3 WHA2 players join Blades

By ED REED
Fort Myers News Press

Mike Fournier was eating lunch after practicing with his WHA2 team, the Orlando Seals, Friday afternoon when he received an unusual call.

�We won (Thursday) night and we went out and had a good time, and after practice I was eating lunch and waiting to get home and get in bed, when coach (Jim) Paek called and said, �Get down to Fort Myers and play,�� Fournier said.

Fournier was one of three current WHA2 players loaned to the ECHL Florida Everblades on Friday to play in their two-game weekend series against the Mississippi Sea Wolves.

Fournier, 23, a defenseman, arrived at the arena at 5 p.m., followed minutes later by Miami Manatees forward Kevin Swider, 26, and Lakeland Loggerheads forward Jimmy Callahan, 25. The WHA2 is a six-team minor league in its inaugural season and is considered two steps below the ECHL.

The trio was brought in at the last minute to bolster Florida�s lineup, which has just eight healthy forwards, including the recently unretired Tom Buckley, and five defensemen. Fournier has the only ECHL experience of the three, playing one game for the Jackson Bandits in 2001-02, but they were all named WHA2 all-stars this season.

Florida Everblades general manager Craig Brush said he contacted WHA2 coaches for players. He had only seen Swider, who grew up near Brush�s family in Michigan, play before. Brush said he has never seen a WHA2 game and didn�t have time to search for players from other leagues.

�You can use the word desperate,� said Brush, whose team is clinging to the fourth and final playoff spot in the Southern Division. �We know our backs are against the wall with 20 games to go, and we don�t want to leave any stone unturned. We want to put the best roster and the best team on the ice every night that we can, and we�ll continue to do that as long as we have a shot to make the playoffs.�

Fournier, in his third full pro season, had two goals, 11 points and 94 penalty minutes in 26 games for Orlando. Callahan, a rookie, tallied 17 goals and 11 assists in 34 games this season, while Swider, a third-year pro, scored 15 goals and 52 points in 36 games.

�It�s a good opportunity,� Callahan said. �I didn�t know those guys were coming down.�

Swider, who assisted on Florida�s first goal, played with the Everblades� leading scorer Brian McCullough in college at Ferris State and had thought about calling up Florida and trying to join the team for the playoff drive. Brush�s call surprised him, and he almost didn�t accept.

�I was contemplating it,� Swider said. �It was such short notice, but I had to give it a shot.�

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