Former Petes forward signs with ECHL’s Solar Bears
Peterborough native Dylan Fitze played five seasons of university hockey at Laurentian
Dylan Fitze has played university hockey for the past five years but he never abandoned a dream of playing pro hockey.
The ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears are going to give the Peterborough native and former Petes forward that opportunity. The Laurentian University graduate recently signed with the Solar Bears.
“It’s something I knew I always wanted to do, to chase a professional team,” Fitze said.
“There was never really any rush to leave school. It was an opportunity for me to just keep getting better every day with the team we had. We had some good teams here.”
The 25-year-old says it’s confirmation a lot of hard work and dedication has paid off.
“It’s the first step and I know there is a lot of hard work ahead of me but it’s nice to know I’m on the right track.”
Fitze, who has a degree in physical health education, also has interest in becoming a personal trainer. He worked this past summer for Josh Gillam at Hybrid Fitness. Josh’s brother Mitch Gillam, a pro goalie and an old minor hockey teammate, hooked Fitze up with his agent Chris O’Donnell who secured him a contract with Orlando.
“It was a big weight off my shoulders,” Fitze said.
“I still have to work for a spot in the lineup and to stay with the team every day. It’s a job and a business now but it took a lot of stress off my shoulders not having to come to a team in late September and hope I stick around without having any interest from the team.”
After five years of cold Sudbury winters, he’s heading to the land of sunshine in Florida.
“One of my favourite things, especially in junior hockey, was getting far enough in the playoffs to be able to come to the rink in shorts,” said Fitze, from Sudbury where he’s skating with the Voyageurs in preparation for Orlando’s training camp at the end of the month.
“Now I’ll be going somewhere where it’s like that from game one through 72. That’s something I’m really going to enjoy. A guy I played with in Laurentian (Brent Pedersen) also signed there so
I’m not going alone.”
Last season Fitze recorded 19 points on nine goals and 10 assists with 38 penalty minutes in 26 games for Laurentian. In 129 career games for the Voyageurs, the six-foot-two, 203-pound winger generated 73 points on 41 goals and 32 assists and 248 penalty minutes.
“Dylan is a big body who loves to go to the tough areas of the ice,” Solar Bears head coach and general manager Drake Berehowsky stated in a team press release. “He plays a physical style that will also help create open ice for his teammates.”
Before beginning his university career, Fitze amassed 15 points and 44 penalty minutes in 70 OHL games with the Petes and Saginaw Spirit.