MAITLAND, FLA – Summers in Florida seem to never end thanks to long stretches of 90 degree plus days, heavy afternoon thunderstorms and always having to keep an eye out for hurricanes. Hockey fans take it even harder because the Orlando Solar Bears have to wait well past the dog days of August to find out what the team’s upcoming schedule will look like thanks to having to wait on the NBA and potential concert tour dates.
Luckily for everyone, building the team’s roster waits for nothing.
Following the promises of both owner Joe Haleski and head coach Anthony Noreen, the Solar Bears have been busy during the offseason, retooling the team’s core of players – ECHL contracted players – with an eye to once again being a Kelly Cup playoff participant and contender. Neither Haleski nor Noreen, who is entering his second year as the Solar Bears’ bench boss, were happy with missing the playoffs a year ago and pledged to aggressively put together a group that combined with assigned players from their NHL and AHL affiliates in Toronto would return Orlando to the post-season discussion.
In June, Haleski and Noreen gave every indication that the 2016-2017 Solar Bears would be more physical and experienced in nature. Haleski even went so far as to say that Orlando would most likely use all four of its ECHL limit of veteran players (per the ECHL, players who have played 260 or more professional regular season games are considered veterans). Noreen made good on that statement, quickly filling all four vet slots – three of them coming on defense.
The first of the three veteran blueliners is a very well known commodity. North Kingston, Rhode Island native and Providence College product Eric Baier returns for his seventh season of professional hockey and his fourth in Orlando. In that time, Baier has played 176 games with the Solar Bears, scoring 28 goals and adding 43 assists for 71 points. Last season, Baier hit career highs in Goals (10), assists (28) and points (38) while posting a plus-10 rating. He also got to play in one game for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and one for the Stockton Heat.
Beyond the ice, Baier has become the “face” of the franchise. Baier makes dozens of appearances in the community during the season and many more in the off-season as Orlando has become his second home.
“Eric Baier represents everything we want the Orlando Solar Bears to be about,” Noreen said about Baier. “He possesses elite character, he’s a great player, is always willing to help in the community and he makes the people around him better.”
The second name Noreen announced on the back line was one not too familiar to Orlando fans but certainly one well known to minor league hockey insiders. Trevor Ludwig, a nine year veteran with more than 400 pro games to his credit, was a significant get by the Solar Bears coaching staff.
The 31-year old product of Rhinelander, Wisconsin and the second Providence College Friar on the roster, Ludwig boasts more than 100 games played in the AHL (145), CHL (105) and ECHL (180). His resume includes league championships with the Allen Americans in both the CHL and ECHL. A sixth round draft choice (183rd overall) by the Dallas Stars in 2004, Ludwig captained the Missouri Mavericks to the ECHL’s Brabham Cup winner as the best team in the regular season a year ago, posting four goals and 21 assists for 25 points with 62 penalty minutes and a plus-19 rating.
“Trevor Ludwig will bring an invaluable amount of leadership, ability and experience to Orlando,” Noreen said in the release announcing Ludwig’s signing. “His track record speaks for itself and he is the exact type of person we want wearing a Solar Bears jersey.”
The last of the veteran defensemen signed by Noreen is a name that fans saw on paper but not face-to-face. Taylor Doherty was on a call-up to the Marlies from the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush when the Solar Bears received his ECHL rights in a trade deadline last March for defenseman Max Nicastro. Doherty stayed up with the Marlies but is now signed to play with Orlando.
The soon-to-be seventh year pro from Cambridge, Ontario, carries with him more than 300 professional games. Most of those – 246 to be exact – came in five seasons with the AHL’s Worcester Sharks after he was drafted in the second round (57th overall) in the 2009 draft by the San Jose Sharks. A year ago, the 6-foot-7, 235 pound defender had eight goals and sixteen assists for 24 points in 56 games with Rapid City and added three assists in twelve games with the Marlies. In 302 games as a professional, Doherty has 15 goals and 40 assists and 399 penalty minutes.
“Taylor Doherty is a solid two-way defenseman that will bring size, experience and leadership with him to Orlando,” Noreen said. “He has elite character and will be hard to play against for our opponents every night.”
In an ironic twist, Nicastro – who was traded for Doherty – has returned to Orlando after finishing last season with the Rush. 2016-2017 will be the 26-year old blueliner’s third season in Orlando as he starts his fifth year of pro hockey.
Before being traded, Nicastro posted seven goals and seven assists in 50 games with the Solar Bears. Overall, the Thousand Oaks, California and Boston University product has 15 goals and 12 assists in 82 career games with Orlando. The 26-year old’s biggest contribution may be his demeanor both on the ice and in the locker room.
“Max is a physical, two-way defenseman who is well liked within our locker room,” Noreen said. “He’s got an edge to his game which we value and he is a threat to score every time he shoots the puck.”
Late last season, defenseman Chris Bradley – who Noreen had coached while both were with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms – joined the Solar Bears after graduating from RPI. Bradley’s play in his twelve games in Orlando impressed Noreen enough to bring him back for his first full pro season.
In those twelve contests, the Williamsville, New York native posted one goal and two assists. What caught Noreen’s eye more was his plus-6 rating, a number that led the Solar Bears defenders down the stretch. The way he handled himself in all facets of the game proved to his coach that Bradley belonged.
“I was very impressed with Chris’ effort once he joined our team in the spring,” Noreen said. “We gave him heavy minutes and he thrived in that role as a responsible, puck moving defenseman. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in his first full season of pro hockey.”
The last of the six defensemen that the Solar Bears have signed to this point is former Canisius College Golden Griffin Ben Danford. Danford’s pro experience began in 2013-2014 with three games for the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs. Since then he has played for Strasbourg in France and Kristianstads IK in Sweden’s Hockeyettan league. In 48 career games, Danford has seven goals and twelve assists to go along with 34 penalty minutes.
In announcing the signing, Noreen lauded Danford’s puck moving ability.
“Ben Danford is a reliable defenseman who excels at moving the puck,” Noreen said about the Stillwater, Minnesota native. “He will be a guy who can help us in all three zones.”
Orlando also has signed one goalie as Ryan Massa is set to return for his second pro season in a Solar Bears uniform.
Massa followed up a solid college career at the University of Nebraska-Omaha with an outstanding freshman season in the ECHL. In 37 games for Orlando, he posted a 19-13-2 record with a 2.91 goals against average, a .915save percentage and two shutouts. His play earned him a call-up to the Marlies where he started and won his first ever AHL game by stopping 16 of 17 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Syracuse Crunch on November 27th.
“Ryan Massa is a true professional that does things the right way on and off the ice,” Noreen said. “We feel he’s the type of goalie that gives you a chance to win every night.”
With Toronto expected to send one goalie to Orlando, Massa seems set to be on the roster come opening night on October 22nd. As the veterans on the blueline, Baier, Ludwig and Doherty appear to be destined to stick around with Nicastro also likely to be slotted in. With no clear picture of how many players the Leafs/Marlies will be assigning to the Solar Bears and what positions they play, no one is an absolute lock beyond the team’s two preseason games against the Florida Everblades on October 7th and 8th. Both the AHL and ECHL regular seasons begin on October 14th so decisions will have to be made after the exhibition contests.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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