The ECHL’s Kelly Cup Playoffs are entering its second round. Most of the teams are already looking forward to 2017 as the final eight teams battle it out for the Kelly Cup.
The ECHL released its tentative 2017 schedule Thursday including the Orlando Solar Bears’ schedule. The schedule will not be finalized until after the Orlando Magic’s schedule is released some time in August.
The Solar Bears will open their season Oct. 22 at the Amway Center against in-state rival Florida Everblades to open up one of 14 matchups with the Everblades. The Solar Bears will play 44 of their 72-game schedule against division opponents — the Atlanta Gladiators, South Carolina Stingrays, Florida Everblades and Greenville Swamp Rabbits. The Everblades and Stingrays both made the Playoffs with the Solar Bears and Gladiators seven points from the final playoff spot.
That part of the schedule, as expected is going to be tough. And it is almost a requirement the Solar Bears perform well against division opponents to have a successful season. This year, Orlando went 14-20-3 against division opponents.
It is a big reason why the Solar Bears were playing from behind all season.
“It was good for us as a staff that the last two teams we saw were South Carolina and Florida,” coach Anthony Noreen said a few weeks ago in a sit down with Orlando Sports Daily, Pro Hockey News and Pension Plan Puppets after the season. “The two teams that have been at the top of the Southern Division. That is our lasting memory for the summer. These are the games that matter. These are the teams we have to beat. They play heavy, they play hard, they are older, they are mature and have experience. We need to address a lot of those areas.”
Those were the lasting memories and will continue to make a big impact on the Solar Bears in 2017.
The schedule though will feature a few firsts too. As is the ECHL’s guidelines, the Solar Bears will make a trip out West for the first time in three years as they travel to Colorado and Alaska on Jan. 6-14.
The Allen Americans will also make their first trip to Orlando on Jan. 27 and 28. The Missouri Mavericks and Brampton Beast will make their first trips to the Amway Center in late November.
The Solar Bears will travel to Brampton to take on the Beast March 23, 24 and 26. Brampton is just outside Toronto and gives the Solar Bears a chance to meet with Toronto Maple Leafs and Marlies staff as part of the affiliation agreement.
The main thrust of the schedule though remain those division battles. As they are every year. The Solar Bears’ division likely will not get any easier.
The Solar Bears still have lots to do this summer too. Orlando has not yet come to a new affiliation agreement with the Toronto Maple Leafs. If they are unable to come to an agreement, the roster will look very different as many players under contract with the Marlies will go to another team. The negotiations are ongoing.
The dates on the schedule are also not final. There will certainly be adjustments to the home schedule when the Orlando Magic’s schedule comes out in late August.
The Solar Bears’ path back to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in 2017 is set though. Even as the current Kelly Cup Playoffs are well underway.
This article has been corrected to say the season’s first game is Oct. 22 rather than Oct. 21 as originally written.
