The Florida Eels and Florida Jr. Blades split their exhibition series, with the Eels bouncing back to capture a 4–2 victory on Monday, September 21, after falling just short in a 5–4 battle on Friday, September 18.

Monday’s matchup saw the Eels come out ready to make a statement. Jimmy Rafferty opened the scoring, putting the Eels on the board with the first goal of the game and setting the tone for the day.

Eels veteran Paxton Campbell took center stage, finding the back of the net twice in the victory. Campbell’s offensive performance was fueled by strong support from Cooper Martineau and Benjamin Wong, who picked up assists.

Eels newcomer Curtiss Gordon also made his mark, burying a goal with assists from Logan Cameron and veteran defenseman Derrick Pedersen, helping secure the 4–2 win and close out the exhibition series on a high note.

Regular Season Starts Now

With exhibition play in the books, the Eels are officially turning their attention toward a busy opening weekend on the road.

On Friday, September 24, the Eels head to the Panther’s Den to open regular-season action against the Jr. Cats. The Eels Premier squad takes the ice at 11:30 a.m., followed by the Eels NCDC team at 2:30 p.m.

The action continues Sunday, September 27, when the Eels return to Southwest Florida and head south to Hertz Arena in Estero for another showdown with the Florida Jr. Blades. Premier gets things started at 9:00 a.m., before NCDC takes center stage at 12:00 p.m.

The exhibition games are over. Now, the games count.

Come out and support the Eels live or follow the action on Black Bear TV as the Florida Eels officially drop the puck on the 2026–27 season!

LET’S GO EELS! 🐍🏒