Laviolette joins Solar Bears

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, announced the signing of forward Peter Laviolette III to a contract for the 2025-26 season.

Laviolette joins the Solar Bears after three seasons playing for his hometown Wheeling Nailers. In 110 career ECHL games, the 27-year-old has tallied 28 points (10g-18) and 292 penalty minutes.

In addition to his play on the ice, Laviolette is well-known in the Wheeling, West Virginia community for his contributions off the ice, winning back-to-back Project BEST Community Player of the Year Awards (2022-23, 2023-24).

Laviolette’s father, Peter Jr., is a former NHL head coach, most recently with the New York Rangers. He is the winningest American-born coach in NHL history with 846 coaching victories, three Stanley Cup Final appearances and one Stanley Cup Championship with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. Laviolette III was born on a game day while Peter Jr. was coaching the Nailers during the 1997-98 season.