Miami Valley Sabres
Encyclopedia
The Miami Valley Sabres were a minor league
ice hockey
team located in Troy, Ohio
that played in the All-American Hockey League
.
and the nearby Dayton Jets
merged their franchises to join the newly formed All-American Hockey League
. The Sabres were coached by longtime IHL goalie Rick Szabo, who had joined the franchise as a goaltender during the 1983-84 season. After three seasons with the Troy Sabres, Szabo returned to the franchise after the Dayton-Troy merger and was the head coach while he also held down the starting goaltender position. The Sabres finished in third place in the AAHL with a 17-19-1 record.
With the Carolina Thunderbirds
, Johnstown Chiefs
, and Virginia Lancers
leaving the AAHL for the newly-formed ECHL
(then East Coast Hockey League), and with the Michigan Stars
and Port Huron Clippers
folding, the AAHL was down to three teams, causing the league (and the Sabres) to lose their professional status. The Lincoln Park Patriots and Springfield Capitols were admitted into the league several weeks into the new season, giving the AAHL five teams total. The Sabres would win the regular season championship and playoffs.
With the league ceasing operations in the offseason and the Sabres not given the chance to reaffiliate with another league, the Sabres ceased operations in the summer of 1989.
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
ice hockey
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 located in Troy, Ohio
Troy, Ohio
* - Sports :In addition to Troy High School athletics, Troy is home to the Miami Valley Silverbacks indoor football team of the Continental Indoor Football League....
that played in the All-American Hockey League
All-American Hockey League
The All-American Hockey League was a minor league hockey organization formed in 1972 with teams based in the Upper Midwest and Great lakes regions of the United States as the Continental Hockey League. In 1986 the league folded and the Danville, Dayton, Troy went on to form the All-American Hockey...
.
History
The team was founded in 1987 as the Troy SabresTroy Sabres
The Troy Sabres were an American ice hockey team in Troy, Ohio. They played in the Continental Hockey League from 1982-1986, and the All-American Hockey League from 1986-1987. The club folded in 1987.-Season-by-season record:-External Links:*...
and the nearby Dayton Jets
Dayton Jets
The Dayton Jets were a team in the International Basketball League based in Dayton, Ohio. The team made the championship game their first year....
merged their franchises to join the newly formed All-American Hockey League
All-American Hockey League
The All-American Hockey League was a minor league hockey organization formed in 1972 with teams based in the Upper Midwest and Great lakes regions of the United States as the Continental Hockey League. In 1986 the league folded and the Danville, Dayton, Troy went on to form the All-American Hockey...
. The Sabres were coached by longtime IHL goalie Rick Szabo, who had joined the franchise as a goaltender during the 1983-84 season. After three seasons with the Troy Sabres, Szabo returned to the franchise after the Dayton-Troy merger and was the head coach while he also held down the starting goaltender position. The Sabres finished in third place in the AAHL with a 17-19-1 record.
With the Carolina Thunderbirds
Carolina Thunderbirds
The Carolina Thunderbirds were a professional ice hockey team located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. The Thunderbirds played their home games at the old Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum before the arena was demolished in 1989...
, Johnstown Chiefs
Johnstown Chiefs
The Johnstown Chiefs were a minor league ice hockey team located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that played in the ECHL. The team was founded in 1988 in the All-American Hockey League, and moved to the East Coast Hockey League when that league was formed...
, and Virginia Lancers
Virginia Lancers
The Virginia Lancers were a minor league hockey team that played in several leagues from 1983 until 1990. Their home ice was the Vinton Sports Complex, which held 3400 people.-Atlantic Coast Hockey League :...
leaving the AAHL for the newly-formed ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
(then East Coast Hockey League), and with the Michigan Stars
Michigan Stars
The Michigan Stars were a professional hockey team based in Kalkaska, Michigan. The team was a part of the Midwest Hockey League and folded before the season started....
and Port Huron Clippers
Port Huron Clippers
The Port Huron Clippers were an American minor pro ice hockey team in Port Huron, Michigan. They played in the All-American Hockey League in the 1987-88 season. They folded after their first season.-Season-by-season record:-External Links:*...
folding, the AAHL was down to three teams, causing the league (and the Sabres) to lose their professional status. The Lincoln Park Patriots and Springfield Capitols were admitted into the league several weeks into the new season, giving the AAHL five teams total. The Sabres would win the regular season championship and playoffs.
With the league ceasing operations in the offseason and the Sabres not given the chance to reaffiliate with another league, the Sabres ceased operations in the summer of 1989.