The Troy Bruins are more than a hockey team. They are the reason for hockey in the Miami Valley.
It started with a vision. Professional hockey in Troy.
The Hobart brothers, who had found success through their own corporations that still bear their name, found it particularly important to offer the citizens of Troy, Miami County and the greater Dayton area the chance to see top-level professional athletics first hand.
With the help of an overwhelming ballot initiative, the Hobart brothers promised to build a sports arena and bring in their team in exchange for the city of Troy to build it's riverfront into a recreation and entertainment destination. The 10,000 seat Troy Memorial Stadium and Miami Shores Golf Course were first to be completed just before 1950, and the brand new Hobart Arena was finished by mid-1950.
Fulfilling their promise, the Hobart Brothers purchased the Troy Bruins, a minor-professional farm team for the great Boston Bruins. Playing in the original International Hockey League, many years of affordable, family entertainment thrived on the banks of the Great Miami River.
With the economy changing towards the end of the decade, and with markets and buildings growing in size and scale, it was only a matter of time before the Hobart brothers were forced to shut down operations, ending the run for the Troy Bruins.
Hockey would not return to the Northern Miami Valley for over two decades, before the Troy Sabres skated into local hockey history. Playing in the Continental Hockey League, the Sabres quickly became the flagship franchise, setting an example and raising the bar both on the ice and in the front office. But, just as what happened decades earlier, the size and scope of the league, which eventually became the All American Hockey League, simply outgrew Troy. Eventually, the All American Hockey League would grow to form the modern-day East Coast Hockey League, or ECHL, and it was because of the professionalism established by the Sabres that the evolution from semi-pro weekend league to today's "Premier AA Hockey league" occurred.
Yet, with the folding of the Sabres, a number of former players remained in Troy. Namely former star goaltender Rick Szabo would go on to play a pivotal role in the revitalization of the sport in the Miami Valley.
It was in 1996 that Szabo received a call from a group of local hockey parents, explaining their desire to have a varsity hockey program established at Troy High School. By October of the same year, the Trojans stepped onto the ice for the first time, winning their inaugural game at Hobart. Karl Mick would go on to score the first of eight goals that night, with his puck still displayed at Troy High School today. Eleven years would pass, and over 100 student athletes would don a Trojan uniform, including both of Szabo's children. As the program evolved, a number of milestones were achieved, including large crowds, television coverage and several alumni playing higher level hockey. After eleven seasons as head coach, Szabo decided to pass the reigns to the next generation. He finished his tenure with a 173-142-20 overall record.
In 2008, Szabo and his son JT, began developing plans to bring upper-level hockey back to Hobart Arena. With sights on the 2009-2010 season, the name Troy Bruins was decided upon, to pay homage to the team that started it all over half a century ago.
The Troy Bruins, an independant Junior "A" hockey team based in Troy, Ohio has announced it's first two staff members for the upcoming season.
At the helm is veteran professional hockey player and coach Rick Szabo as President and General Manager.
Professional broadcaster and entrepenuer JT Szabo joins the Troy Bruins as VP of Communication & Broadcasting. Most recently, Szabo served as the Radio & Television play-by-play broadcaster for the ECHL's Dayton Bombers.
For more information on the staff, visit the "staff" page.
Information on team sponsorships, advertising and partnerships will be available soon. For more information, contact the Bruins front office at troybruins@gmail.com
Welcome to the official site of the Troy Bruins hockey team!
Continue to check back throughout the summer as the Bruins take shape, before hitting the ice in the fall of 2009.
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