ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, announced today the hockey club has agreed to terms with captain Tyler Bird on an ECHL Standard Player Contract (SPC) for the 2025-26 season.
Bird, 28, returns for his seventh season with the Solar Bears after scoring a career-high, 20 goals during the 2024-25 regular season.
The Andover, Mass. native has 199 career ECHL points and is the Solar Bears Franchise Games Played leader with 361 regular season games, shorthanded goals (10), and first goals (15). Bird is also second all-time in Solar Bears Penalty Minutes with 308 and has only missed two regular season games over the last three seasons with the Solar Bears.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound forward has appeared in 406 ECHL games over seven seasons with Greenville, Reading, Wheeling, and Orlando, scoring 199 points (95g-104a). Bird has also appeared in 13 American Hockey League games for Syracuse and San Jose, scoring three assists.
Prior to turning pro, Bird played four seasons of collegiate hockey for Brown University, where he recorded 35 points (22g-13a) in 120 games for the Bears program. Bird only missed four games during his NCAA career and was named an alternate captain for his senior season.
Bird was a fifth-round selection (137th overall) of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2014 NHL Draft.
Solar Bears 2025 Preseason Roster:
FORWARDS: Anthony Bardaro, Tyler Bird
DEFENSEMEN:
GOALTENDERS:
Adirondack Thunder
Allen Americans
Atlanta Gladiators
Bloomington Bison
Cincinnati Cyclones
Florida Everblades
Fort Wayne Komets
Greensboro Gargoyles
Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Idaho Steelheads
Indy Fuel
Iowa Heartlanders
Jacksonville Icemen
Kalamazoo Wings
Kansas City Mavericks
Maine Mariners
Norfolk Admirals
Orlando Solar Bears
Rapid City Rush
Reading Royals
Savannah Ghost Pirates
South Carolina Stingrays
Tahoe Knight Monsters
Toledo Walleye
Trois-Rivières Lions
Tulsa Oilers
Utah Grizzlies
Wheeling Nailers
Wichita Thunder
Worcester Railers