Orlando Solar Bears (IHL)

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Orlando Solar Bears
founding 1994
resolution 2001
history Orlando Solar Bears
1995 - 2001
Stadion Orlando Arena
Location Orlando , Florida
Team colors Purple, turquoise, orange, white
league International Hockey League
Conference Eastern Conference
division Central Division (1995–1996)
North Division (1996–1997)
Northeast Division (1997–1999)
East Division (1999–2001)
owner United StatesUnited States RDV Sports, Inc.
Cooperations Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2001; NHL )
Greenville Grrrowl (1999–2001; ECHL )
Mississippi Sea Wolves (1998–1999; ECHL )
Turner Cups 2000/01

The Orlando Solar Bears ( IPA : [ɔrˈlændoʊ 'səʊlə (r) bɛɚs] ) were an American ice hockey franchise of the International Hockey League in Orlando , Florida . It was founded in 1994 and started playing at the beginning of the 1995/96 season . The team colors were purple, turquoise, orange and white.

The Solar Bears played their home games at the Orlando Arena and were one of the last franchises in the league to be founded - only the Grand Rapids Griffins and San Francisco Spiders were formed later or in the same year. During the six years of its existence, the Orlando Solar Bears were one of the most successful teams of the time. After defeats in the final in their first season and in the 1998/99 season , they won the Turner Cup in the 2000/01 season - the last IHL season ever - .

history

The Orlando Solar Bears were founded in 1994 as a franchise of the International Hockey League . The club was owned by the DeVos family , which also includes the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League and the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Already in their first season in 1995/96 , the Solar Bears reached the play-off final, which however was lost with 4-0 defeats against the Utah Grizzlies . One of the outstanding players was the Canadian Craig Fisher , who - supported by Mark Beaufait , Dave Barr and Todd Richards - scored 130 points this season.

At the end of the 1998/99 season , the club reached the final again and - as in 1996 - could not win it. After the Solar Bears were swept in 1996 , this time the series went over the full seven games and was therefore more even. The team could not win the decisive seventh game against the Houston Eros and thus failed for the second time in the final of the Turner Cup . In the previous round, Orlando had prevailed against arch-rivals Detroit Vipers with 4-3 wins after they had already been 0-3 after games behind. The Solar Bears decided the seventh game in overtime . In the 56-year history of the IHL, it was the only series win ever after such a deficit after three games.

In the 2000/01 season the Solar Bears got 101 points and finished second in the East Division. This authorized the club to take part in the play-offs. There the Solar Bears reached the final, which was won with 4-1 victories against the Chicago Wolves . The Orlando Solar Bears won the Turner Cup, the championship of the IHL, for the first time in their club's history. Since the league was dissolved in the summer of 2001, the club was also the last team that could prevail in the play-off final. Norm Maracle , the then goalkeeper of the Solar Bears, played eight times during the season without conceding a goal and was awarded the James Gatschene Memorial Trophy as the best player of the season by the league at the end of the season. After the 2000/01 season, the Orlando Solar Bears were dissolved.

Despite their success, the DeVos family decided against the Solar Bears joining the American Hockey League for the 2001/02 season . The owners, who were only allowed to bring one team into the AHL, selected the Grand Rapids Griffins, which they also own, as one of a total of six teams. The Griffins, although clearly inferior to Orlando's successes, had made considerably better numbers. The majority of the championship squad of the 2000/01 season played the following year for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL, who served as the farm team of the Atlanta Thrashers from the National Hockey League from 2001 after the Solar Bears had performed this function since 1999. The Wolves won the Calder Cup , the championship title of the AHL , in 2002 .

From the 2012/13 season , after an eleven-year break, there will again be a franchise with this name in the ECHL , which, however, only bears the same nickname and is otherwise in no way related to the Solar Bears.

Achievements and honors

Sporting successes

Turner Cup
season
2000/01
Eastern Conference Champions Trophy
season
1995/96 , 1998/99 , 2000/01
Division Championships season
Central Division 1995/96

Season statistics

Abbreviations: GP = games, W = wins, L = defeats, T = draws, OTL = defeats after overtime , Pts = points, GF = goals scored, GA = goals conceded, PIM = penalty minutes

