ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Tampa Bay Lightning, announced Monday (Dec. 2) the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL) have loaned goaltender Michael Simpson to the Orlando Solar Bears and the Solar Bears have signed forward Matt Ustaski to an ECHL Standard Player Contract (SPC).
Simpson, 21, has appeared in three games this season for the Solar Bears, posting a 2-1-0 record with one shutout, a 1.01 goals against average (GAA), and a .963 save percentage (SV%). In one appearance with Belleville, Simpson was not the goaltender of record and gave up one goal in 10 minutes played.
Prior to his professional career, Simpson played the 2023-24 season with the Ontario Hockey League Champion London Knights. In three games this season with Orlando, the London, Ontario native is 2-1-0 with a 1.01 goals against average (GAA) and a .967 save percentage (SV%). Simpson recored his first professional shutout with a 25-save victory on Friday night against Florida.
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.
Ustaski, 30, joins the Solar Bears after two games with Iowa and five games with Quad City in the SPHL this season. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward has appeared in 51 ECHL over six seasons, scoring 17 points (6g-11a) and picking up 17 penalty minutes. During the 2023-24 campaign, Ustaski finished second in team scoring (53 points) on the Quad City Storm and was named to the SPHL Second All-Star Team.
Prior to his professional career, Ustaski played four seasons of college hockey at University of Wisconsin. In 100 career games, Ustaski tallied 13 goals and nine assists for 22 points.
Ustaski was selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the seventh round, 192nd overall, in the 2014 NHL Draft.
Additionally, the Solar Bears have released defenseman Michael Kim.
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