeling in his legs though he was ultimately
diagnosed with a spinal
concussion.
Haldane recalls laying
on the ice thinking to
himself “No matter what
happens, I’ll be okay. I
have great teammates
and family.”
He also had the presence
of mind to think about his
family back home as he left
the ice on a stretcher, and he gave a thumbs up
for them. The next days were spent at doctors’
offices and the hospital, trying to get clearance to
get back on the ice.
He finally received that the OK to skate on
Thursday, but with no contact. Just like any true
hockey player, all he wanted was to be back with
his teammates, and sure enough, he was back in
the starting lineup for the Eels on Saturday.
One of Haldane’s newest teammates is 18-yearold
Fort Myers-native Jake Court. Recently
promoted to the Premier team, Court is one of the
youngest members of the Florida Eels. He says
that there’s a big difference moving from Elite to
Premier.
“The game is a lot faster and more physical,”
but he says it a challenge he’s up for. One
advantage he sees is that the Eels sometimes
have their Elite team practice with the Premier
team.
“It helped me a lot to getting ready for this
weekend,” Court said, “Our coaching staff does
a great job preparing us; They want us ready to
advance to the next level.” When asked how his
new teammates received him, he said that it was
“Pretty good. They gave me a little hard time in
the locker room, but in a good way.”
Like the rest of his teammates, once the puck
drops, he’s just another player on the ice. Haldane
thinks Court will fit right in. “He’s a good player,
he sees the ice well and works hard,” he said.
The Tampa Bay Juniors club also welcomed new
players this year, including CJ Jenson, a 20-yearold
defenseman from Brandon, Florida who joined
the team late in the season. Jenson said his
goal is to play a high level of college hockey. He
believes that playing for the Tampa Juniors gives
him that opportunity.
“It’s been unreal! The
boys are extremely
supportive and great
to play with,” Jenson
said. “ Everyone wants
to get better, and you
really need that in
order to succeed. The
coaching staff is the
best I’ve ever had,
and they care a lot
about getting you to
that next level. I’m super thrilled that I get to be
a part of it. The weekend was great. We played a
lot of solid teams, and everyone got to talk with
some good colleges. And it was nice to have
a showcase at home. It made the games a lot
easier,” Jenson said.
Another standout for the Florida teams was
18-year-old Patrick Lietava from Slovakia.
Lietava is the goalie for the Florida Jr. Blades, who
is now in his second season with the team.
Last season, he played for the Elite team before
being promoted to the Premier team. This season
Lietava leads the league in save percentages, a
statistic that he is very proud of, and he enjoys
seeing the shots.“It keeps me sharp and focused
during the games,” said Lietava.
His goal is to play Division I hockey in college, but
he also understands the need to always have a
backup plan. That’s why school is very important
to him, and he’s very proud of his straight A’s.
Lietava still attends school back in Slovakia. His
schooling approach is different from most foreign
players here. In the off season and down time
during the holidays, he returns home and focuses
on his school work as he is looking forward to
graduating next year.
“When I’m home in Slovakia, I only concentrate
on school. When in American I only focus on
hockey,” Lietava said. That’s understandable
since he’s on the ice five days out of a week and
in the gym three days per week with games on the
weekend. That doesn’t leave much time for much
else.
Lietava also shared that the coaching he receives
now is the best he’s ever had. Not only does he get
the practice time with his teammates, but he has
private sessions with his goalie coach.
Coming from a hockey family with his dad playing
for 30 years back in Slovakia, the sport is in his
blood.
When asked if leaving home to come play in the
USPHL in Florida was a good decision, he smiled,
looked over to the ice, his smile got bigger and he
said, “Yes, of course! I love it here.”
Overall, the showcase turned out to be very
entertaining, and everyone seemed to come away
with a better appreciation for junior level hockey
in Florida. The Florida teams performed well on
the ice and got some big wins against their fellow
USPHL teams that they don’t often get to play.
In addition to the USPHL Florida Jr Showcase
there was a AAA 05 tournament with the Florida
Alliance, Team Illinois – (who defeated the Florida
Alliance in the finals,) the Islanders Hockey Club,
and the Sun County Panthers from Ontario.
The USPHL and the host rink and their staff,
along with the Tampa Bay Junior organization
did a wonderful job putting together an exciting
weekend of hockey. Top Shelf restaurant did an
amazing job providing meals and refreshments
for the players, coaches, scouts and media.
We would like to give a special shout out to
the parents of the Tampa Bay Junior teams for
everything they did to make this a memorable
event for everyone.
Photo Credit: Josh Boyd, USPHL
Photo Credit: Josh Boyd, USPHL
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