The Wandering Disciple

Doesn't matter what you call them...Los Tortugas or the Everblades, one thing remains the same, Florida hits harder. That phrase has become a constant for the Florida Everblades hockey club, one of the most physical teams in the ECHL.  Here is one of the big hits of last nights game against Savannah. Enforcer Kyle Neuber delivers a decisive hit in the first period of the Hispanic Heritage night contest which saw the home team Los Tortugas aka Everblades pick up a shut-out win.  Taken: January 13, 2024 at Hertz Arena (Estero, FL)

The Florida Everblades sport their holiday themed jerseys during the annual Teddy Bear toss game on Saturday night at Hertz Arena. The jersey designed by Jayden Torres features artwork from patients at the Golisano Children's Hospital.  During the second intermission of the game, thousands of teddy bears rained down to ice benefiting children at the hospital. The home team Blades lost the game to South Carolina 2-1 in overtime.  Taken: December 9, 2023 at Hertz Arena (Estero, FL)

Cam Hausinger celebrates his first period goal with his Everblades teammates during last night's game. The Florida Everblades skated to a 3-1 win over the visiting Atlanta Gladiators.  The Florida Everblades are the ECHL affiliates of the Florida Panthers and are the defending Kelly Cup champions. They play their home games at Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida.  Taken: November 18, 2023 at Hertz Arena (Estero, FL)

The weather is getting colder in Florida and that can only mean one thing, its hockey time in the Sunshine State. As the temps drop, the action gets hotter as the Florida Everblades begin their 2020-2021 season tonight with a home opener against Jacksonville. After last year's season came to an abrupt end due to COVID-19, this season begins with new measures to keep players and fans safe during the pandemic. (Photo: February 3, 2018)

Joe Cox of the Florida Everblades sets up a breakaway during a 2018 East Coast Hockey League game against the Jacksonville Icemen. The Everblades are minor league hockey team in the South Division of the ECHL and have player development contracts with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL and the Nashville Predators of the NHL. They play at the Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida. The Everblades have won 1 Kelly Cup, 4 conference championships and 7 division championships in their 22 year franchise history. (Photo: February 24, 2020)

A gentle walk through the woods along the nature trail at Koreshan State Park takes hikers from the abandoned settlement of the Koreshans to the Florida wilds along the Estero River.  The hiking trail starts in the village where there are eleven maintained historic buildings left abandoned from religious sect as they attempted to found a New Jerusalem.  The trail then meanders along the Estero River passing through thick forests of bamboo and native Florida fauna.  The trail extends about a mile and half before ending at the picnic and playground area near the campground.  (Photo: July 29, 2009)

The Florida Everblades paid tribute to the public safety heroes on Saturday night as they hosted Public Safety Night at Germain Arena.  For the game, the Everblades wore special edition jerseys that honored law enforcement and fire/EMS. The jersey were auctioned off at the end of the night to benefit MDA.  (Photo: March 17, 2018)

Estero, Florida:  It may be warm outside in Southwest Florida, but inside Germain Arena, the ice is cold and the action is hot.  It is here in this frozen palace where the hockey stars of tomorrow get their chance to shine and fight to be on of only a few who make it all the way to the NHL. I grew up attending AHL hockey games as a kid in Pennsylvania.  Many of nights were spent at Hersheypark Arena watching the Hershey Bears play.  When I moved from PA, I kind of lost sight of live games.  While I still enjoyed the games on TV, it really didn't feel like hockey weather when its almost 90 degrees in winter.  For years I have wanted to take the hour drive south to Germain Arena but never really made it down there.  But on a Saturday night in February, I pulled the trigger and headed to a game. Saturday night's game featured the hometown Florida Everblades hosting the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in an ECHL regular season game.  The ECHL is a mino...

Planetary Court is one of several historic buildings remaining from the Koreshan Unity. Facing religious persecution, Koreshan founder Cyrus Teed relocated his followers to a remote spot along the banks of the Estero River. Here he and his supporters created a utopia to peruse their beliefs. As time went on, the followers began to fade and eventually the property was deeded to the State of Florida and turned into a park. Today, visitors can take a walk through history and see the Koreshan way of life or just admire the natural beauty in which the park encompasses. (Photo: July 29, 2009)

The peaceful waters of the Estero River as it passes through Koreshan State Park.  It was along the banks of this river that Cyrus Teed established the Koreshan Unity in 1894.  (Photo: July 29, 2009)

A set of stairs leads down to the bamboo landing along the Estero River at Koreshan State Park.  The park was once the site of the Koreshan Unity, a religious community that escaped to Estero to evade persecution in 1894.  (Photo: July 29, 2009)

The early 1900’s Member Cottage is one of several remaining historic buildings that remain on display at the Koreshan State Historic Site. The park is the site of the former settlement of the Korehsan Unity. The group led by Cyrus Reed Teed came to Estero seeking a new home for their followers in 1894. The colony began to fall following Teed’s death and the last four surviving members deeded the park to to the state in 1961. (Photo: July 29, 2009)

The rustic Damkohler Cottage sits in in thick Florida brush as a testament to settlement that has been lost forever. The building of the Koreshan State Park are frozen in time, a constant reminder of the Koreshan settlement that once thrived at this location in Southwest Florida. (Photo: July 29, 2009)

Estero, Florida: In 1894, Cyrus Teed ventured into rural southern Florida to establish a “New Jerusalem”, a utopia for the followers of Koreshanity. The utopia became known as the Koreshan Unity and was a was a self preserving society until the early 1900’s. Teed was an eclectic physician who in 1869 suffered an electrical shock during an experiment which rendered him unconscious. While unconscious, Teed believed he had a divine inspiration and was the messiah of a new religious belief. He changed his name to Koresh which is Hebrew for Cyrus and began spreading the beliefs of Koreshanity. The beliefs of Koreshanity revolved around the core belief of Cellular Cosmogony. They believed the earth and universe were contained inside a sphere known as a cell. They spent much of their time doing science experiments trying to prove this theory. They also believed in reincarnation, immortality, alchemy, communism and celibacy. Teed began preaching his beliefs in New York. The followers ...