by Naples Daily News posted 06/26/2011 
| | Former Junior Everblade Brian Ferlin (17) of Jacksonville, shown here playing for the Indiana Ice of the USHL, was selected by the Boston Bruins in the 4th round of the NHL Draft on June 25, 2011. Indiana Ice Photo | | |
For a kid whose hockey roots are deeply imbedded in Florida -- including Estero -- just being drafted by a National Hockey League club would be a thrill.
When that team happens to be the Stanley Cup champions, it's even more extraordinary.
Fresh from their Cup win less than two weeks ago, the Boston Bruins made Jacksonville's Brian Ferlin the first former Junior Everblade to be drafted by an NHL team. The Bruins picked the
6-foot-2, 201-pound winger with the final selection of the NHL Draft's fourth round -- 121st overall -- on Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
Brian Ferlin of Jacksonville, left, is joined by former Junior Everblade coach Brett Strot after Ferlin was drafted by the Boston Bruins on June 25, 2011 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. Ferlin played three years in the Estero-based Junior Everblades organization. Strot coached Ferlin for one year with the Jr. Blades and for two years with the Jacksonville Ice Dogs. Contributed photo
Former Junior Everblade Brian Ferlin (17) of Jacksonville, shown here playing for the Indiana Ice of the USHL, was selected by the Boston Bruins in the 4th round of the NHL Draft on June 25, 2011. Indiana Ice Photo
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"There's a couple of organizations I think anyone would want to go to and Boston is one of them," Ferlin said. "It's special because they've
done a really good job drafting in the past. It's an honor."
The Cornell University-bound Ferlin, who said he's looking forward to returning to "my old stomping grounds" when the Big Red come to
Germain Arena in Estero for the Florida College Classic in December, played the past two seasons with the Indiana Ice of the United States
Hockey League. His linemate, Blake Coleman, was drafted by New Jersey in the third round.
Last season Ferlin, 19, blossomed into the one of the USHL's top players, finishing with the third-highest point total (73) in the league with
25 goals and 48 assists in 55 games.
For three of his early teenage years, Ferlin honed his skills in Estero with an elite bantam program in the Junior Everblades organization.
His teammates included his future Ivy League foes Trent Ruffolo (Yale) and Greg Gozzo (Harvard) as well as Ohio State tight end Jeff
Heuerman of Naples.
Ferlin's road to being an NHL draft pick meant logging thousands of miles on Florida highways making the 10-hour round trip between
Jacksonville and Estero with his father, Mark, on most weekends during the hockey season.
"A lot of years of hard work. My dad put a lot of time into it and helped me to get to where I am." Ferlin said. "Being in Florida, you have to be
dedicated to excel. All the years paid off. I don't regret it."
When Dave Kessel started the Junior Everblades organization in 1998, he figured a goal to shoot for would be to someday see a Junior Everblade
graduate play with the big Blades in the ECHL. Now it might be the Big, Bad Bruins.
"That was the thing we used to talk about, that ultimately it would be great to see a former Junior Everblade play on the big rink with an
(ECHL) Everblades jersey on," Kessel said. "Being a fourth-round pick, it looks like someone has bigger plans for him than the ECHL."
Ferlin's coaches in Estero included former Everblade Jim Brown and former University of Minnesota and ECHL player Brett Strot, the latter of which
attended the draft along with Ferlin's family.
"It's a great story for a kid who grew up playing hockey in Florida," said Strot, who began training Ferlin nearly a decade ago and also coached him
for two years with the Jacksonville Ice Dogs. "He's been very focused and dedicated since age 11. All that work has paid off. He'll make the most
of this opportunity. He's that type of player
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Former Jr. Everblade Bennett Schneider attends NY Islanders mini camp.
