Hockey's dead in Dayton

[mcanadiens]

Not that it hasn't been coming for some time, but hockey is done in Dayton for the foreseeable future.

Every few years a franchise folded and a new one at a lower level tried to take its place. Over 40 years, we crashed through the IHL, ECHL, UHL and CHL. Last year saw the lowly Federal Hockey League play in our ram-shackled Hara Arena. Just got word this morning that the franchise is going dormant. At this level, dormant = dead.

The idea of a Dayton winter with no hockey sucks. I think I'm going to go winter in Orlando and hang around with @CarlSpackler.

[dennyjones]

I won't complain.   We have the OHL in the Flint area and they took over the Firebirds after the owner fired the coach and staff.   The owner has been suspended by the league but we have good hockey.   The local credit union put some money into the area and it is very nice.   I'm looking forward to hockey season...not too soon, that means golf will be on a simulator!

[Patch]

They just put a NHL team in Vegas. I am not much of a hockey fan, but I might go to a few games. .

[mcanadiens]

44 minutes ago, Patch said:

They just put a NHL team in Vegas. I am not much of a hockey fan, but I might go to a few games. .

If you've never been, definitely go. TV does the sport no justice.

49 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

I won't complain.   We have the OHL in the Flint area and they took over the Firebirds after the owner fired the coach and staff.   The owner has been suspended by the league but we have good hockey.   The local credit union put some money into the area and it is very nice.   I'm looking forward to hockey season...not too soon, that means golf will be on a simulator!

Flint Firebirds huh? I suppose you know the name Costa Papista. He was at the helm when we buried the Dayton Bombers. That was our ECHL team from 91-07. 

[CarlSpackler]

4 hours ago, mcanadiens said:

Not that it hasn't been coming for some time, but hockey is done in Dayton for the foreseeable future.

Every few years a franchise folded and a new one at a lower level tried to take its place. Over 40 years, we crashed through the IHL, ECHL, UHL and CHL. Last year saw the lowly Federal Hockey League play in our ram-shackled Hara Arena. Just got word this morning that the franchise is going dormant. At this level, dormant = dead.

The idea of a Dayton winter with no hockey sucks. I think I'm going to go winter in Orlando and hang around with @CarlSpackler.

Come on down!

I used to have tickets to the Dayton Bombers when they were at Hara. They were very successful there much like the Dragons. They thought that attendance would grow by moving to Nutter Center, but it was the opposite, probably because you weren't allowed to get rowdy there. 

[mcanadiens]

19 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

Come on down!

I used to have tickets to the Dayton Bombers when they were at Hara. They were very successful there much like the Dragons. They thought that attendance would grow by moving to Nutter Center, but it was the opposite, probably because you weren't allowed to get rowdy there. 

Those first five years of the Bombers were my favorite. When they'd pack that place for the Toledo Storm or Columbus Chill, it was a great (if somewhat vulgar) atmosphere. Nutter Center was a bad fit. it felt like watching a practice. Some nights you could hear the guys talking on the ice. By the time the second-run of Gems started back up at Hara after the Bombers folded, the arena had fallen apart and the area had emptied out. Funny to think, but the Salem Mall was still there when the Bombers played at Hara. Now there's next to nothing.

[dennyjones]

1 hour ago, mcanadiens said:

Flint Firebirds huh? I suppose you know the name Costa Papista. He was at the helm when we buried the Dayton Bombers. That was our ECHL team from 91-07. 

The Flint Firebirds were the Plymouth Whalers but got kicked out of the arena for the USA training teams.   Flint is a great hockey town even averaging close to 3k each game when all of the turmoil was happening.   Rolf Nielsen  and Costa Papista seem to be a pair.   

[mcanadiens]

1 hour ago, dennyjones said:

The Flint Firebirds were the Plymouth Whalers but got kicked out of the arena for the USA training teams.   Flint is a great hockey town even averaging close to 3k each game when all of the turmoil was happening.   Rolf Nielsen  and Costa Papista seem to be a pair.   

Yep. In better days for both our towns, The Dayton Gems and Flint Generals were frequent rivals in the old IHL. Still nearly 3K is pretty good. I wouldn't mind getting a junior team to fill the void. 

[billchao]

3 hours ago, mcanadiens said:

If you've never been, definitely go. TV does the sport no justice.

I agree. It's one of the few sports I'd rather watch live because you miss so much on TV.

[dennyjones]

4 hours ago, mcanadiens said:

Yep. In better days for both our towns, The Dayton Gems and Flint Generals were frequent rivals in the old IHL. Still nearly 3K is pretty good. I wouldn't mind getting a junior team to fill the void. 

