ECHL Orlando Solar Bears

Solar Bears Help Launch High School Hockey League in Central Florida

Published on April 18, 2013 under ECHL (ECHL)
Orlando Solar Bears News Release


Orlando, FL - The Orlando Solar Bears announced today that they have partnered with the Central Florida High School Hockey League (CFHSHL) in promoting and developing high school hockey in the Central Florida. The student-athletes playing in the CFHSHL will register with USA Hockey and will follow its rules.

"The Central Florida High School Hockey League Board of Directors and Coaches are very excited to partner with the Orlando Solar Bears," said Julio Guerra, President of the CFHSHL. "The relationship aligns the goals of both organizations by expanding the great sport of ice hockey in our community. CFHSHL's Inaugural 2013 season will see seven (7) regional teams and over 100 student-athletes competing from Seminole, Orange, Brevard, Volusia, Osceola, Lake, Duval and other counties. We anticipate rapid growth and are grateful to have the Solar Bears involvement and support."

To aid new and prospective players with the initial start-up expenses, the Central Florida High School Hockey League made the entry fee reasonable, and will provide equipment swaps and inexpensive skills clinics. The Solar Bears are providing jerseys and socks for the teams. The Orange and Seminole County jerseys will sport the CFHSHL logo crest with the Solar Bears logo on the upper right chest. The league continues the growth of high school hockey in Florida by establishing the Solar Bears Conference to join with South Florida's Panthers Conference and the Lightning Conference in Tampa Bay. The majority of the games will be played at the Solar Bears practice facility, the RDV Sportsplex Ice Den in Orlando, and the seven teams in the conference will compete for the Solar Bears Championship Cup. The Championship Game is scheduled to be played on Saturday, June 22.

"We have a long list of community based goals and objectives, with the growth of youth hockey right there at the top of that list," said Solar Bears Managing Partner, Jason Siegel. "Our involvement and sponsorship of High School Hockey along with our participation in youth 'house leagues' at RDV, SpaceCoast, and Daytona represents another step toward achieving those goals. Youth hockey participation has grown incrementally this past season since the Solar Bears first took the ice back in October of 2012 and this League will provide yet another outlet to showcase the talent of these high school-aged student-athletes."

The CFHSHL completed a "pilot" season last year featuring 75 high school students residing in five different counties surrounding Orlando. This number is expected to grow to over 100 participants this year, with the eventual goal to see each high school have the ability to field a team exclusively made up of their own students. In turn this will increase the awareness, participation, and accessibility of hockey in Central Florida.

Student-athletes from 38 different High Schools will skate in the CFHSHL: Apopka, Atlantic, Berkshire, Bishop Kenny, Boone, Connections Academy, Crooms, DeLand, Deltona Christian, Dr. Phillips, East Ridge, Eustis, Father Lopez, Fleming Island, FLVS, Freedom, Hagerty, Lake Brantley, Lake Highland Prep, Lake Mary, Lake Nona, Lyman, Mainland, Mandarin, Monteverde Academy, Oviedo, Pace Brantley, Phantom Trail, Seminole, Seminole Virtual, Spruce Creek, St. Cloud, Timber Creek, University, Weikva, West Orange, Winter Park, and Yulee High.

The Orlando Solar Bears, the ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild and Des Moines, Iowa, AHL, play all of their home games at the 2012 Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal Sports Facility of the Year, the Amway Center.

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