Long Beach Bombers
| Long Beach Bombers | |
|---|---|
| City | Lakewood, California |
| League | WSHL |
| Division | Western |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Home arena | The Rinks - Lakewood Ice |
| Colors | Black, White, Gray, & Blue |
| Owner(s) | Bombers Hockey Group, Inc. |
| General manager | Chris White |
| Head coach | Chris White |
| Franchise history | |
| 1993–1996 | Anaheim Jr. Ducks |
| 1996–2006 | Southern California Jr. Bombers |
| 2006–2010 | Bay City Bombers |
| 2010–present | Long Beach Bombers |
The Long Beach Bombers are an Amateur Athletic Union-sanctioned Tier II junior ice hockey team in Western Division of the Western States Hockey League (WSHL). The team plays their home games at the The Rinks - Lakewood Ice in Lakewood, California.[1][2][3]
History
Before moving to Tier III Junior A hockey, the Bombers competed in Junior B hockey from 1994 until 2007 when the team and WSHL were upgraded to Tier III Jr. A status. In 2011, the league left USA Hockey sanctioning and joined the Amateur Athletic Union and in 2012, the AAU-sanctioned United Hockey Union. In 2015, the Bombers and the WSHL were promoted to Tier II under the AAU sanctioning.
The team was a founding member of the WSHL in 1993 as the Anaheim Jr. Ducks and won the first two Thorne Cup Championships of the league's existence. The franchise then changed their name to the Southern California Jr. Bombers in the 1996 offseason, became the Bay City Bombers in 2006, and then revised their name once more becoming the Long Beach Bombers in 2010. The Bombers are currently the only founding franchise of the WSHL still playing in the league.
Season-by-season records
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | 46 | 18 | 26 | 2 | 38 | 156 | 179 | – | 6th of 8, Western 10th of 13, WSHL | Did not qualify |
| 2011–12 | 46 | 16 | 27 | 3 | 35 | 157 | 236 | 1192 | 5th of 6, Western 12th of 16, WSHL | Did not qualify |
| 2012–13 | 46 | 19 | 25 | 2 | 40 | 165 | 228 | 1129 | 6th of 6, Western 15th of 22 WSHL | Did not qualify |
| 2013–14 | 46 | 28 | 18 | 0 | 56 | 228 | 170 | 1133 | 4th of 6, Pacific 11th of 24, WSHL | Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Fresno Monsters |
| 2014–15 | 46 | 33 | 13 | 0 | 66 | 215 | 140 | 1044 | 3rd of 8, Western 9th of 28, WSHL | Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 1–2 vs. San Diego Gulls |
| 2015–16 | 52 | 39 | 10 | 3 | 81 | 247 | 135 | 1333 | 2nd of 8, Western 5th of 29, WSHL | Div. Quarterfinals, BYE Won Div. Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Fresno Monsters Won Div. Finals, 2–0 vs. Valencia Flyers Lost Thorne Cup Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Idaho Jr. Steelheads |
| 2016–17 | 52 | 46 | 5 | 1 | 93 | 365 | 115 | 871 | 1st of 8, Western 1st of 27, WSHL | Div. Quarterfinals, BYE Won Div. Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Las Vegas Storm Won Div. Finals, 2–0 vs. Valencia Flyers 1–2–0, 5th of 6, Thorne Cup round-robin (L, 3–6 vs. Jr. Thunder; L, 0–6 vs. Mustangs; OTW, 3–2 vs. Flyers) |
Alumni
The Bombers have had a number of alumni move on to higher levels of junior, college, and professional ice hockey.[4]