Brownstown Bombers
Encyclopedia
The Brownstown Bombers was an ice hockey
team in the Continental Elite Hockey League
from 2001- 2004. The Bombers played out of the Ice Box Sports Center in Brownstown
, Michigan
. and were owned by Johno Norian.
During the 2001-02 season, the team was known as the Downriver Lumberjacks.
Tom Boileau served as the head coach from 2002-2004. His son, Jason Clements-Boileau served as top assistant and replaced his father as head coach in the middle of the 2004 season. In 2002-03, his other assistants were Gerry McGlynn and Mike Henderson. In 2003-04, McGlynn was not retained and Henderson was moved to Director of Scouting & Player Development. Bob Hassan was brought on as an assistant.
The Bombers made the CEHL playoffs in the 2001-02 season, but were eliminated by the eventual champion the Toledo Storm. That would be the only time the Bombers made the postseason as the team finished fifth in 2003 and sixth in 2004. In the 2003-2004 season, the team did boast the league's leading scorer, Dave Stewart, who posted 50 goals with 52 assists. He joined the Bombers in November from the Metro Fighting Moose and quickly made his way to the top line with Lukas Vepy and Frank Furdero, who was later replaced by Chris Marasco after Furdero hit the CEHL age limit of 22 on Feb. 1, 2004.
Some of the Bombers most memorable moments in the 2003-04 season was being the first team to beat the Metro Fighting Moose at home, overcoming the Moose in a shootout in early January. Another moment came when Henderson sent six of the Bombers to attend a pro scouting camp held by Bob Gergerich;NHLPA,Director of IHC Hockey.
One of their most active promoters was a high school student Matt Bishop who was the Director of Media relations. Bishop later went on to become a sports reporter for The State News
, Michigan State University's
student newspaper.
The Bombers games were regularly shown on Comcast
Cable in the Downriver
area during the 2003-04 season. Former CEHL media relations director Larry Nader and Bombers hockey operations director Mark McKenzie served as the announce team for the first half of the season before Matt Bishop and Kurt Luckow took over for the second half.
Although the Bombers did not have much success on the ice, the track record of the team in terms of promoting players to higher levels was outstanding.
Both defenseman Adam Drescher and goaltender Kevin Bonikowski moved on to play for Wayne State University while forward Steve Filak went on to play in two games for the Toledo Storm
of the ECHL
. Many other players went on to play for various minor-pro and Division III college teams.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team in the Continental Elite Hockey League
Continental Elite Hockey League
The Continental Elite Hockey League was a Junior A league that existed from 2001 - 2004. The league was an independent Junior ice hockey league that did not operate under USA Hockey. There are now plans for a new league to begin play in the 2012-2013 season as a Tier II Junior league...
from 2001- 2004. The Bombers played out of the Ice Box Sports Center in Brownstown
Brownstown Township, Michigan
Brownstown Charter Township is a charter township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 30,627 at the 2010 census. It is part of the collection of communities known as Downriver. Brownstown's three separate segments are due to the incorporation of the cities of Flat...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. and were owned by Johno Norian.
During the 2001-02 season, the team was known as the Downriver Lumberjacks.
Tom Boileau served as the head coach from 2002-2004. His son, Jason Clements-Boileau served as top assistant and replaced his father as head coach in the middle of the 2004 season. In 2002-03, his other assistants were Gerry McGlynn and Mike Henderson. In 2003-04, McGlynn was not retained and Henderson was moved to Director of Scouting & Player Development. Bob Hassan was brought on as an assistant.
The Bombers made the CEHL playoffs in the 2001-02 season, but were eliminated by the eventual champion the Toledo Storm. That would be the only time the Bombers made the postseason as the team finished fifth in 2003 and sixth in 2004. In the 2003-2004 season, the team did boast the league's leading scorer, Dave Stewart, who posted 50 goals with 52 assists. He joined the Bombers in November from the Metro Fighting Moose and quickly made his way to the top line with Lukas Vepy and Frank Furdero, who was later replaced by Chris Marasco after Furdero hit the CEHL age limit of 22 on Feb. 1, 2004.
Some of the Bombers most memorable moments in the 2003-04 season was being the first team to beat the Metro Fighting Moose at home, overcoming the Moose in a shootout in early January. Another moment came when Henderson sent six of the Bombers to attend a pro scouting camp held by Bob Gergerich;NHLPA,Director of IHC Hockey.
One of their most active promoters was a high school student Matt Bishop who was the Director of Media relations. Bishop later went on to become a sports reporter for The State News
The State News
The State News is the student newspaper of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. It is supported by a combination of advertising revenue and a $5 refundable tax that students pay at each semester's matriculation. Though The State News is supported by a student tax, the faculty and...
, Michigan State University's
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
student newspaper.
The Bombers games were regularly shown on Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
Cable in the Downriver
Downriver
Downriver is the unofficial name for a collection of 18 suburban cities and townships in Wayne County, Michigan south of Detroit along the western shore of the Detroit River....
area during the 2003-04 season. Former CEHL media relations director Larry Nader and Bombers hockey operations director Mark McKenzie served as the announce team for the first half of the season before Matt Bishop and Kurt Luckow took over for the second half.
Although the Bombers did not have much success on the ice, the track record of the team in terms of promoting players to higher levels was outstanding.
Both defenseman Adam Drescher and goaltender Kevin Bonikowski moved on to play for Wayne State University while forward Steve Filak went on to play in two games for the Toledo Storm
Toledo Storm
The Toledo Storm was a minor league professional ice hockey team in the ECHL from 1991 to 2007. The Storm played their home games at the venerable Toledo Sports Arena along the southern banks of the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The team colors were red and white, similar to the Detroit Red Wings,...
of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
. Many other players went on to play for various minor-pro and Division III college teams.