ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Tampa Bay Lightning, announced today the club has agreed to terms with goaltender Ryan Bednard on a contract for the 2026-27 season.
Bednard, 29, joins the Solar Bears after spending the 2025-26 season with Düsseldorfer EG of Germany’s second professional league (DEL2). Prior to that, the Macomb, MI native helped the Nottingham Panthers capture both the Elite Ice Hockey Championship and IIHF Continental Cup during the 2024-25 campaign.
The 6-foot-5, 209-pound netminder brings seven seasons of professional experience to Orlando, playing in games across the American Hockey League (AHL), ECHL, EIHL, and DEL2. Since turning pro in 2019, Bednard has established himself as a reliable presence between the pipes, compiling 169 appearances while earning opportunities at the AHL level with Springfield, Syracuse, Hershey, Grand Rapids, Belleville, and Ontario.
In 151 career ECHL appearances with Greenville, South Carolina, and Wheeling, Bednard has posted 77 victories, a 2.83 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage and nine shutouts. His best pro season came in 2020-21 with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, when he went 20-6-8 with a 2.43 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and four shutouts.
At the AHL level, Bednard has appeared in 18 career games, highlighted by a stellar 2022-23 season in which he recorded a 1.67 goals-against average and .946 save percentage in five games with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Prior to his pro career, Bednard spent three seasons at Bowling Green State University, where he established himself as one of the top goaltenders in the nation. During his junior season in 2018-19, he posted a 20-8-4 record with a 1.77 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and three shutouts, helping lead the Falcons to a WCHA regular season championship.
Bednard was selected in the seventh round, (206th overall), by the Florida Panthers in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Solar Bears 2026 Preseason Roster:
FORWARDS: Camaryn Baber, Tyler Bird, Connor Eddy, Massimo Lombardi, Aaron Luchuk, Keegan McMullen, John Parker-Jones, Kobe Walker, Luciano Wilson
DEFENSEMEN: Jarod Crespo, Tony Follmer, Dustin Geregach, Colton Kammerer, Kade Landry, Ethan Szmagaj
GOALTENDER: Ryan Bednard
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