ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Tampa Bay Lightning, announced today they have signed goaltender Samuel Richard and forward Luciano Wilson to ECHL Standard Player Contracts (SPC). Additionally, the Solar Bears have released goaltender Colby Muise (3/19).
Richard, 25, spent the 2025-26 collegiate season with the UMass-Lowell River Hawks, posting a 6-9-0 record with a 2.93 goals against average (GAA) and a .900 save percentage (SV%).
Previous to his time in the NCAA, the Sainte-Catherine, Quebec native played three seasons at the University of New Brunswick (U SPORTS), where he was a three-time Atlantic University Sports (AUS) champion and two-time U SPORTS University Cup Champion. In 61 career games, Richard carried a 55-6-0 record, a 1.62 GAA and a .926 SV%. Richard signed an Amateur Tryout Contract with the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2022-23 season, serving as the backup in an emergency situation.
Richard played junior hockey for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from 2020-2022. In 82 games, Richard racked up 41 wins, and earned First-Team All-Star honors following the 2021-22 season after posting the QMJHL's best save percentage.
Wilson, 24, has appeared in five games, scoring there points (1g-2a) with the Solar Bears after signing an Amateur Tryout on March 9. Wilson played his college hockey at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) this season after spending three years at Minnesota State University-Mankato, helping the Mavericks secure two Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Championships in 2023 and again in 2025. In total, the Duncan, BC, CAN native tallied 61 points (23g-38a) in 123 NCAA games from 2022-2026. His 22 points this season led the RPI in scoring.
Prior to his collegiate career, Wilson played five seasons of junior hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), leading the Penticton Vees in regular season and playoff scoring on the way to the Fred Page Cup as league champions in 2022. In 182 career BCHL games, Wilson totaled 179 points (72g-107a) and 105 penalty minutes.
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