Nick Petersen named ECHL Player of the Month

Solar Bears forward leads ECHL with 14 points

ORLANDO, Fla. - The ECHL announced today that left wing Nick Petersen has been named the ECHL Player of the Month for October.

Petersen led the league in October with 14 points, and was tied for the league lead with six goals, as the Solar Bears went 4-1-2 in the opening month of their inaugural ECHL season.

The 23-year-old opened the month on a six-game scoring streak, tallying multiple points in each of the six games. He tallied three points (1g-2a) in an 8-2 win at Florida on Oct. 19 and notched the first hat trick in the Solar Bears ECHL history in a 5-3 victory against South Carolina on Oct. 25. Petersen's six multiple point games leads the Solar Bears, while he three game goal streak at the start of the season is tied with captain Ryan Cruthers for the longest such streak for Orlando.

A native of Wakefield, Quebec, Petersen has 80 points (34g-46a) in 54 career ECHL games with Orlando and Wheeling, and has added 41 points (16g-25a) in 75 career games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

Selected in the fourth round (121st overall) by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Petersen appeared in 178 career games in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, scoring 198 points (87g-111) with Shawinigan and Saint John.

The Orlando Solar Bears, the ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild and AHL's Houston Aeros, are in their Out of Hibernation and play all of their home games at the 2012 Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal Sports Facility of the Year, the Amway Center.

The Orlando Solar Bears return to the Amway Center for a key seven game home stretch beginning Wednesday, Nov. 7th against Gwinnett.  Individual tickets for this home stand and all regular season home games are now on sale beginning as low as $15. To purchase your tickets, please visit www.OrlandoSolarBearsHockey.com or the Amway Center Box Office.

Follow the Solar Bears at  www.OrlandoSolarBearsHockey.com, Facebook, and Twitter(@OrlandoHockey) for all the latest news and updates.

Season ticket plans are available now. Full and half season ticket plans range in price from $225-$1480 per season ticket (includes facility fee), reflecting a savings of up to 42% off box office pricing. Call the Solar Bears at 407-951-8200 to speak to a Ticket Sales Account Manager.

Group tickets are a great way to entertain employees, co-workers, clients, friends and family. For more information on discounted group tickets and a list of group benefits, call 407-951-8200 or click here.

Orlando Solar Bears merchandise can be purchased online at:http://shop.orlandosolarbearshockey.com/