The Orlando Solar Bears announced this week that they have inked forward/defenseman John Parker-Jones to a contract that will carry him through the 2026‑27 ECHL season, a move that bolsters a roster eager for a blend of grit and offensive upside.
Born in Brantford, Ontario, Parker-Jones first made a name for himself with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League, where his physical style and net‑front presence began to attract attention from higher levels of play.
His development continued at the University of Windsor, where he refined a game that mixes defensive reliability with an aggressive forechecking approach, traits that later earned him a transition from pure defenseman to a power‑forward role.
After two seasons with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, he posted a career‑best 27 points in 50 games during the most recent campaign, recording ten goals and 17 assists while also contributing 91 penalty minutes in 52 appearances.
Across 174 ECHL games for Greenville and Trois‑Rivières, Parker-Jones has accumulated 64 points — 31 of them goals — and 277 penalty minutes, underscoring his willingness to protect teammates and battle in the corners.
He also spent time in the American Hockey League with the Laval Rocket and Ontario Reign, logging five points and 34 penalty minutes in 23 games before returning to the ECHL with renewed focus and a clearer sense of his role.
A New Chapter in His Career
Coaches in Orlando have praised Parker-Jones for his size, his ability to crash the boards and his knack for creating space, qualities that align perfectly with the Solar Bears’ desire to add a forward who can both defend and generate offense.
As the team looks to build on a promising recent stretch, Parker-Jones is expected to bring a veteran presence to a young lineup, offering both mentorship and a physical edge that could prove decisive in tightly contested matchups.