Solar Bears re-sign Mazza

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, announced defenseman Jimmy Mazza has agreed to terms on a contract, re-signing for the 2023-24 season. 

Mazza returns for his second season with the Solar Bears. Orlando initially acquired Mazza in a future considerations trade with the Adirondack Thunder in the summer of 2022.

The 29-year-old was one of two Solar Bears players to appear in all 72 games during the 2022-23 season and has only missed one game over his last two ECHL seasons. In total, Mazza has appeared in 162 ECHL games over four seasons with Reading, Adirondack and Orlando, totaling 24 points (5g-19a) and adding 224 penalty minutes. 

Mazza earned career-highs in all three scoring categories this past season for Orlando, scoring four goals and adding 13 assists for 17 points. Mazza also finished the season with the second-most penalty minutes on the team with 108. 

Prior to turning pro, the native of Kings Park, New York played in the collegiate ranks for Canisius College, where he skated in 141 games for the Golden Griffins program and amassed 68 points (18g-50a). Mazza helped Canisius capture the Atlantic Hockey Association regular-season conference title in 2016-17.

Mazza played junior hockey with the United States Premier Hockey League’s P.A.L. Junior Islanders, winning the league’s Defenseman of the Year award in 2014-15. He also skated one season with the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League, where he recorded 10 points (2g-8a) in 58 games.