Hockey Programs

1994-95 Regular Season: Bombers vs. Erie Panthers (x2) Bombers vs. Wheeling Thunderbirds Bombers vs. Columbus Chill      After the collapse of the Dayton Gems in 1980, Hara Arena more or less went dark for pro hockey, except for the short-lived Dayton Jets of the semi-pro All-American Hockey League. The Dayton Bombers joined the Double-A East Coast Hockey League as an expansion franchise for the 1991-92 season and were the secondary affiliate of  the Minnesota North Stars (later Dallas Stars).       By 1994-95, the Bombers were in their fourth season of play at 5,550-seat Hara Arena, still a part of the Stars organization.  Former Saginaw Hawk Jim Playfair was back for his second year as head coach, with ex-Gems player Guy Trottier as his assistant. Arnold Johnson was General Manager.      The Bombers greatly improved on their 1993-94 season, finishing 42-17-9 on the season, second place in the North Division. Their 93 points w...

1975-76 Regular Season: Gems vs. Flint Generals       The Dayton Gems iced one of their strongest teams ever in 1975-76. Affiliated with the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals, the Gems absolutely dominated the IHL Southern Division, finishing with a 47-21-10 record. Their 104 points broke the franchise's season record, and placed them 34 points ahead of second-place Fort Wayne in the South. The Gems also earned the Huber Trophy as regular season champions, 9 points ahead of North Division champ Saginaw.       Dayton scored the most goals in the IHL, lighting the lamp 340 times, just one ahead of second-place Saginaw. Leading the way was right winger Brian Kinsella, a Washington Capitals prospect. Kinsella scored a career-best 43 goals and 88 points. Right Winger Mike Powers, acquired early in the season from Columbus, chipped in 33 goals and 81 points. Steve Self (36), Paul Nicholson (35) and Bill Riley (35) were the other 30-goal scorers for the G...

1979-80 Regular Season: Gems vs. Milwaukee Admirals      The Dayton Gems returned to the IHL after a two-year hiatus. The franchise suspended operations due to financial problems after the 1976-77 season, but continued paying league dues during that time. Hara Arena was briefly the home of the Dayton Owls in 1977-78 (formerly of Columbus), but poor attendance and a struggling economy forced that team to move to Grand Rapids in December.      Harold and Ralph Wampler, majority owners of Hara Arena, led a group of stockholders that ran "The Second Coming" of the Gems franchise. The Gems were affiliated with the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets, who were both in the first season in the NHL. Keith Sprunk, formerly the assistant GM with the Grand Rapids Owls, was named GM and Vice-President. Bill Selman, former coach of St. Louis University's hockey program, was hired as "bench boss" in Dayton.      Hopes were high that the fanbase would co...

2011-12 Regular Season--Opponent Unknown      The Dayton Gems were members of the Central Hockey League (CHL). They joined the CHL in 2010 when that league merged with the International Hockey League. The Gems played their home games at Hara Arena, a 5,500-seat arena in nearby Trotwood.       Brian Gratz returned as head coach for the Gems that season. However, 2011-12 was not as good as last year, as the Gems dropped to 23-29-7-7. Their 60 points were good enough for sixth place in the CHL's Turner Division, 22 points behind Quad City for the last playoff berth. Attendance increased slightly from 2010-11, as the Gems drew 2,228 per game, the lowest average in the CHL.      The Gems struggled both on offense and defense that season, scoring only 185 while allowing 228, both near the bottom of the league. Damian Surma led the team in scoring, with 31 goals and 65 points. Former Port Huron Icehawk Larry Sterling led the team in goaltendin...

1970-71 Regular Season--Gems vs. Des Moines Oak Leafs      After the 1970 Turner Cup win, Wilson stepped down as coach and was replaced by Gems winger Gerry Moore. Moore's first Gems squad finished in third place in the IHL, with a 36-29-7 record. Dayton finished a distant 12 points behind league champion Muskegon.      Here's an unusual stat: the Gems scored the same amount of goals as they allowed that season--263. The offense finished third overall in the league. Moore's bunch were led by Barry Merrell, who scored 28 goals to go with 73 points. Clem Trembley was right behind him, with 68 points and a team-high 39 goals. Three other players had at least 20 goals on the year and six had at least 10.      The Gems defense allowed the third-highest in the league, trailing only Toledo and Port Huron. Dayton used two goaltenders that season. Michel Dumas played the majority of the games for the Gems, getting into 49 games wi...

1968-69 Regular Season--Gems vs. Muskegon Mohawks       The city of Dayton, Ohio, joined the International Hockey League in the 1964-65 season as an expansion franchise. The team was run by Lefty McFadden, who was general manager of Dayton Speedway then. A "Name the Team" contest was held and "Dayton Gems" was the winning vote, a nod to the city's "Gem City" nickname.      The Gems were a very popular and successful franchise for most of their 16-year history.  By Year Two, they were in the Turner Cup Finals, but came up short against Port Huron. After the 1967-68 season, original coach Warren Back resigned and was replaced by former Red Wing Larry Wilson.      Wilson inherited a team on the verge of greatness. They had won the Huber Trophy as regular season champions two years ago (44-25-3). They would do the same in 1968-69, topping the IHL with a strong 40-21-11 mark. They need every one of their 91 po...