ORLANDO, Fla. – Another talented forward is heading south to Florida. The Orlando Solar Bears made a splash Monday, announcing the signing of forward Aaron Luchuk. The 23-year-old is entering his third professional season.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound centerman spent most of last season in the ECHL with the defending champion Newfoundland Growlers while on an NHL-contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. There, he found the back of the net 19 times and picked up 31 assists for a total of 50 points in just 45 games. Luchuk was then dealt to the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline before heading to the Montreal Canadiens. He finished the 2019-20 campaign, appearing in two games with the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket.

Before his professional career, the native of Kingston, Ontario skated in 274 games in the Ontario Hockey League, with most of those as a member of the Windsor Spitfires. In his final junior year, 2017-18, Luchuk served as captain for the squad before being dealt to the Barrie Colts halfway through the season. In total, he netted 50 goals and recorded 65 points for 105 points in only 68 games. During the 2016-17 season, the Spitfires won the Memorial Cup, with Luchuk coming in second for points on the roster. Overall, he potted 251 points (115G, 136A) and had 24 points (11G, 13A) in 26 playoff games.

Orlando now has a total of 21 players currently on their roster. They are slated to kick-off their preseason with a two-game series in Estero against the Florida Everblades on December 4 and 5.

Aiden Foley covers the Orlando Solar Bears for The Sin Bin. Follow him on @SinBinSolarBear for all the latest news on the Solar Bears, and follow @SinBinNews on Twitter for the latest AHL, ECHL, and SPHL news.