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Carkner departs Solar Bears for AHL

Carkner departs Solar Bears for AHL

Tuesday, June 17th

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, announced today Head Coach and General Manager Matt Carkner will be leaving his position immediately to pursue a coaching role in the American Hockey League.

Carkner, 44, was hired by the Solar Bears prior to the start of the 2022-23 season following a five-year stint (2016-21) as an assistant coach with the AHL's Bridgeport Islanders. He led the Solar Bears to two playoff appearances in his three seasons at the helm.

In each of their playoff appearances under Carkner, the Solar Bears knocked off the first place team in the South Division, including the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs, when Orlando upset the Brabham Cup champion South Carolina Stingrays in seven games.

Carkner's 105 regular season wins are the second most in Solar Bears history trailing only Drake Berehowsky.

As a player, Carkner enjoyed a 15-year professional career that included 237 games in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders, where he recorded 27 points (4g-23a) and 556 penalty minutes. Carkner also played 587 games in the AHL, collecting 152 points (36g-116a) and 1,756 penalty minutes with the Cleveland Barons, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Binghamton Senators and Bridgeport. Carkner served as team captain while with Cleveland and held alternate captain roles for each AHL club he played for. Carkner was named the recipient of the AHL’s Yanick Dupré Memorial Award in 2006-07 for his community involvement.

Carkner was a second-round pick (58th overall) by the Montréal Canadiens in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, and played four seasons of major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League with the Peterborough Petes prior to turning pro, serving as team captain in his final two seasons.