Fans welcome home Everblades after historic 5th Kelly Cup win

ESTERO, Fla. (WINK)—The Florida Everblades returned home to a hero's welcome after capturing their fifth Kelly Cup championship in franchise history.

The team clinched the title in the early morning hours following an overtime thriller. Fans gathered to celebrate as players stepped off the bus carrying the Kelly Cup trophy, greeted by a sea of supporters decked out in blue and green.

Players were welcomed by family members with hugs and celebrations before making their way through the crowd of fans. The atmosphere was electric, with cheers and cowbells echoing throughout the celebration.

"I knew it was going to happen. I just had this good feeling. The boys, you know, they always shine at the right time. We play with heart, you know. When you got heart, everything's on your side," said Mathew Bonacci, an Everblades season ticket holder.

The welcome-home celebration came after the Everblades completed an incredible comeback in the Kelly Cup Finals, winning four straight games after dropping the first two in the series. The championship is the franchise's fifth Kelly Cup, the most in ECHL history.

"It's truly unprecedented, and I love it, the fact that there's guys on this team with multiple Kelly Cup championships, as well as guys that are here for their first time," said Paul Stevenson, an Everblades season ticket holder.

The championship-winning goal came off the stick of Isaac Nurse, ending the second-longest game in Kelly Cup Finals history. Goaltender Cam Johnson was named Kelly Cup Playoffs MVP for the third time in his career.

"I mean, it's, you know, credit in a team sport, so I can't do that without the guys that I have in front of me. But no, I mean, the game last night, unbelievable. Still feel like I'm dreaming," Johnson said.

The Everblades' fifth Kelly Cup solidifies their place as the most successful franchise in ECHL history.