ORLANDO, Fla. — The following is a press release from the Orlando Solar Bears.
Professional hockey returns to Orlando on Saturday, October 20th at 7pm when the Orlando Solar Bears host the defending ECHL champions and intrastate rivals, the Florida Everblades. Orlando opens their 72 game season with two games at the Everblades (Estero, FL) on Saturday, October 13th and Friday, October 19th before the home opener on Saturday, October 20th.
"The rivalry with the Everblades will be intense as we play each other 16 times (nine in Estero and seven at the Amway Center)" said Bob Ohrablo, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner of the Solar Bears. "This is a spectacular way to open the season."
In addition to the Everblades, the Solar Bears will play their South Division rivals, the Gwinnett Gladiators (Atlanta, GA) 12 times, as well as the South Carolina Stingrays (Charleston) and the Greenville (SC) Growl eight times each. The Solar Bears will bring the Orlando name to cities from Cincinnati, OH all the way to the southwest including Las Vegas, NV and Ontario, CA.
"The schedule sets up several situations where we play the same team 2-5 times in a row," explained Ohrablo. "This usually results in very entertaining hockey games."
The Solar Bears schedule combines family friendly ticket prices (60% of the lower bowl is priced at $15 or less) with family friendly dates. Games scheduled at the Amway Center include five (5) Fridays, ten (10) Saturdays, nine (9) Sundays, a Martin Luther King Day matinee game (Monday, January 21st at 3pm), six (6) Thursdays, three (3) Wednesdays and one (1) Tuesday. Of the Monday-Thursday games, four are scheduled around school holidays.
"We are quite pleased with the number of family / weekend nights assigned to us by the League. It was important to have a large number of Friday, Saturday and Sunday games for our fans," said Jason Siegel, President and Managing Partner of the Solar Bears. "In addition, the average ECHL game lasted two hours and 23 minutes (2:23) last season, so with our 7pm start times, we know families can get back home at a reasonable time after the games. We appreciate all of the assistance provided by our partners at the ECHL, the Orlando Magic and at the Amway Center as we look towards the successful launch of our franchise."
Solar Bears games played Tuesday through Saturday will start at 7pm. Sunday and Monday, January 21st games will begin at 3pm.
The game schedule is subject to change.
Notes:
The Orlando Solar Bears, the ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild and AHL's Houston Aeros, are coming Out of Hibernation and will play 36 regular season home games at the Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal's 2012 Sports Facility of the Year, the Amway Center beginning October 20, 2012.
ORLANDO SOLAR BEARS 2012-13 OUT OF HIBERNATION SEASON SCHEDULE OF GAME
Home
October 20, 2012, Saturday, FLORIDA, 7:00pm
October 27, Saturday, SOUTH CAROLINA, 7:00pm
October 28, Sunday, GREENVILLE, 3:00pm
November 8, Thursday, GWINNETT, 7:00pm
November 10, Saturday, ELMIRA, 7:00pm
November 11, Sunday, GWINNETT, 3:00pm
November 17, Saturday, KALAMAZOO, 7:00pm
November 18, Sunday, KALAMAZOO, 3:00pm
November 20, Tuesday, KALAMAZOO, 7:00pm
December 7, Friday, FT. WAYNE, 7:00pm
December 8, Saturday, FT. WAYNE, 7:00pm
December 9, Sunday, FT. WAYNE, 3:00pm
December 27, Thursday, FLORIDA, 7:00pm
December 29, Saturday, FLORIDA, 7:00pm
January 19, 2013, Saturday, WHEELING, 7:00pm
January 20, Sunday, WHEELING, 3:00pm
January 21, Monday, WHEELING, 3:00pm
January 30, Wednesday, GREENVILLE, 7:00pm
February 1, Friday, GREENVILLE, 7:00pm
February 2, Saturday, TRENTON, 7:00pm
February 7, Thursday, FLORIDA, 7:00pm
February 15, Friday, SOUTH CAROLINA, 7:00pm
February 16, Saturday, SOUTH CAROLINA, 7:00pm
February 17, Sunday, SOUTH CAROLINA, 3:00pm
February 21, Thursday, GWINNETT, 7:00pm
February 22, Friday, GWINNETT, 7:00pm
February 24, Sunday, EVANSVILLE, 3:00pm
February 28, Thursday, READING, 7:00pm
March 2, Saturday, READING, 7:00pm
March 3, Sunday, GWINNETT, 3:00pm
March 20, Wednesday, GREENVILLE, 7:00pm
March 21, Thursday, GREENVILLE, 7:00pm
March 24, Sunday, CINCINNATI, 3:00pm
March 26, Tuesday, FLORIDA, 7:00pm
March 27, Wednesday, FLORIDA, 7:00pm
March 29, Friday, FLORIDA, 7:00pm
Away
October 13, 2012, Saturday, at Florida, 7:00pm
October 19, Friday, at Florida, 7:30pm
October 30, Tuesday, at South Carolina, 7:05pm
November 1, Thursday, at Gwinnett, 7:35pm
November 2, Friday, at Greenville, TBD
November 3, Saturday, at South Carolina, 7:05pm
November 22, Thursday, at Gwinnett, 7:35pm
November 23, Friday, at Gwinnett, 6:05pm
November 30, Friday, at Las Vegas, 7:05pm
December 1, Saturday, at Las Vegas, 7:05pm
December 2, Sunday, at Ontario, 5:00pm
December 14, Friday, at Elmira, 7:05pm
December 15, Saturday, at Reading, 7:05pm
December 16, Sunday, at Trenton, 4:05pm
December 19, Wednesday, at Florida, 7:30pm
December 21, Friday, at Florida, 7:30pm
December 22, Saturday, at Florida, 7:00pm
January 4, 2013, Friday, at Evansville, TBD
January 5, Saturday, at Toledo, 7:05
January 6, Sunday, at Ft. Wayne, 5:00pm
January 9, Wednesday, at Cincinnati, 7:35pm
January 11, Friday, at Greenville, TBD
January 12, Saturday, at Greenville, TBD
January 15, Tuesday, at Florida, 7:30pm
January 25, Friday, at Gwinnett, 7:05pm
January 26, Saturday, at South Carolina, 7:05pm
January 27, Sunday, at South Carolina, 4:05pm
February 8, Friday, at Florida, 7:30pm
February 9, Saturday, at Florida, 7:00pm
March 8, Friday, at Reading, 7:05pm
March 9, Saturday, at Elmira, 7:05pm
March 10, Sunday, at Trenton, 4:05pm
March 14, Thursday, at Gwinnett, 7:35pm
March 15, Friday, at Gwinnett, 7:05pm
March 17, Sunday, at Gwinnett, 4:05pm
March 30, Saturday, at Florida, 7:00pm
WFTV
