ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, announced Monday (Mar. 31) the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League (AHL) have loaned forward Reece Newkirk and goaltender Jon Gillies to the Orlando Solar Bears.
Newkirk, 24, has scored eight points (5g-3a) in five games with Orlando this season and three points (3a) in six games with the Syracuse Crunch.
Newkirk has also appeared in 13 ECHL games this season for the Florida Everblades, posting 10 points (2g-8a) and 17 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL, tallying three points (1g-2a). The Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan native was acquired by Syracuse in a trade with Springfield on February 20.
In total, Newkirk has appeared in 120 ECHL games over four seasons, scoring 96 points (44g-52a) with Worcester, Florida, and Orlando. Newkirk also has 68 AHL games over four seasons with Bridgeport, Springfield, and Syracuse, scoring 16 points (3g-13a).
Prior to his professional career, the 6-foot, 179-pound forward played four seasons of junior hockey for the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League (WHL) scoring 162 points (69g-93a) in 205 career games.
Gillies, 30, has appeared in two games this season for the Solar Bears, posting a 1-1-0 record, a 3.08 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound netminder has appeared in 35 NHL games with the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, New Jersey Devils, and Columbus Blue Jackets. He also boasts a substantial resume in the AHL and ECHL, providing the Solar Bears with a proven and reliable presence between the pipes.
A native of Concord, New Hampshire, Gillies was originally selected by the Calgary Flames in the third round (75th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.
Before turning professional, he played three seasons at Providence College, where he helped lead the Friars to an NCAA National Championship in 2015 and earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player honors.
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