Pedersen returns to Solar Bears

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Solar Bears have announced that the club has agreed to terms with forward Brent Pedersen for the 2019-20 season. Pedersen is currently attending training camp with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League as an invitee.

The Solar Bears are the ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Tampa Bay Lightning and the American Hockey League's Syracuse Crunch.

Pedersen returns to Orlando after tallying 32 points (12g-20a) and four penalty minutes in 30 games with the Solar Bears in his first season of professional hockey. The rookie’s performance with the Solar Bears was recognized by the ECHL when he was named as an alternate for the ECHL All-Star Classic in Toledo. The 24-year-old also earned a try-out with Manitoba, where he added five points (4g-1a) and 15 penalty minutes in 29 AHL games. Pedersen returned to Orlando for the postseason, notching three points (2g-1a) in seven playoff contests.

Prior to turning pro, the Arthur, Ontario native played three seasons for Laurentian University, where he accumulated 59 points (27g-32a) and 26 penalty minutes in 76 games for the Voyageurs program. Pedersen also played major junior hockey for the Kitchener Rangers and Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League, where he accrued totals of 112 points (58g-54a) and 171 penalty minutes in 268 games. Pedersen captured an OHL title and a Memorial Cup championship with Oshawa during the 2014-15 season.

Pedersen was a fifth-round selection (126th overall) of the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.