season GP W. L. T OTL Pts GF GA space Playoffs
1995/96 82 52 24 6th - 110 352 307 1st, Central Victory in the Conference quarterfinals, 3-2 ( Fort Wayne )
victory in the Conference semi-finals, 4-3 ( Detroit )
victory in the Conference final, 4-3 ( Cincinnati )
defeat in the Turner Cup final, 0-4 ( Utah )
1996/97 82 53 24 - 5 111 305 232 2nd, North Conference quarter-finals win, 2-2 ( Grand Rapids )
Conference semi-finals defeat, 4-1 ( Cleveland )
1997/98 82 42 30th - 10 94 258 251 2nd, Northeast Conference quarterfinals win, 3-2 ( Indianapolis )
Conference semi-finals win, Conference finals 4-2 ( Cleveland )
Conference final defeat, 4-2 ( Detroit )
1998/99 82 45 33 - 4th 94 264 253 2nd, Northeast Conference semi-final win, 3-0 ( Michigan )
conference final, 4-3 ( Detroit )
defeat Turner Cup final, 3-4 ( Houston )
1999/00 82 47 23 - 12 106 250 202 2nd, East Conference semi-finals lost, 2-4 ( Cincinnati )
2000/01 82 47 28 - 7th 101 241 193 2nd, East Conference semi-finals win, 4-1 ( Cincinnati )
conference finals, 4-2 ( Grand Rapids )
Turner Cup finals, 4-1 ( Chicago )
total 492 286 162 6th 38 616 1670 1438 6 playoff appearances
16 series: 11 wins, 5 defeats
89 games: 48 wins, 41 defeats

IHL Awards and All-Star Team Nominations

Franchise records

Career

Mark Beaufait set numerous Solar Bears franchise records
Surname number
Most games Mark Beaufait 436 (in 6 seasons)
Most goals Mark Beaufait 159
Most templates Mark Beaufait 340
Most of the points Mark Beaufait 499 (159 goals + 340 assists)
Most penalty minutes Barry Dreger 1406
Most shutouts Norm Maracle 8th

season

Surname number season
Most goals Craig Fisher 74 1995/96
Most templates Mark Beaufait 79 1995/96
Most of the points Craig Fisher 130 (74 goals + 56 assists) 1995/96
Most points as a rookie Brian Felsner 70 (29 goals + 41 assists) 1996/97
Most points as a defender Todd Richards 73 (19 goals + 54 assists) 1995/96
Most penalty minutes Barry Dreger 387 1996/97
Most wins as a goalkeeper Norm Maracle 33 2000/01
Most shutouts Norm Maracle 8th 2000/01

Trainer

Abbreviations: GC = games, W = wins, L = defeats, T = draws,
OTL = defeats after overtime , Pts = points, Win% = win rate

Surname season Regular season Playoffs
GC W. L. T OTL Pts Win% GC W. L.
Curt Fraser 1995 / 96-1998 / 99 328 192 111 6th 19th 409 .623 67 34 33
Peter Horachek 1999 / 00–2000 / 01 164 94 51 - 19th 207 .631 22nd 14th 8th

The trainers employed by the Orlando Solar Bears were the American Curt Fraser and the Canadian Peter Horachek .

Fraser was signed in the summer of 1995, after he had previously coached the Syracuse Crunch in the American Hockey League for a year and previously worked for Milwaukee Admirals in the International Hockey League . With 52 wins in 82 games, the Solar Bears under Fraser were the third best team of the regular season in their first year and only failed in the play-offs in the final. In the following year they were even able to increase the season result by another win. In the 1997/98 season they were weaker in the regular season than in previous years, but moved into the semi-finals of the play-offs. A year later they reached the final for the second time in their four-year history, but failed again. With over 60 percent of games won in the regular season, Fraser worked extremely successfully with the team, only winning the championship.

After four years under Fraser, his previous assistant Peter Horachek inherited the American in the summer of 1999. Horachek successfully continued the work of his predecessor and achieved the best result in three years with the team with 106 points. However, he was eliminated in the play-offs of the 1999/2000 season in the first round. In the following season Orlando confirmed the previous year's result with 101 points. In the play-offs they finally won the Turner Cup . In the course of the play-offs, the team lost only four of 16 games. Horachek won well over 60 percent of his games in the two years he was in office.

General manager

Surname season
Don Waddell 1995 / 96-1996 / 97
John Weisbrod 1997 / 98-2000 / 01

In its six year franchise history, Orlando Solar Bears only employed two general managers . Before the premiere season , the owner group signed Don Waddell , who had previously worked for the San Diego Gulls and Flint Spirits in the International Hockey League . Waddell held the position of general manager for a total of two seasons up to the summer of 1997. He then moved to the Detroit Red Wings organization , where he was assistant general manager.

He was succeeded by John Weisbrod , who had previously worked as General Manager at the Albany River Rats . During his four-year tenure in Orlando, the team was very successful and won the Turner Cup with the team in the 2000/01 season .

Known players

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Expansion Membership approved for Orlando. ECHL , November 1, 2011, accessed November 21, 2011 .
  2. ↑ ECHL approves Orlando for hockey franchise. The Orlando franchise will begin play in the ECHL in 2012-13. Orlando Sentinel , November 1, 2011, accessed November 21, 2011 .
  3. ^ Orlando welcomes back the Solar Bears. ECHL , November 16, 2011, accessed November 21, 2011 .