Matthew Spencer named Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week

ORLANDO, Fla. — The ECHL announced today that Orlando Solar Bears defenseman Matthew Spencer has been selected as the Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week for May 24-30. It is the 10th time in franchise history that a Solar Bears player has received the weekly honor and the first time in club history it has been bestowed upon a defenseman. 

Spencer scored two goals - both game-winning tallies - and added five assists for seven points in four games last week, to lead all ECHL skaters. 

After being held scoreless on Wednesday at Jacksonville, the 24-year-old picked up an assist in a 3-2 overtime loss to Florida on Friday, then had back-to-back games with one goal and two assists - in a 6-4 win against the Everblades on Saturday and in a 3-2 overtime victory on Sunday, for the first three-point games of his professional career. 

A native of Guelph, Ontario, Spencer has tallied 20 points (9g-11a) in 53 games with the Solar Bears this season. The 6-foot-1, 207-pound rearguard’s nine goals ranks eighth among league defensemen, and his 16.1% shooting percentage places him tops among blueliners in the ECHL. 

Selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round (44th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Spencer has totaled 55 points (14g-41a) in 145 career ECHL games with Orlando, Cincinnati and Adirondack while adding seven points (1g-6a) in 54 career American Hockey Leagues games with Syracuse and Rochester.   

Prior to turning pro, Spencer recorded 98 points (19g-79a) in 251 career games with Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey League. 

On behalf of Matthew Spencer, a case of pucks will be donated to an Orlando youth hockey organization by Inglasco, the exclusive puck supplier of the ECHL. Since beginning its sponsorship of the award in 2000-01, Inglasco has donated more than 43,000 pucks to youth hockey organizations in ECHL cities. 

Solar Bears ECHL Player of the Week History 

Dan Gendur – Dec. 24-30, 2012-13 Mike Ullrich – Dec. 30-Jan. 5, 2013-14 Mickey Lang – Feb. 10-16, 2013-14 Taylor Matson – Feb. 17-23, 2013-14 T.J. Foster – Nov. 16-22, 2015-16 Eric Faille – Feb. 27-March 5, 2016-17 Troy Bourke – Nov. 5-11, 2018-19 Trevor Olson – Feb. 25-March 3, 2018-19 Aaron Luchuk – April 12-18, 2020-21 Matthew Spencer – May 24-30, 2020-21   

NEXT GAME:

The Solar Bears visit the Jacksonville Icemen tonight at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena at 7 p.m. The Solar Bears return home to host Hockey is for Everyone Night against the South Carolina Stingrays at the AdventHealth Rink at Amway Center on Thursday, June 3 at 7 p.m.