The Toronto Maple Leafs have extended their ECHL affiliation with the Orlando Solar Bears for one more season with an option for a second year, the team announced Thursday.
“Our relationship with the Solar Bears has been very beneficial,” Toronto Maple Leafs assistant general manager Kyle Dubas said in a press release. “There have been a number of players called up from Orlando who have helped contribute to a successful Marlies season. We’ve been extremely happy in the development of our prospects and in also working with head coach Anthony Noreen and the Orlando ownership and management.”
The Toronto Marlies are currently still in the AHL Playoffs and have relied on several players who spent time with the Solar Bears throughout the season. The Marlies and Maple Leafs wanted to use the Solar Bears as a better feeder system to the parent club.
The Solar Bears just completed their third full season affiliated with the Maple Leafs. But with new management in place in Toronto and a new approach to using the minor league system there was seemingly some frustration with the system.
The Marlies and the Maple Leafs took more control over the Solar Bears roster and hockey operations in many ways. The Solar Bears hired Anthony Noreen to help implement and run the same offensive and defensive systems the Maple Leafs and Marlies ran.
This also meant the team did not have complete roster control. The Solar Bears had more than 100 roster moves as the Marlies freely moved players up and down through the system from Orlando to Toronto. This might be part of the reality of being in the ECHL and the way certain teams want to run their organizations.
Undoubtedly the constant roster changes affected the Solar Bears’ ability to create consistency on the ice.
But it is also clear the ECHL and the Solar Bears’ goal is also to develop players for the parent clubs. It is not merely about wins and losses.
And overall the Solar Bears and Maple Leafs affiliation has been a good one.
“We are thrilled about the opportunity to continue our affiliation with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies,” Solar Bears Chairman/CEO Joe Haleski said in a press release. “The players provided to us by both clubs will serve to enhance our efforts to bring a championship hockey team to Orlando.”
It is good to see this relationship continue and settles one of the big questions for the Solar Bears this offseason. Orlando, now with a year of experience with the new Toronto management in place, will likely know how to fill out its roster better to stay more consistently competitive as the team shuttles players back and forth from Toronto.
The Maple Leafs, Marlies and Solar Bears will remain a team and a good partnership for all three as they develop and grow players through their system.