You're bringing up old memories.    I really enjoyed them.   Several of the Generals went on to play in the NHL.

[mcanadiens]

On 7/14/2016 at 9:35 PM, dennyjones said:

You're bringing up old memories.    I really enjoyed them.   Several of the Generals went on to play in the NHL.

We had a few as well.

Gord Lane (NYI), Michel Dumas (CHI), Tony White (WSH), Dave Forbes (BOS) and Stan Jonathan (BOS) were all old Dayton Gems. The one fellow that I used to see a bit of with the Bombers was Darren Langdon.  

Also Lefty McFaddin was Dayton's first GM and left to become assistant GM with the expansion Capitals.

[70sSanO]

I would imagine going to Columbus would be pretty difficult during the winter.

Although you probably get there when Montreal is in town.

John

[mcanadiens]

On 7/20/2016 at 10:22 AM, 70sSanO said:

I would imagine going to Columbus would be pretty difficult during the winter.

Although you probably get there when Montreal is in town.

John

Sorry, didn't see this until just now.

Columbus is a once a year deal for me at best and generally depends on the schedule. It's only an hour from here, but that's still too much for a work night. Hopefully the Habs will visit on a weekend.

... Actually just looked. Montreal visits Friday Nov. 4. Gotta go.

[hockeyref18]

On July 14, 2016 at 9:02 AM, mcanadiens said:

Not that it hasn't been coming for some time, but hockey is done in Dayton for the foreseeable future.

Every few years a franchise folded and a new one at a lower level tried to take its place. Over 40 years, we crashed through the IHL, ECHL, UHL and CHL. Last year saw the lowly Federal Hockey League play in our ram-shackled Hara Arena. Just got word this morning that the franchise is going dormant. At this level, dormant = dead.

The idea of a Dayton winter with no hockey sucks. I think I'm going to go winter in Orlando and hang around with @CarlSpackler.

Got to go to a few of the FHL games up here in Michigan. I was very surprised at the quality of hockey. Was hoping the league would have expanded instead of getting rid of a team and adding one. 

[mcanadiens]

19 hours ago, hockeyref18 said:

Got to go to a few of the FHL games up here in Michigan. I was very surprised at the quality of hockey. Was hoping the league would have expanded instead of getting rid of a team and adding one. 

The guys skate hard anyway. For what is truly a dead-ender league, you'd think the effort level wouldn't be that high. There was very little in the way of skill or discipline, but it was still fun to watch.

The management of that league is really bizarre. For the Dayton franchise there was almost no advertising of any kind. Little information makes its way to fans in any kind of reliable fashion. The local newspaper doesn't cover them. As near as I can tell, nobody has made any money in the FHL and yet it bumps along.

[dennyjones]

I had to look them up.   I hadn't heard about the league.    Looks like they travel quite some distance for a sub-minor league.

[hockeyref18]

1 minute ago, dennyjones said:

I had to look them up.   I hadn't heard about the league.    Looks like they travel quite some distance for a sub-minor league.

It is a very smal league with only 4 teams. I would guess their eventual goal is to expand but I would guess they end up like the leagues @mcanadiens said above and fold. 

2 hours ago, mcanadiens said:

The guys skate hard anyway. For what is truly a dead-ender league, you'd think the effort level wouldn't be that high. There was very little in the way of skill or discipline, but it was still fun to watch.

The management of that league is really bizarre. For the Dayton franchise there was almost no advertising of any kind. Little information makes its way to fans in any kind of reliable fashion. The local newspaper doesn't cover them. As near as I can tell, nobody has made any money in the FHL and yet it bumps along.

I know they just added the team in St Clair Shores, Michigan which is right around me. They got a decent amount of publicity and they expect to get a decent crowd to each game. Hoping I can make it out for atleast a few. 

[mcanadiens]

6 minutes ago, hockeyref18 said:

I know they just added the team in St Clair Shores, Michigan which is right around me. They got a decent amount of publicity and they expect to get a decent crowd to each game. Hoping I can make it out for atleast a few. 

By all means go. Just don't buy a season ticket. Maybe the St. Clair owner is going to fully fund this thing and do it the right way, but many FHL owners have left people holding the bag. We've had three apparent owners of FHL teams in Dayton (Soskin, Dadds and Pace). The first two ran out of here with a lot of debts unpaid.

For what its worth, the loop is supposed to have six teams to start the season with. Theoretically Dayton is dormant after the arena they were playing in closed. I'd be surprised if we see the FHL again here. We need a new arena and an ECHL club.