Bardaro Set to Make ECHL Debut with Solar Bears

The Orlando Solar Bears added some seasoning up front this week after signing forward Anthony Bardaro to an ECHL Standard Player Contract for the 2024-25 season.

The 32-year-old Bardaro will be making his ECHL debut after seven seasons of professional hockey in Italy and France.

The Delta, British Columbia native appeared in 33 games for Angers of Ligue Magnus (France) compiling 27 points (6-21-27) during the 2023-24 season.

The 5-foot-10, 181-pound forward began his professional career with a splash, recording 56 points during the 2017-18 season and broke out in the playoffs with 23 points in 14 games to earn Most Valuable Player honors in the Alps Hockey League while with Asiago (Italy).

The next season, Bardaro would record a career-high 68 points (31-37-68) in 40 games and would be chosen to represent Italy at the IIHF World Championships in 2019.

Bardaro would then join top Italian Club HC Bolzano of the then Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL) now ICE Hockey League (ICEHL), for the 2019-20 season. After two years with Bolzano and two with HC Pusteral (ICEHL), Bardaro elected to join Angers in France for the 2023-24 season.

In total, the veteran forward has played in 293 professional league games, scoring 280 points (123-157-280).

Before turning pro, Bardaro played four years at University of British Columbia (USports) leading the team in scoring in three consecutive seasons from 2014-17. In 110 games over four college seasons, Bardaro tallied 102 points (36-66-102). He also earned USports West Second Team All-Star honors following the 2016-17 season.

Bardaro’s junior hockey career spanned five seasons in the WHL from 2008-12, where he scored 190 points (90-100-190) in 266 regular season games with Spokane and Prince Albert.

While this will be his first season in the ECHL, Bardaro brings a wealth of experience in both regular-season and post-season play, and should provide depth and scoring punch for the Solar Bears.