Everblades negotiate series of deals on day of trade deadline

ESTERO, Fla. —Florida Everblades President and General Manager Craig Brush and head coach Brad Ralph announced on Thursday a series of trades to bolster the team’s roster heading into the final month of the regular season.

Coming on the day of the trade deadline, Florida picked up veteran defenseman Riley Weselowski in a trade with the Rapid City Rush and acquired the rights to Nick Moutrey in a trade with the Manchester Monarchs.

Weselowski, 34, has played in more than 350 career ECHL games and has spent the bulk of his professional career with the Rush, including parts of five seasons from 2009-14 while Rapid City was still in the Central Hockey League. The 11th-year pro has 99 career points (22g-77a) in 372 games in the ECHL and has recorded eight goals and 20 points in 60 games this season.

A native of Pilot Mound, Manitoba, Weselowski posted 124 points (22g-102a) in 274 career games in the CHL with Rapid City. Prior to turning pro, he suited up in 124 games for Bemidji State University from 2004-08, totaling 39 points (8g-31a) in his college career.

As part of the trade with Rapid City, Florida sent forward Liam Bilton to the Rush along with forward Jack Riley. The ‘Blades picked up Riley in a separate deal with the Reading Royals earlier in the day on Thursday prior to packaging him with Bilton to acquire Weselowski. Bilton was scoreless and put up two penalty minutes in four games with Florida.

The Everblades received the rights to Moutrey by sending defenseman Brenden Miller to the Monarchs. A fourth-year pro, Moutrey, 23, has 12 points in 12 games for Manchester this season. The Shelburne, Ontario, native has spent a bulk of the season in the American Hockey League with the Rockford IceHogs. He has played in 42 games and notched three points (1g-2a) with Rockford.

Moutrey, 23, has skated in 194 contests in his AHL career, seeing time with the Cleveland Monsters, Belleville Senators and Rockford. He has 20 goals and 42 points in his time in the AHL. Before going pro, Moutrey played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Saginaw Spirit and the North Bay Battalion. He had 155 points (58g-97a) in 261 games.

In addition to the string of moves on trade deadline day, the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers recalled goaltender Jamie Phillips, while forward Steven Lorentz was recalled to Charlotte by the Carolina Hurricanes.

Phillips has posted a 19-9-2 record in 30 appearances with Florida this season. The Caledonia, Ontario, native has put up a 2.59 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage in his first season with the ‘Blades, allowing two goals or less in 17 of his appearances.

Lorentz is receiving his fourth call-up to Charlotte this season and leads Florida with a 1.27 points-per-game average this year. The second-year pro has registered 28 points (10g-18a) in 22 games with the ‘Blades and tabbed points in all three games in his most recent stint with Florida. The Waterloo, Ontario, native has five points (2g-3a) in 18 games with Charlotte this season.

Florida continues a three-game set with the Atlanta Gladiators with a 7:30 p.m. matchup on Friday at Hertz Arena.

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The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes