ECHL

Whirlwind Year Sends Tad Kozun From Kansas City To The Orlando Solar Bears

Whirlwind Year Sends Tad Kozun From Kansas City To The Orlando Solar Bears

This year has been a wild one for everybody, but winger Tad Kozun landed with the Orlando Solar Bears in very unexpected circumstances.

Dec 4, 2020 by Mike Ashmore
Whirlwind Year Sends Tad Kozun From Kansas City To The Orlando Solar Bears

It is sometimes easy to forget that trades have real consequences for real people.

Trades are more than just simply shifting puzzle pieces around on a roster; those affected have to leave everything behind at the drop of a hat and relocate immediately, adapting to new surroundings all while trying to fit into their new team as soon as possible.

Tad Kozun now knows exactly what this is all like.

The skilled winger was surprisingly dealt on March 4 – the day after his birthday – from the Kansas City Mavericks to the Orlando Solar Bears, leaving the Nipawin, Saskatchewan, native scrambling to figure out his next steps.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Kozun told FloHockey. “We were on the All-Star break in Kansas City, and most guys were out of town. But being a long way from home, I just stayed there and was hanging out. I was sitting on my couch getting ready to watch some curling up in Canada on my computer, and I got a phone call from the coach saying to meet him down at the rink. We were on the break, so I didn’t know what was going on, found out I got traded and that I was going to Orlando.”

Kozun had previously played in the ECHL’s South Division as a member of the South Carolina Stingrays in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, and was happy to be headed back, but couldn’t waste much time in doing so.

“I drove from Kansas City all the way to Atlanta, that was about 12 hours,” he recalled. “I took off early in the morning, got there late, played that game.”

Suffice it to say, Kozun’s legs weren’t quite at their best after a long car ride.

“They were a little heavy,” he cracked. “I stopped a few times at the truck stops and rest areas to get out and stretch and walk around . . . they were a little sore, but you’ve just got to get moving.”

Figuratively speaking, that was the plan for the remainder of the year – Kozun was set to be a big part of the Solar Bears playoff push – before everything came to an abrupt halt thanks to the COVID-19 shutdown that eventually canceled the remainder of the ECHL season. He was only able to get into two games with Orlando, potting a power-play goal in what was ultimately a season-ending 3-1 win over his old team, the Stingrays, who finished the year with the most wins in the league.

Not knowing what could have been was a tough pill to swallow.

“It’s tough, getting traded, you’re coming down to a good spot and you just drove all that way,” Kozun said. “To have it all kind of shut down – obviously, everyone’s health is a bigger priority than just hockey – it was tough. Getting to come down to a playoff team and make the long trek, you’re just getting used to the new guys and everything down here, and then everybody’s world kind of just got turned upside down. But, you understand the bigger picture and that everyone’s health was more important. It was nice getting back to Canada and being home with family and friends; we didn’t really know where this was going and we still don’t really know where this is all going.”

Currently, the Solar Bears’ season is scheduled to kick off on the road against the Florida Everblades on December 12, with the game set to be broadcast via FloHockey. Assuming that plan goes off without a hitch, Kozun will finally get a chance to see where he slots in with his new team, as he can finally put what’s been a tumultuous past six months for himself and many others in the league in the rear-view mirror.

“At some points, you’re thinking, ‘Is this really worth it?’ but I kind of took some time, really thought about it and I just got a big itch to play again,” he said. “I was back in the gym skating and hanging out with guys who were doing the same thing, so you just get that feeling back . . . especially with how last year ended, it’s pretty tough to go out when you didn’t even get a chance. We all play this game to win championships, so when you don’t get a chance to do that . . . a lot of guys said they couldn’t call it a career because they said they didn’t get that one last chance to go after a championship. That’s what a lot of guys are focused on for this year. I’m just going to do what I can and play wherever they need me on the ice.”


Mike Ashmore has 17 years of experience covering professional and college sports. You can follow him on all social media channels at @mashmore98.