Game Preview: Solar Bears at Gladiators: Jan. 15, 2020

WHO: Orlando Solar Bears at Atlanta GladiatorsVENUE: Infinite Energy Arena, Duluth, Ga.DATE: Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7:05 p.m.WATCH: ECHL.TVLISTEN: OSB Radio via Facebook, Mixlr, and TuneIn

TONIGHT: The Orlando Solar Bears (14-15-4-1) face the Atlanta Gladiators (16-19-0-0) for the fourth of 11 meetings this season. The Solar Bears’ last encountered the Gladiators on Dec. 21, in an 8-2 victory in which Orlando tied a franchise record with three shorthanded goals and featured a third period line brawl that included a fight between goaltenders Clint Windsor and Sean Bonar.

LELBLANC TO TAKE OVER NO. 2 ON FRANCHISE GAMES LIST: Solar Bears captain Chris LeBlanc’s next game will be his 153rd career regular season game with Orlando, passing Mike Monfredo and Scott Tanski for sole possession of second place on the franchise leaderboard. LeBlanc still trails franchise games played leader Eric Baier (236 games) and would need to play all remaining regular season games this season plus over half of the 2020-21 campaign to catch Baier. LeBlanc’s next goal will also give him sole possession of 10th on the franchise goals list (tied with Johnny McInnis at 30).

COUGHLER ENJOYING STRONG START TO JANUARY: Forward Jake Coughler is currently tied with fellow rookie Tristin Langan for the team scoring lead in the month of January with four points (2g-2a) in three games. Coughler also leads Orlando for the month with a plus-minus of +4.

SHORTHANDED SPECIALISTS: Despite slipping to third in the ECHL in overall penalty kill rate, at 125-for-142 (88.03%), the Solar Bears’ penalty killing unit is still enjoying one of its best seasons in team history, and far surpasses the performance of the 2018-19 squad, which finished last in the ECHL with a 78.01% PK rate. Orlando also ranks second in the league with nine shorthanded goals; the team set a club record last season with 15 shorthanded goals.

BRODZINSKI CONTINUING STRONG PLAY: In addition to earning a selection to the 2020 ECHL All-Star Classic, defenseman Michael Brodzinski continues to turn in a strong performance in his second season with Orlando. Since December 1, Brodzinski is the lone defenseman to appear in the top 25 in scoring among ECHL players, ranking tied for 15th with 18 points (3g-15a) in 16 games.

MAY SNIPING AWAY: Johno May leads all forwards on Orlando’s active roster with a shooting percentage of 20%. Since his acquisition from Greenville on Dec. 13, the second-year pro has been is tied with Chris LeBlanc for the most points by a Solar Bears forward, notching 11 points over his first 10 games with his new club.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Following the Christmas holiday break, the Gladiators acquired goaltender Chris Nell from the Florida Everblades in exchange for future considerations on Dec. 26. The former New York Rangers prospect has gone 5-3-0 for Atlanta since his arrival, and is coming off a 35-save shutout in the Gladiators’ 1-0 victory over the Brampton Beast on Sunday, Atlanta’s first shutout win of the season.

NEXT GAMES:

The Solar Bears continue their six-game road trip when they face the Atlanta Gladiators at Infinite Energy Arena on Friday, Jan. 15 at 7:35 p.m. The Solar Bears return home to face the Jacksonville Icemen on Thursday, Jan. 23 for a Thirsty Thursday, presented by Coors Light – fans can take advantage of $5 domestic draft beers during the game. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets for this game.

Purchase Single-Game Tickets:

Single-game tickets for all Solar Bears home games are now on sale at the Amway Center box office and Ticketmaster. CLICK HERE to download the calendar for the 2019-20 season.

Order New Jerseys:

The Orlando Solar Bears will wear new jerseys for the 2019-20 season. Replica jerseys are available for purchase online, with adult sizes available for $149.95 and youth sizes available for $109.95. Fans can visit bit.ly/OSBJerseys to place their order today.

2019-20 Season Ticket Memberships on Sale Now:

Upgrade to Solar Status and become a Season Ticket Member today. Season ticket memberships for the 2019-20 season are now on sale and start as little as $270 – CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

2019-20 Season Presented by XYMOPrint:

The 2019-20 Orlando Solar Bears season is presented by XYMOPrint, Orlando’s digital printing experts. As a special offer, fans who call XYMOPrint at (888) 223-9390 from now until June 15, 2021 and reference the Solar Bears will receive 15% off their first order and a free Orlando Solar Bears poster!

About the Orlando Solar Bears:

The Orlando Solar Bears are the proud affiliate of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning and members of the ECHL, the premier “AA” hockey league in North America. In seven seasons of operation, the team has qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs five times. The Solar Bears are owned and operated by the Orlando Magic and the DeVos Family, and play at Amway Center, the 2012 Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal Sports Facility of the Year.

Officially licensed Orlando Solar Bears replica team jerseys, apparel, and headwear can be purchased at orlandosolarbearshockey.com/shop.