The Orlando Solar Bears, an affiliate of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, have signed six players for Professional Tryout (PTO) Contracts for Training Camp that will begin October 6th.
The following players have signed a PTO Contract:
- Taylor Egan (D)
- Tim Faulkner (D)
- Brandon Halverson (G)
- Lincoln Hatten (F)
- Matthew Hobbs (F)
- Alex Koopmeiners (D)
Defenseman Taylor Egan played most recently with the Newfoundland Growlers. Egan had four points (2g-2a) in his 29 games with Newfoundland. The 25-year-old has appeared in 50 ECHL games since going professional during the 2021-22 season. Egan played three seasons of college hockey at Lakehead University, where he played 36 games. He also played four seasons of major junior hockey, three years in the OHL, one year in the QMJHL, and three seasons for the CCHL.
27-year-old Tim Faulkner played 18 ECHL games during the 2022-23 season between the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Savannah Ghost Pirates, Trois-Rivieres Lions, and Worcester Railers. Prior to his professional hockey career, Faulkner played three seasons at Aurora University, where he played 42 games and scored 22 points (6g-16a). The defenseman also played three seasons of junior hockey in the USHL for Fargo and in the NAHL for Springfield, Brookings, and Odessa. Last year, head coach Jeff Bes of the SPHL’s Evansville Thunderbolts told OurSports Central, “Tim came in mid-way last season and contributed in every game he played. He committed himself this summer to be ready and prepared to help our team win some games.”
If you are a Solar Bears fan, you may remember the name Brandon Halverson from the 2022-23 preseason roster. 27-year-old Halverson is a goaltender from Traverse City, Michigan, returning to Orlando after spending the season with the Bayreuth Tigers in Germany. Halverson has played 154 professional hockey games over his six seasons between the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and DEL2 (second-tier league in Germany). The 6 foot 4 netminder was a second-round selection, 59th overall, by the New York Rangers in the 2014 NHL Draft. While playing in the OHL, Halverson posted a career mark of 72-28-7 with a 2.83 goals against average (GAA) and a .909 save percentage. During the 2014-15 season, Halverson had the most shoutouts in the entire OHL. He also was on the USA U-20 World Junior team that won the bronze medal.
23-year-old Lincoln Hatten is signed with the SPHL’s Evansville Thunderbolts for the 2023-24 season. The forward took a two-season break from professional hockey and is back for a PTO with the Orlando Solar Bears. 6-foot-3 Hatten played in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) for the Army Black Nights during the 2021-22 season, playing 22 games and scoring 13 points (4g-9a). Prior to college, Hatten played three seasons (121 games) in the NAHL for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights.
The Evansville Thunderbolts have signed Matthew Hobbs for the 2023-24 season, but Hobbs is looking to earn a 2023-24 contract for the Solar Bears. The 24-year-old has played two games in the ECHL with the Newfoundland Growlers during the 2021-22 season. Hobbs has played two seasons in the SPHL for the Birmingham Bulls and Evansville Thunderbolts. The Burlington, Ontario, native has played 103 Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) games and 101 in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL).
Alex Koopmeiners, 31 years old, is entering his seventh professional season. During the 2022-23 season, Koopmeiners appeared in two SPHL games for the Macon Mayhem before going across seas for 16 games to play in the Swedish Division 2 league for Alfta GIF and Orsa IK, where he scored 16 points (9g-7a). The 5-foot-11 defenseman played NCAA Division lll college hockey at Concordia College from 2013-15 and Gustavus Adolphus College from 2015-17.
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