Hockey Operations

Craig Brush, Hertz Arena CEO and President of the Florida Everblades, along with partners Peter Karmanos and Thomas Thewes, founded the Everblades and Hertz Arena in 1998. A native of Milton, Ontario, Brush oversees all aspects of both the hockey club and the sports complex. The Everblades won the Kelly Cup and the ECHL Championship in 2012,2022, & 2023, captured the Brabham Cup four times, and have reigned as conference champions on four occasions. During the 2004 and 2005 Kelly Cup Playoffs, the Everblades became the first team in ECHL history to make back-to-back trips to the Kelly Cup Finals. From 2003-06, Brush served as the Chairman of the ECHL Board of Governors. He was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame (Class of 2016) in the Builders category, on Feb. 5, 2016 in a ceremony in Kalamazoo. As a player, Brush played four seasons at Cornell University, where he was a member of the 1970 undefeated NCAA Championship team, which is the only team in collegiate history to accomplish this feat. In addition, he coached in the Compuware youth hockey program for many years. Craig and his wife, Kyle, split time between Estero, Florida and Birmingham, Michigan. The couple has three sons -- Matt, Tyler and Patrick -- as well as five grandchildren, Anna, Mary, Jane, Sloan, and Brett.

Brad Ralph was named the fifth head coach in Everblades' history on July 12, 2016. Ralph, 42, enters his eighth year as the head coach of Florida and 14th season as a professional head coach, where he has qualified for the playoffs every year. Ralph has amassed a career coaching record of 565-243-81 spread over the Southern Professional Hockey League, Western Hockey League, and ECHL. Ralph's 79 career wins in the Kelly Cup Playoffs are in first place all-time. Brad Ralph led the Florida Everblades to back-to-back Kelly Cup Champions in 2022 and 2023. In 2018-19, Ralph guided the Everblades to their fourth South Division title in five seasons, served as a head coach in the ECHL All-Star Classic for the second time in his career and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive year. In 2017-18, Florida set club records for wins (53) and points (112) while reaching the Kelly Cup Finals for the fourth time in club history. He also received the John Brophy Award as the ECHL Coach of the Year. In 2015-16, he helped lead the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League to a 48-20-4 record and a third-round appearance in the playoffs. Ralph coached the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL for three seasons (2012-15) totaling a 132-64-20 mark along with three postseason appearances. Ralph began his coaching career with the SPHL's Augusta RiverHawks (2010-12), and led his team to the league finals in his first year to garner honors as the SPHL's Coach of the Year. As a player, Ralph appeared in 383 pro games split mainly between the ECHL and American Hockey League, while making his lone NHL appearance with the Phoenix Coyotes during the 2000-01 season. Ralph resides in Estero with his wife, Wendy, and two children.

Anthony Peters begins his coaching career with the Florida Everblades as an assistant coach after finishing a nine-year professional career as a goaltender.

Peters began his professional career with the Florida Everblades in 2015 after he finished playing at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Appearing in 100 games in an Everblades sweater, he compiled a 60-31-4 record across parts of three seasons from 2015-2017. His strongest season in Florida was 2015-16, when he went 27-15-2 with a 2.20 goals-against-average and a .920 save percentage.

Over the past four seasons, the Blyth, Ontario, local has played for teams in Germany, Sweden, Austria, and Slovakia. In 2022, he backstopped HC Slovan Bratislava to a Slovakian Extraliga title. Peters also played for the Cincinnati Cyclones and the American Hockey League’s Rochester Americans and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during his career.

Kody Degenstien joins the Florida Everblades for his  first season as the clubs video coach and team services Manager and second in professional hockey following last season with the Newfoundland Growlers. 

Kody is from a small town in Alberta, The Canadian spent last season working as Video Coach and Team services coordinator with the Newfoundland Growlers. Before his time in Newfoundland he spent time with the London Knights as a hockey operations assistant and 2 seasons at Brock University as the director of Hockey Operations and Analytics as well as the teams video coach where they captured the first OUA championship in program history. Degenstien has also spent time with Hockey Alberta as a director of operations for the prospects cup and as a scout with the Sherwood Park Crusaders and Recruit Scouting.

Degenstien received a Bachelors Degree in Sport’s Management from Brock University in 2022.

John Sellars is in entering his 10th season with the Everblades organization as the Head Equipment Manager. He brings 23 years of experience in hockey working in the equipment field. Prior to Florida, John spent three seasons as the Head Equipment Manager for the Elmira Jackals (ECHL). The Summerville, South Carolina native has also served as the Head Equipment Manager for the Augusta Lynx (ECHL), Roanoke Valley Vipers (UHL), and the Fayetteville Fireantz (SPHL). Sellars also served as a locker room attendant for the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) from 1999 to 2005. Sellars is a member of the Society of Professional Head Equipment Managers (SPHEM). He earned an Associates Degree in business from Trident Technical College. John has also filled in as an emergency backup goaltender for the Everblades on multiple occasions throughout his time with the team.

Nicholas Bufinsky joins the Florida Everblades for his first season as the club’s head athletic trainer and first in professional hockey.

The Long Island local spent the last three years working as Long Island University’s first athletic trainer for the school’s D1 hockey, helping the school build the program from scratch. While with the LIU Sharks, he also worked for multiple other sports programs, including men and women’s tennis and soccer teams.

Bufinsky received a Bachelor’s Degree in Athletic Training from Stony Brook University in 2020.

Sarah Sanchez enters her second season with the Florida Everblades as their skating coach. She grew up a figure skater in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She is a US Figure Skating triple gold medalist in Moves in the Field, Ice Dancing, and Solo Free Dance. Sarah started coaching in 2011. She brought her skills to Hertz arena in 2023 and works with both the youth teams there along with the Everblades. Sarah holds a gold level judging certification with the Ice Sports Industry . In addition, Sarah is a RYT200 certified yoga instructor registered with the Christian Yoga Association. She holds a Bachelor's of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Regent University.