ORLANDO, Fla.. - The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, are proud recipients of the Game Operations Team of the Year award for a second consecutive season and Theme Night of the Year Award for Space Night presented by Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

This past season's game night experience was significantly enhanced with a major technology overhaul in the summer of 2025 that included a new center-hung scoreboard 60% larger than the previous board providing 350-degrees of continuous viewing canvas, spanning 27 feet tall and 176 feet in circumference. The overhaul also included a new fully redundant broadcast facility, featuring an IP routing core, 22 high-definition cameras, and upgraded Meyer Sound bowl audio.

An Orlando Solar Bears game night features an energetic, hype filled atmosphere that keeps fans engaged from the moment they enter the arena. The crowd is highly interactive, responding to in-game prompts, fan cams, contests, and player-driven moments that create constant two-way engagement between the team and its supporters. From loud goal celebrations and coordinated chants to themed nights and on screen moments that spotlight fans in the stands, the environment is fun, welcoming, and nonstop. The result is a lively, community driven atmosphere that makes every game feel like an event rather than just a hockey game.

Space Night was executed as a fully immersive, space‑themed game presentation that aligned in‑arena game operations with the theme from doors open through postgame. Pre‑game elements included a space‑themed opening video, specialty lighting looks, and a celebrity siren starter and ceremonial puck drop featuring representatives from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Throughout the game, space‑themed music was strategically integrated across pre‑game, gameplay, and intermissions to enhance the immersive experience, along with themed graphics, trivia, fan cams, and on‑ice contests, including space races, planet‑themed challenges, and specialty jersey features. Concourse activations included Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex tabling, Space Person photo opportunities, and themed merchandise. Together, video, lighting, audio, on‑ice execution, and staffing were tightly aligned to deliver a cohesive Space Night experience from start to finish.

This is the first time an ECHL team has repeated as Game Operations Team of the Year since the inception of the award in 2018. It is the second time the Solar Bears have captured Theme Night of the Year, the last time was for Tie Dye Night during the 2022-23 season.