The Orlando Solar Bears traded fan favorite forward Scott Tanski to the Reading Royals. Tanski played four seasons with the Solar Bears.
The Orlando Solar Bears have traded fan favorite Scott Tanski to the Reading Royals for future considerations, the team announced Tuesday.
“We’d like to thank Scott for all of his efforts on and off the ice during his time here in Orlando,” Solar Bears Head Coach Anthony Noreen said. “We felt this was a chance to give him the opportunity to play every night.”
Tanski has appeared in just three games this year and had several healthy scratches throughout the season to this point.
This is not as much a loss on the ice as it is off the ice. In four years with the Solar Bears, Tanski has endeared himself to fans with his passion and energy on the ice. He was never the team’s highest scorer, but his distinct personality and energy on one of the Solar Bears’ checking lines always stood out.
In four seasons, Tanski tallied 27 goals and 32 assists in 152 games. He did a lot of the dirty work for the Solar Bears in helping them reach back to back ECHL Playoffs for the first time since the franchise was revived.
The Solar Bears ownership thanked Tanski for his play with the Solar Bears in that time:
Any time a player is traded there is a tremendous amount of consideration and thought put into that decision. In this case it was a little different because of what a special player Scott was and will always be remembered as here in Orlando.
Without a question Scott’s contributions to the organization off the ice are second to none.
Scott has been with us since day one and contributed some unbelievable moments on the ice but his work off the ice was remarkable. Appearance after appearance, charity event after charity event; he helped our franchise define itself in the Central Florida community, and for that, we will always be grateful.
It should go without saying that we wish him the best as he pursues his dream of advancing to the American Hockey League and NHL.
More than anything, the off-ice interaction with fans is where Tanski will be missed most.
With the Solar Bears though tying themselves closer to their parent club, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, it became clear the focus was on other players.
Tanski thanked Orlando and its fans in a letter posted on his Twitter account:
Dear Orlando. pic.twitter.com/VtmpbfpLG7
— Scott Tanski (@scott_tanski) December 1, 2015
The Solar Bears have several players who are on specific two-way contracts with the Marlies and the team is specifically playing those players for the parent club. Tanski had kind of been pushed down the depth chart with the Solar Bears’ incredible depth at forward position.
Despite all this, Tanski was still listed as an alternate captain. The Solar Bears used him in marketing campaigns as a face of their franchise.
It is undoubtedly difficult to see a player like Tanski leave and kind of leave with a thud. But it should give the 25-year-old forward an opportunity to play and hopefully get in front of AHL scouts.
