Solar Bears Announce Multiple Transactions

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, announced the following player transactions on Monday, October 7, 2024. 

• The Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League (AHL) have loaned forward Ara Nazarian to the Orlando Solar Bears.
• The Belleville Senators of the AHL have loaned defenseman Djibril (Juh-BREEL) Touré (Tore-eh) and goaltender Michael Simpson to the Orlando Solar Bears.
• The Belleville Senators of the AHL have released forwards Alex Frye and Spencer Kersten, and defenseman Robbie Stucker from their Professional Tryouts (PTO) and returned them to the Orlando Solar Bears. 
• The Texas Stars of the AHL have released forward Kelly Bent from his PTO and returned him to the Orlando Solar Bears.
• The Orlando Solar Bears have placed defenseman Matt Steif on team suspension for the purpose of retaining his ECHL playing rights. 

Nazarian, 28, appeared in one preseason game with the Crunch this season. The Boxford, Massachusetts native appeared in 48 games last season for the Belfast Giants of the EIHL posting 18 goals and 15 assists. The 5-foot-9, 185-pound forward has played in 235 ECHL games over four seasons with the Adirondack Thunder and Jacksonville Icemen, scoring 164 points (71g-93). He led the Icemen in scoring during the 2020-21 season with 51 points.

Touré, 21, enters his first professional season after signing a three-year, entry level contract with the Ottawa Senators in September of 2023. The Dorval, Quebec native spent the 2023-24 season with the Sudbury Wolves and Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, scoring 18 points (8g-10a) and accumulating 69 penalty minutes in 45 regular season games. 

Simpson, 21, is also set to embark on his first professional season. The London, Ontario native spent the 2023-24 season with the defending OHL Champion London Knights, finishing first in the league in goals against average at 2.61 and put up an astounding 34-10-1 record. Simpson is a two-time OHL champion, winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup with the Peterborough Petes during the 2022-23 season while earning the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as Playoff Most Valuable Player.

Frye, 25, enters his second full season with the Solar Bears after scoring 34 points (20g-14a) in 67 games during the 2023-24 campaign. In 74 career games with Orlando, the 6-foot, 197-pound forward has 40 points (21g-19a). Frye also added five assists in 11 games during the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Kersten, 24, signed with the Solar Bears in March following the conclusion of his collegiate hockey career. In 10 regular games during the 2023-24 season, Kersten tallied 6 points (4g-2a) and finished second on the team in playoff scoring with nine points (6g-3a) in 11 games. His six playoff goals were second-most in a single-playoff season in Solar Bears history, trailing only Hunter Fejes, who scored seven goals in the 2019 Kelly Cup Playoffs. 

Stucker, 25, has appeared in 59 ECHL games over two seasons. The St. Paul, Minnesota native began his professional career with the South Carolina Stingrays, scoring seven points (1g-6a) in 10 games during the 2022-23 season. Last season, Stucker played in 49 games with Iowa and Utah, scoring 20 points (0g-20a).  

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.