In a state with palm trees, beaches, and popular theme parks, ice hockey has made itself popular. If you were to ask someone to name hockey states, I’m sure Florida would not be named first. To most’s surprise, Orlando has played host to hockey for many years. Solar Bears hockey adds to the sports culture in the city, and fans love it.
The Birth of the Bears
In 1995, the Internation Hockey League (IHL) brought hockey to Orlando. The team played in the Orlando Arena, now known as Amway Center, from 1995-2001. The Solar Bears, led by head coach Curt Fraser from 1995-96, were competitive immediately. 14,119 people attended the Bear’s first game going up against the Detroit Vipers. The team was outstanding. They won the Central Division with a 52-24-6 record to bring them to the IHL’s Turner Cup finals in their debut season. If you still aren’t impressed, 26-year-old Craig Fisher led the IHL in their debut year with 74 goals in 82 games.
Attendance was booming, with an average of 10,400 people showing up to experience this incredible team. In the 90s, the team was unstoppable, never finishing below second place in their division. 2001 was the final year of the IHL due to financial instability. During their six seasons, the Solar Bears had one division title in 1995-96, three Eastern Conference Titles in 1996, 1999, and 2001, and won the IHL’s Turner Cup in the 2000-01 season. The team was the best in the IHL while the league was still around, with a record of 286-162-44.
Out of Hibernation
In 2011 the ECHL expanded and brought the Solar Bears name back, including the famous polar bear in the sunglasses logo. In 2012 the Orlando Solar Bears returned to the ice along with their fans. 240,000 fans came to support the Solar Bears in the 2012-13 season, leaving them third in league attendance. During the 2013-14 season, the Solar Bears qualified for the Kelly Cup playoffs for the first time. The team went up against the Cincinnati Cyclones during the playoffs, leading to their season’s end.
Since coming out of their hibernation, the Bears have been under a few different coach, he’s such as Vince Williams, former defenseman for the Solar Bears during their IHL years, Anthony Noreen, Drake Berehowsky, and currently, Matt Carkner. With the team becoming an ECHL team, they needed an NHL and AHL affiliate. Their first affiliates were very briefly the Minnesota Wild and then turned over to the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs and the AHL Toronto Marlies. In 2018, The Maple Leafs and Solar Bears parted ways, and the new Solar Bear NHL affiliate became the Tampa Bay Lightning with the Syracuse Crunch as an AHL affiliate.
Though the team has yet to win the Kelly Cup playoffs, the team has seen quite a number of players enter the NHL. To name a few, Garret Sparks, Mason Marchment, Connor Ingram, Christopher Gibson, Zach Fucale, Hugo Alnefelt, and Stanley Cup champion Darcy Kuemper were all at one time Solar Bears.
It’s safe to say hockey has made its mark on Orlando. The fans supporting the Orlando Solar Bears are passionate and give continued support through all of the team’s ups and downs over the years. The team has made great contributions throughout the community. They are always helping out local businesses, they have a youth hockey development program, and organizing non-profit awareness nights. The ECHL has 28 teams and is continuing to grow, so I don’t see the Orlando Solar Bears going anywhere for a long time.
