ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Solar Bears have agreed to terms with forward Jimmy Lodge for the 2019-20 season.
“We feel there is a lot of upside in adding a player such as Jimmy to our roster,” Solar Bears head coach and general manager Drake Berehowsky said. “He has spent the majority of his career in the American Hockey League, and we expect him to log a significant amount of ice time and generate offense for us.”
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Lodge, 24, initially signed with the Kalamazoo Wings for the 2018-19 season before sitting out in order to pursue academic opportunities through Canadian U Sports athletics. He last played professionally during the 2017-18 season, splitting the campaign with the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen and Manitoba Moose of the AHL while under contract to the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL. In 57 games with Jacksonville, the 6-foot-1, 174-pound forward tallied 49 points (17g-32a) to finish second in team scoring, racked up 47 penalty minutes and led the team with a +22. He added one assist and two penalty minutes in six games with Manitoba.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity to join the Solar Bears organization this season,” Lodge said. “It’s a privilege to be able to be play in front of such a great fan base, and I’m looking forward to the start of training camp.”
In 70 career ECHL games with Jacksonville and the Tulsa Oilers, Lodge has produced 57 points (18g-39a) and 59 penalty minutes. In 114 career AHL contests for Manitoba and the St. John’s IceCaps, he has added 25 points (11g-14a) and 46 penalty minutes.
Prior to turning pro, the Downingtown, Pennsylvania native played major junior hockey for the Mississauga Steelheads and Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League, where he collected 188 points (83g-105a) and 140 penalty minutes in 226 career games.
Lodge was a third-round selection (#84 overall) of the Winnipeg Jets in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.