The Tulsa Oilers have announced that they have signed 6’0″ forward Solag Bakich for the 2024-25 ECHL season.
Junior and Collegiate Career
Bakich started his junior career during the 2015-16 season in the NAHL, playing 45 games for the Bismarck Bobcats, where he had four goals and nine assists for 13 points. He had 66 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +1. In 11 playoff games with the Bobcats, Bakich had four goals and two assists for six points.
The Dallas, Texas native then spent the next three seasons playing in the USHL, splitting his time between the Des Moines Buccaneers, Sioux City Musketeers, and Waterloo Black Hawks. In 121 USHL games, Bakich had 22 goals and 29 assists for 51 points. He had 337 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +9. In eight playoff games, he had one goal and three assists for four points. Bakich had six penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +2. Bakich was an assistant captain for the Black Hawks in the 2018-19 season.
After completing his junior career, Bakich started his collegiate career playing Division I hockey at the University of Notre Dame. In four seasons at Notre Dame, Bakich played in 108 games, where he had 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 points. He had 68 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +9.
Professional Career
Bakich signed in the ECHL with the Reading Royals for the rest of the 2022-23 season as well as part of the 2023-24 season. With the Royals, Bakich played in 18 games, where he had four goals and seven assists for 11 points. He had 30 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +5. In eight playoff games with the Royals, Bakich had one goal and three assists for four points with six penalty minutes and a plus/minus of 0. Bakich was traded during the 2023-24 season to the Allen Americans. With the Americans, Bakich played in 33 games, where he had four goals and four assists for eight points. He had 23 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -1.
Bakich should be a good pickup for the Oilers. Bakich is a gritty player who plays hard on the puck and will do just about anything to help his team score. Bakich does not find himself on the scoresheet a lot, but he is able to crash the net pretty well to help his team score. He also has quite a bit of speed to help his team when they are rushing up the ice.
The 2024-25 season will be Bakich’s third professional season and third season in the ECHL. It will be his first season with the Oilers.
