MAITLAND, FLA – When Joe Haleski, Jason Siegel and Bob Ohrablo walked into Orlando City Hall back in the fall of 2011, the trio brought with them the plans to revive professional hockey in the City Beautiful. Since that day, the Orlando Solar Bears have played to home crowds averaging more than 6,000 per game, been to the Kelly Cup playoffs twice and hosted the 2015 ECHL All-Star Game. By most accounts, it has been a successful return from hibernation.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the Solar Bears announced that Siegel, the team’s President and CEO, is stepping down effective immediately in order to pursue other interests. The team also announced that Haleski, Orlando’s Chairman and majority owner, will take over day-to-day operations of the franchise as well as assuming Siegel’s CEO responsibilities.
“We have a tremendous front office staff and coaching staff and we expect big things from them for next season and in many seasons to come,” Siegel said in the press release announcing his stepping down. “We were disappointed that we didn’t make the playoffs last season and disappointed that we didn’t reach our potential but confident that the pieces are in place to make a strong championship playoff run this upcoming season. Joe and I will continue to work on future projects together, most notably we will continue to chair the upcoming 2016 Greater Orlando Heart Walk in September.”
Since day one, Siegel had been in charge of the Solar Bears’ operation from top to bottom. From business operations to game day operations to consulting with his coaching staff on player personnel moves, Siegel was involved in anything and everything Solar Bears. He was instrumental in setting up Orlando’s NHL affiliations, first with the Minnesota Wild and then with the Toronto Maple Leafs – an affiliation that is currently in renewal negotiations with the present two-year agreement about to expire.
Siegel, whose career in professional hockey includes a Stanley Cup championship ring with the New Jersey Devils, was lauded by fans Tuesday night on social media for helping to bring hockey and the Solar Bears back to Orlando. No one was happier to have Siegel on board to help re-ignite the Solar Bears brand than his longtime friend Haleski.
“Jason and I have been friends for thirty years,” Haleski said in the team release. “He will continue to retain a minority interest in the team. I look forward to working with the organization that Jason has led over the past four seasons.”
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