Orlando Solar Bears

The Orlando Solar Bears are a professional ice hockey team that plays their home games at Kia Center (formerly Amway Center) in Orlando, Florida. They play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League and Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League.
==History ==
Orlando Pro Hockey Operations, L.P. and primary owners Joe Haleski, Bob Ohrablo, and Jason Siegel, obtained an expansion franchise in the ECHL in November 2011. The team revived the name of the original Orlando Solar Bears, who played in the International Hockey League from 1995 to 2001. The franchise also retained the original colors of their IHL predecessor, while adding the color Sunrise Gold. They are Orlando's third professional hockey team, after the original Solar Bears and Orlando Seals (2002–2004). Together with the Florida Everblades of Estero and the Jacksonville Icemen, they are one of three ECHL franchises in Florida. They are the eighth ECHL franchise to have the name of a previous IHL franchise, joining four current teams (Cincinnati Cyclones, Fort Wayne Komets, Utah Grizzlies and Kalamazoo Wings) and three former teams (the defunct Phoenix Roadrunners and Long Beach Ice Dogs; and the Peoria Rivermen).
The Solar Bears utilize RDV Sportsplex Ice Den as their training facility and offices.
For their first season in 2012–13, the team became affiliated with the Minnesota Wild of the NHL and the Houston Aeros of the AHL. They hired former NHL player Drake Berehowsky as the team's first head coach. During their inaugural season, the Solar Bears posted a 20–11–1–4 record on home ice; however, the team struggled on the road and missed the playoffs with a 28–27–7 overall record.
The Solar Bears then named Vince Williams, a former Solar Bears defenseman, as head coach for the 2013–14 season. They also added an affiliation with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL and the Toronto Marlies of the AHL while also keeping the Wild as an affiliate. The Leafs extended their affiliation with the Solar Bears for an additional two years in 2014 and the Leafs became the Solar Bears' sole NHL affiliate.
The Solar Bears hosted the 2015 ECHL All-Star Game at Amway Center on January 21, 2015.
For the 2015–16 season, Anthony Noreen became the head coach of the Solar Bears after guiding the United States Hockey League's Youngstown Phantoms to the league championship and being named USHL Coach of the Year. The Solar Bears also renewed their affiliation with the Maple Leafs and Marlies. The Solar Bears missed the 2016 playoffs and then started the 2016–17 season with a 5-5-1-0 record. On November 14, 2016, head coach Anthony Noreen was replaced by former Solar Bears' head coach Drake Berehowsky.
In May 2017, the DeVos family, owners of the Orlando Magic, agreed to purchase the Solar Bears when the Orlando Pro Hockey Operations, L.P. ownership group informed them that they could no longer sustain the team. The DeVos family were the owners of the IHL Solar Bears from 1995 through 2001.
In the 2018 Kelly Cup playoffs, the Solar Bears swept the South Carolina Stingrays to win their first playoff series, before losing to the regular season champions, the Florida Everblades, in the division finals. After the season, the Solar Bears and the Toronto Maple Leafs ended their five-season affiliation when Toronto affiliated with the expansion Newfoundland Growlers team. The Solar Bears then affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning on a three-year agreement, which was then extended through at least the 2022–23 season.
On April 25, 2022, the team announced that they and Drake Berehowsky had mutually agreed to part ways.
==Media==
The radio broadcasts for Orlando Solar Bears games are streamed online through iHeart Radio on the online channel for WYGM "740 the Game" and on Mixlr. News6 WKMG broadcasts select games throughout the season. Joey Battaino, formerly of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, is the play-by-play announcer for the Solar Bears.
As with all ECHL teams, video of Orlando Solar Bears games are available on FloSports and ECHL.TV, usually with a choice between home or away radio feeds for audio. The 2022-2023 season home opener was simulcast on WKMG-TV (Orlando's CBS affiliate) and Cozi TV.
==Season-by-season results==
Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season 	Playoffs	Playoffs 	Playoffs 	Playoffs 	Playoffs
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	OTL 	SOL 	Pts 	GF 	GA 	Standing 	Avg. attendance	Year 	1st round 	2nd round 	3rd round 	Kelly Cup
2012–13 	72 	28 	37 	3 	4 	63 	197 	253 	5th, South 	6,668 	2013 	did not qualify 	did not qualify 	did not qualify 	did not qualify
2013–14 	72 	43 	24 	2 	3 	91 	225 	219 	2nd, South 	6,355 	2014 	L, 2–4, CIN 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	72 	37 	25 	6 	4 	84 	236 	215 	4th, East 	6,209 	2015 	L, 2–4, FLA 	— 	— 	—
2015–16 	72 	33 	30 	4 	5 	75 	224 	232 	3rd, South 	6,226 	2016 	did not qualify 	did not qualify 	did not qualify 	did not qualify
2016–17 	72 	36 	26 	7 	3 	82 	260 	258 	4th, South 	5,498 	2017 	L, 3–4, FLA 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	72 	33 	30 	6 	3 	75 	212 	228 	3rd, South 	5,461 	2018 	W, 4–0, SC 	L, 1–4, FLA 	— 	—
2018–19 	72 	41 	25 	5 	1 	88 	251 	238 	2nd, South 	5,612 	2019 	W, 4–1, SC 	L, 1–4, FLA 	— 	—
2019–20 	62 	27 	29 	5 	1 	60 	170 	180 	5th, South 	5,632 	2020 	Season cancelled	Season cancelled	Season cancelled	Season cancelled
2020–21 	72 	36 	29 	6 	1 	79 	218 	232 	5th, Eastern 	2,464 	2021 	did not qualify 	did not qualify 	did not qualify 	did not qualify
2021–22 	71 	33 	31 	6 	1 	73 	197 	226 	5th, South 	5,120 	2022 	did not qualify 	did not qualify 	did not qualify 	did not qualify
2022–23 	72 	30 	33 	8 	1 	69 	221 	264 	6th, South 	6,033 	2023 	did not qualify 	did not qualify 	did not qualify 	did not qualify
2023–24 	72 	38 	24 	7 	3 	86 	220 	206 	4th, South 	— 	2024 	W, 4–2, GRN 	L, 1–4, FLA 	— 	—
==Players==
===Current roster===
Updated April 22, 2024.
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Tampa Bay Lightning minor league affiliates
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs minor league affiliates
Category:ECHL teams
Category:Ice hockey teams in Orlando, Florida
Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 2011
Category:Minnesota Wild minor league affiliates