By Jim Carchidi
October 13, 2026
The Orlando Solar Bears are back in action this weekend and celebrating a milestone. The team will open their 15th season in the ECHL with a two-game series against in-state rivals, the Florida Everblades. The series starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Hertz Arena in Estero, then comes to Kia Center for a 5 p.m. game on Sunday, Oct. 18.
New year, new start
The Solar Bears enter the 2026-27 season looking to bounce back after missing the 2025-26 playoffs. They finished the regular season with 29 wins, 38 losses, 4 overtime losses, and 1 shootout loss. The team announced in June that captain Tyler Bird and the Solar Bears’ all-time leading scorer Aaron Luchuk will both be returning.
The season schedule features 19 weekend home dates with seven Saturday night matches. A total of 23 promotional nights are scheduled with themes including Boo with the Bears on Oct. 30, Women in Hockey Night on Nov. 27, Craft Beer Fest on Feb. 26., and First Responders Appreciation Day on March 27. The full promotional schedule is posted here.
Prehistoric bears
Longtime Orlando hockey fans will remember another version of the Solar Bears that took the ice with the International Hockey League (IHL). Owned and operated by the Orlando Magic and the DeVos Family, the team started their six-year run during the 1995-96 season with home games at the old Orlando Arena.
In their inaugural year, the team won the Central Division title and became the first IHL Eastern Conference expansion franchise to reach the league’s Turner Cup Finals. The series ended with a sweep by the Utah Grizzlies, but the Solar Bears would win the Eastern Conference crown in the 1998–99 season before finally winning the Turner Cup in the 2000–01 season.
The Solar Bears became the last team to win the IHL championship when the league ceased operations in 2001. The Turner Cup is in the Hockey Hall of Fame and the championship banner currently resides in the rafters at Kia Center.
Out of hibernation
Eleven years after their last IHL season, ownership group Orlando Pro Hockey Operations, L.P. awakened the Solar Bears and their mascot, Shades, with a new logo, a new team, and a new league. A sellout crowd of 9,555 fans attended the Bears’ ECHL debut at Amway Center (now Kia Center) on Oct. 20, 2012. The match - which also featured the Everblades - ended in a 2-round shootout with Orlando taking a 4-3 victory. The team qualified for the ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs seven times, making it to the Division Finals in 2018 and 2024.
The Solar Bears also hosted the 21st ECHL All-Star Game at Amway Center on Jan. 21, 2015. The crowd of 9,288 fans was the third-largest at an ECHL All-Star Game. The brand came full circle in 2017 when the Orlando Magic and the DeVos family purchased the team, expanding the history of their association and the Solar Bears' legacy in Orlando.
NHL partnerships
A total of 13 Solar Bears players have advanced to the NHL since 2013. The team has had “AA” player development affiliations with the Minnesota Wild (2012-14), Toronto Maple Leafs (2013-18), and Tampa Bay Lightning (2018-present). About 25 players under contract to The Lightning have played with the Solar Bears since their affiliation began.
Game time
The Solar Bears first home game of the 2026-27 season is at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18. Individual tickets and packages, schedules, and live streaming are available at orlandosolarbearshockey.com.
Sponsor: The Orlando Real is sponsored by the Pozek Group — the #1 real estate team in Orlando and the Official Real Estate Team of the Orlando Magic.
About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
Enjoy this blog post? Click here to subscribe for updates
Leave A Comment