Rugged Forward Kelly Bent Returns To Solar Bears

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, announced forward Kelly Bent has agreed to terms on an ECHL Standard Player Contract, re-signing for the 2024-25 season.

Bent, 29, returns for his second season in purple and orange after leading the Solar Bears and recording a career-high in penalty minutes during the 2023-24 season with 174. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound forward appeared in 62 games last season with Orlando and Wichita, posting seven points (6g-1a). 

Bent has appeared in 137 ECHL games over four seasons with Kansas City, Allen, Wichita and Orlando, scoring 15 points (9g-6a) and recording 428 penalty minutes. 

Prior to his professional career, the Halifax, Nova Scotia native played USports at Dalhousie University from 2016-2020, scoring 26 points (10g-16a) in 116 games. Bent also played major junior hockey from 2012-2016 for Prince Edward Island, Gatineau, Saint John, and Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), scoring 36 points (13g-23a) and racking up 522 penalty minutes in 215 regular season games. 

During the 2015-16 season, Bent was the QMJHL’s most penalized player with 150 minutes in penalties.  

The Orlando Solar Bears have also announced four players have signed tryout contracts ahead of training camp. 

• D Gabriel Belley-Pelletier (Professional Tryout) 
• G Ryan Kenny (Professional Tryout) 
• G Jaxon Friedman (Amateur Tryout) 
• F Janis Vizbelis (Amateur Tryout) 

Belley-Pelletier, 23, appeared in 24 games last season for Tours (France2), scoring eight points (1g-7a) and recording 33 penalty minutes. The Saint-Pascal, Quebec native has previous experience in the ECHL, appearing in 16 games for Fort Wayne and Trois-Rivières during the 2021-22 season.   

Kenny, 25, spent most of the 2023-24 season with the Fayetteville Marksmen of the SPHL, posting a 18-10-4 record in 32 games and led the league with a .929 save percentage. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native appeared in two ECHL games last season for Reading and Atlanta.  

Friedman, 25, spent four years at Johnson & Wales University (NCAA Div. III) going 5-16-1 in 24 games. The Kennebunk, Maine native made a season-high 51 saves on December 2, 2023 at Hobart College. 

Vizbelis, 25, is coming off four years of college hockey at Elmira College (NCAA Div. III) scoring 86 points (45g-41a) in 94 games. During the 2021-22 season, the Riga, Latvia native was named New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) Third Team All-Conference.

Solar Bears 2024 Preseason Roster:

Forwards: Tyler Bird, Alex Frye, Brayden Low, Spencer Kersten, Tanner Schachle, Aaron Luchuk, Ryan Mahshie, Kohei Sato, Jesse Jacques, Jarrett Lee, Carson Focht, Thomas Belgarde, Anthony Bardaro, Kelly Bent
Defensemen: Chandler Romeo, Robbie Stucker, Avery Winslow, Matt Stief, Ben Carroll, Wyatt Wilson, Jimmy Mazza
Goaltenders: Alexis Gravel