Riese Zmolek Returns to Everblades

ESTERO, Fla. – The Florida Everblades, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues and the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, announced that the team has signed defenseman Riese Zmolek to a standard player contract.

Zmolek, 27, enters his second season with the Everblades after joining the club in an August 2023 trade with the Iowa Heartlanders.

A member of the 2024 Kelly Cup winning team, Zmolek appeared in 53 games for the Everblades, registering 14 points on four goals and 10 assists. Zmolek appeared in all 23 of the Blades’ postseason games, tallying three goals and three assists, helping the Everblades to a third straight Kelly Cup championship. 

Before being acquired by the Everblades, Zmolek had two seasons at the ECHL and AHL levels. In 78 total ECHL games over the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons with the Heartlanders, Zmolek collected 27 points on five goals and 22 assists. He also appeared in 22 regular-season games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild and Rochester Americans, picking up a goal and three helpers. Zmolek appeared in one Calder Cup playoff game with the Wild in 2023.

Zmolek enjoyed a four-year collegiate career at Minnesota State-Mankato, appearing in 135 games and registering 40 total points on seven goals and 33 assists for the Mavericks.

A native of Rochester, Minn., Zmolek played one season of junior hockey with the Austin Bruins of the North American Hockey League and two years with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the United States Hockey League, notching 27 total points on seven goals and 20 assists in 118 regular-season and postseason games.

  ---

JOIN THE FUN

Season ticket plans for the 2024-25 campaign are on sale now! Become a Blades 365 Member for the 2024-25 season and enjoy incredible savings and benefits! To view the Blades 365 Membership savings, benefits, and options click HERE. 

Group Packages are available for a group of 10 or more! Everblades put FUN in FUNdraising! There is no handling of money or tickets and no limit to the amount of money your group can make with the Everblades' easy-to-run online Fundraiser! For more information, or to reserve a Fundraiser Night at an Everblades regular- season home game, call or text (239) 948-7825.

Grab the newest and hottest Everblades merchandise by checking out the entire collection that is available online by visiting shop.floridaeverblades.com or at the Hertz Arena Pro Shop! 

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Watch every Florida Everblades game on FloHockey.TV. Listen to the exciting game action on ESPN Southwest Florida on 770 AM, 98.1 FM, 104.3 FM, or online at espnswfl.com or everblades.mixlr.com. Stay up to date by following the Blades on social media with all the latest news, scores, and promotions on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and Twitter.