FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Some Florida Panthers have hit the ice with the SoFlo Hockey League over the offseason.
SoFlo Hockey looks to redefine the offseason, bringing together everyone from junior prospects to NHL veterans to create a place where development, elite competition and opportunity all share the same sheet of ice.
The man behind it all is South Florida native Cole Kodsi.
“It’s a summer hockey league. I mean, we have tons of NHL players and college players and pros and prospects, younger players, we have a development league, a junior league,” said Kodsi. “It’s every Monday night here at Baptist Health IcePlex; we play two games a week.”
Throughout the summer, NHL talent has shared the ice in a fast-paced four-on-four matchup alongside the next generation of players.
“To be honest, I started it to try to get more training, more reps in the summer with me and my friends. It was kind of a pickup skate at first, and then it eventually just transitioned into a college skate and a professional skate, and then more and more NHL players started coming,” said Kodsi.
Florida Panthers defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones are among those spending part of their offseason at SoFlo Hockey.
“It was cool. Friday night, I think I was on Instagram, and I saw a bunch of Fort Lauderdale pages that said what to do this week and, you know, this was on here,” said Jones. “It gets you in shape, that’s for sure. It’s been a lot of fun, though, meeting new guys around Florida. It’s amazing how much the guys stay here in the summertime, so you get your hands, your feet and your mind into it and really gets the cardio going as well.”
South Florida Navy and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Brandon Duhaime has also returned home to sharpen his skills as he prepares for another NHL season.
“It’s a good league. I mean, you got a lot of good players out here, you know, the full ice, you get a lot of skating in, a lot of skill work, in-tight stuff as well, so it’s good to get prepared,” said Duhaime.
For young players, it provides a front row seat to hockey’s highest level and for the pros. It’s the perfect place to stay game ready while inspiring the next wave of South Florida hockey talent.
“At the end of the day, we have so many great players that it doesn’t matter if you’re 17 years old and you’re getting ready for college, or junior hockey or you play in the NHL,” said Kodsi. “I think the younger players are hungry down here. They want to get better, they want to develop.”
“All the success that Florida hockey’s had over the past few years with Tampa winning some cups and Florida as well, it’s been awesome to see the growth down here,” said Duhaime.
As the temperatures outside climb, so does the level of competition inside the rink.
From high-tempo practices to intense battles, SoFlo Hockey aims to become more than just another summer league, with the goal to build a true pipeline, developing South Florida’s hockey talent from the junior ranks all the way to the NHL.
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