Orlando Solar Bears Tickets
Orlando Solar Bears Tickets
Book your Orlando Solar Bears tickets and watch an ECHL team that has made great strides forward over the last few years. It has not even been a decade since they were founded, but they have already shown progress. Now they have their sights set on reaching the next level during the latest campaign. The Solar Bears will need to step up and be counted, and the support from their fans will be vitally important in this regard. If you want to see how they fare this season, then book your tickets and watch them in action live.
The Orlando Solar Bears are all set and ready to face every challenge that the latest ECHL season throws at them. Get ready for some exhilarating ice hockey action live by booking your Orlando Solar Bears tickets now.
A Little History
In November 2011, Jason Siegel, Bob Ohrablo, and Joe Haleski, the owners of Orlando Pro Hockey Operations, L.P., were awarded an expansion side by the ECHL. Instead of choosing a new name, they decided to name the team the Orlando Solar Bears, which had been used by an IHL team between 1995 and 2001. They even adopted the original colors of the old team, adding Sunrise Gold.
They weren't the first Orlando-based hockey team, however. Apart from the original Orlando Solar Bears, the Orlando Seals had also been based in the city between 2002 and 2004. The Solar Bears are one of three Florida-based ECHL franchises currently, the other two being the Jacksonville Icemen and the Florida Everblades of Estero.
The Solar Bears Begin to Play
The Orlando Solar Bears started to play for the first time in the 2012-2013 campaign as affiliates of two teams, the Minnesota Wild (NHL) and the Houston Aeros (AHL). Drake Berehowsky was the head coach and it was a season of contrasting fortunes when it came to performances both home and away. The Solar Bears went 20-11-1-4 at home, but their away form was poor, costing them a playoff place.
Vince Williams was then brought in as the head coach for the next campaign and they also joined the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) and Toronto Marlies (AHL) as their affiliates, while remaining the Wild's affiliates too. The Toronto Maple Leafs extended the agreement for another two seasons in 2014, becoming the Solar Bears' only NHL affiliate.
The Solar Bears went 43-24-2-3 for the campaign and qualified for the playoffs in their first season under Williams. They went 37-25-6-4 in the next season and qualified for the postseason yet again, but could not get past the first round
Some More Changes
Anthony Noreen was then appointed head coach for the 2015-2016 campaign. His guidance of the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL to the league championship was met with much enthusiasm. Unfortunately, they failed to make the playoffs. They started the next campaign on the back foot and Noreen was dismissed. He was replaced by their former coach, Drake Berehowsky.
New Ownership
The Orlando Solar Bears were bought by the DeVos family in May 2017, who also owned the Orlando Magic of the NBA. Interestingly, the same family had owned the original Solar Bears franchise between 1995 and 2001, which played in the International Hockey League.
Under new ownership, the Orlando Solar Bears came third in the South Division of the ECHL and made it to the postseason for the second consecutive season. This year, they finally managed to go past the first round, beating the South Carolina Stingrays to record their first ever playoff series win. In the division finals, they lost to the Florida Everblades, who had clinched the regular season championship.
At the conclusion of the season, the Solar Bears and the Maple Leafs ended their seven-year association and the Bears signed a new deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Having finally ended their run of not going past the first round of the postseason, the Solar Bears have their tails up.
They have made a good start under new ownership and the future is now looking brighter than ever. The support they get from their fans will also be very important for them in their quest to reach the top. So, book your Orlando Solar Bears tickets and watch them live in action during what promises to be another epic season.