Solar Bears Announce Signings of Defenseman Nick Anderson and Tony Follmer; Trade Kyle Haskins to Greenville and Andrew Coxhead to Trois-Rivières

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Tampa Bay Lightning, announced Thursday (Mar. 20) the following transactions following the ECHL's trade deadline.

• The Solar Bears have signed rookie defenseman Nick Anderson to a Standard Player Contract (SPC).
• The Solar Bears have signed rookie defenseman Tony Follmer to a Standard Player Contract (SPC).
• The Solar Bears have traded rookie forward Kyle Haskins to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in exchange for future considerations.
• The Solar Bears have traded forward Andrew Coxhead to the Trois-Rivières Lions in exchange for future considerations.

Anderson, 26, spent the 2024-25 season at University of Massachusetts-Lowell, where he scored 14 points (2g-12a) in 35 games. The Orono, Minnesota native also played four seasons of college hockey at Colgate University (2020-24), scoring 77 points (8g-69a) in 132 games and was part of the 2022-23 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship team.

Prior to his collegiate career, Anderson played three seasons of junior hockey, one in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the Sioux Falls Stampede and two in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) for the Amarillo Bulls and Minnesota Wilderness. Anderson was named to the NAHL All-South Division Rookie Team following the 2017-18 season.

Follmer, 24, joins the Solar Bears following his final season of college hockey at Bemidji State University, The 6-foot-2, 198-pound defenseman played four seasons at Bemidji State spanning 127 games. The O'Fallon, Missouri native scored 12 points (3g-9a) and added 56 penalty minutes and was part of the 2023-24 Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Championship Team.

Prior to his collegiate career, Follmer spent three seasons in the USHL with Sioux Falls and Lincoln spanning 125 games over three seasons. Follmer captained the Stars his final junior season in 2020-21.

Coxhead, 24, appeared in 39 games with the Solar Bears, scoring five points (3g-2a) and adding 11 penalty minutes. The Fall River, Nova Scotia native was acquired by the Solar Bears from the Kansas City Mavericks on Dec. 4, 2024 in exchange for defenseman Jimmy Mazza.

Prior to his professional career, the 6-foot-3, 201-pound forward played three seasons at Saint Mary's University from 2021-2024. In 69 USports games, the Bedford, Nova Scotia native put up 58 points (25g-33a). Coxhead also played five seasons of Major Junior Hockey in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League from 2016-2021. In 276 QMJHL games over five seasons with Rimouski and Quebec, Coxhead recorded 142 points (60g-82a).

Haskins, 25, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound forward from Huntington, Vermont, appeared in four games with the Solar Bears after completing his collegiate career at Canisius University. During his time with the Golden Griffins, Haskins showcased his two-way play, recording 23 points (11g-12a) in 37 games during the 2024-25 season. In 129 games over five seasons of college hockey, two with Canisius and three with Michigan State, Haskins tallied 44 points (16g-28a).