ORLANDO. Fla. - The Orlando Solar Bears have announced its Protected List of players submitted to the ECHL. The team has included 24 players on its Protected List, which is comprised of 12 forwards, nine defensemen and three goaltenders.
FORWARDS: Anthony Bardaro, Tyler Bird [V], Andrew Bruder, Tyler Drevitch [V], Connor Eddy [R], Tyler Kobryn, Cole Kodsi, Massimo Lombardi [R], Aaron Luchuk [V], Jarid Lukosevicius [V], Keegan McMullen [R], Luciano Wilson [R]
DEFENSEMEN: Carter Allen, Logan Britt, Mark Cooper [R], Tony Follmer, Dustin Geregach, Jake Hamilton*, Kade Landry, Xavier Lapointe [R], Ethan Szmagaj
GOALTENDERS: Dominic Basse, Jon Gillies [AHL-SYR], Samuel Richard
Key: R = Rookie for 2026-27 season, V = Veteran for 2026-27 season, * = Placed on Team Suspension during 2025-26 season to maintain ECHL playing rights
Teams are allowed to protect as many players as they wish provided the players protected meet the guidelines as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association which state that teams shall retain the rights to each player that:
1. Signed an SPC in 2025-26 with the Member, and has not been traded or released, OR
2. Signed an SPC in 2025-26, and was recalled to the NHL/AHL or IIHF team, and has not been traded or released, OR
3. Had received a Qualifying Offer last summer for the current Season, DID NOT sign an SPC, and has not been traded or released, OR
4. Has been suspended by the Member or League, and has not been traded or released, OR
5. Signed an SPC on or after the first day of the 2025-26 Regular Season, then subsequently signed an NHL/AHL contract, and has not been traded or released, OR
6. Has executed the ECHL Retirement Form, and has not been traded or released.
Protected lists may exceed 20 players.
The ECHL also announced that teams must complete all Future Consideration trades by 3 p.m. ET on June 20 and that teams must submit their Season-Ending Roster by 3 p.m. ET on June 22.
Season-ending rosters may include up to 20 players and cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2025-26.