The Orlando Solar Bears made quite a number of trades this weekend. These roster changes come after two tough preseason game losses against the Florida Everblades. The home opener for the Solar Bears starts at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 19th, against the Florida Everblades.
Roster Additions
The NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned forwards Bennett MacArthur and Jaydon Dureau to the Solar Bears from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Dureau has appeared in 36 games with the Solar Bears, scoring 19 points (6g-13a), and 13 games with the Crunch during the 2022-23 season. Dureau was drafted in the fifth round, 147th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2020 NHL Draft. Bennett MacArthur skated in 53 games last season with the Solar Bears, gaining 28 points (10g-18a), and skated four games with the Crunch. MacArthur has skated in 120 QMJHL games with Acadie-Bathurst, scoring 78 goals and 51 assists.
The Syracuse Crunch has sent the Solar Bears defenseman Zachary Massicotte and goaltender Evan Fitzpatrick. Massicotte skated in 57 games for the ECHL’s Allen Americans during the 2022-23 season, collecting 19 points (6g-13a) and 32 penalty minutes. Massicotte played 220 games in the QMJHL, scoring 70 points. His team won the QMJHL Championship, and he appeared in the CHL Memorial Cup for the Shawinigan Cataractes during the 2021-22 season. Goaltender Evan Fitzpatrick spent his 2022-23 season with the Florida Everblades for 17 games. The 2016 second-round pick of the St. Louis Blues has played 78 games in the ECHL and 13 in the AHL, holding a record of 40-32-8.
The St. Louis Blues have sent over a few players to join the Orlando Solar Bears for the 2022-23 season. Defenseman Jérémie Biakabutuka, Marc-Andre Gaudet, and forward Tanner Dickinson were reassigned by the Blues Monday afternoon. Biakabutuka will be entering his first full season of professional hockey. Coming from a football family, with his uncle Tim playing in the NFL and a star running back at the University of Michigan, Biakabutuka switched to hockey at ten years old. From the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, an affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, the Solar Bears also welcome Tanner Dickinson and Colten Ellis.
The Springfield Thunderbirds have loaned forward Mitchell Hoelscher to the Orlando Solar Bears and released defenseman Chris Harpur from his professional tryout.
Releases
Forward Matthew Hobbs has been released from his professional tryout and will be playing for the SPHL’s Evansville Thunderbolts.
Forward Lincoln Hatten was released from his amateur tryout and will also be returning to the Evansville Thunderbolts.
The Solar Bears released defenseman Kenny Johnson, Jay Powell, Chris Perna, and Taylor Egan, and forward Jamie Rome from their Standard Player Contracts.
6-foot-1 goaltender Drennen Atherton, from Winter Haven, Florida, was also released from his contract with the Solar Bears.
Trades
The Orlando Solar Bears have announced the trade of forward D-Jay Jerome to the Newfoundland Growlers in exchange for future considerations.
