Hockey in Florida:
The Best of Winter, Without the Snow!

Hockey in Florida is a hockey fan’s dream. Just because you retire to Florida or you are on vacation in the Sunshine State, it does not mean that you can’t go to hockey games. In fact, if you are in the Englewood area you can enjoy hockey action at its best without traveling too far from home. A short drive either north or south from Englewood on I-75 will bring you to two Florida arenas that host professional hockey teams. There are lots of activities and entertainment venues to fill your time without leaving the Englewood area. But, when you decide that you want a change from the four fabulous Englewood beaches, the great Florida golf courses and southwest Florida nature trails, there are many other great sports attractions within a short drive of Englewood.

From time to time during their stay in the Englewood area, many snowbirds feel the need for the occasional “hockey fix”. This need is easily accommodated because there are two professional teams within a short two-hour drive from Englewood, the NHL’s Tampa Lightning and the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. And, if you want to travel a little further there is a NHL team located in the Miami area, the Florida Panthers.

Tampa Lightning

lightning
An hour and one half drive from your waterfront condo one of Englewood’s great Florida beaches, or wherever you live in the Englewood area, will take you to the St. Pete’s Times Forum for a National Hockey League game featuring the exciting Tampa Lightning.

If you are a fan of another NHL team, you can go to a Lightning game and watch Tampa’s super star forwards, Vincent Lecavalier, the diminutive Martin St. Louis, and the Bolts’ first over-all draft pick, Steven Stamkos, take on your heroes from Boston, Pittsburgh or some other National Hockey League destination.

Florida Everblades

Hockey in Florida at an Everblades games are an even shorter distance from Englewood making hockey in Florida even easier to enjoy.

This ECHL team and its opponents consist largely of young players trying to make their way up the ladder of professional hockey to the NHL. The action is fast and furious as each player strives to prove that he should be skating for a big league team.

The Everblades play their home games at the Germain Arena in Estero Florida. To see the Everblades in action, the driving directions are simple. Just follow I-75 south towards Fort Myers and Naples. Estero is about 65 miles from Englewood and is located approximately half way between Fort Myers and Naples. Your driving time from Englewood to the arena will be just over an hour.

Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers Hockey Card image
I know hockey fans, who when their favorite NHL team makes its swing through Florida, they get tickets for games not only in Tampa, but they travel south to Miami, to catch the action between their hockey heroes battle the Florida Panthers.

If you prefer to get some exercise by skating yourself, rather than watching a game, there are several Florida hockey arenas which feature times for pleasure skating in the region.
sun clipart
Attending a hockey game or going to an ice skating rink in Florida has other benefits. When you leave the arena, after the game, or your pleasure skating session, you don’t have to clean snow from your car and scrape the ice from your windshield.

Hockey in Florida, you have to Enjoy Englewood Florida in the winter!

Do you like to read?
Do you like Hockey?
Do you like History?
Read My Book and Enjoy All Three!

hockey centremen

If you enjoy reading about hockey and especially hockey history, the publishers of my latest hockey book Great Centremen: Stars of Hockey's Golden Age have made copies available for sale on this website.

Great Centremen: Stars of Hockey's Golden Age features short biographical sketches of eleven great hockey centermen.

In the pages of this book you will read about Montreal Canadien legends Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard; Syl Apps, Max Bentley and Teeder Kennedy who all toiled down the center for the Toronto Maple Leafs; Alex Delvecchio and Sid Abel two stars of the fabulous Detroit Red Wings scoring machine of the 1950s.

As well, you can read about Boston Bruin greats Milt Schmidt and Cooney Weiland; Frank Boucher of the Rangers and last but certainly not least the legendary Cyclone Taylor who is reputed to have skated through the entire opposing team backwards before scoring a goal!

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