2007-08: Indiana Ice Miners (31-1)
2008-09: Jersey Rockhoppers (32-16-0-2)
TROTWOOD — Encouraged by a family that has held season tickets to the minor-league Fort Wayne Komets hockey club for 57 of its 58 years, Brian Gratz began skating at a young age.
Hockey came soon after, producing a career that led him to the Chicago-area Lake Forest Academy as a 16-year old before Penn State’s club team and three seasons of professional experience.
“Hockey is one of those things that once it gets into your blood, it’s never going away,” Gratz said.
Dayton Gems owners and fans hope Gratz can inject some of that hockey enthusiasm into the franchise’s second season. The International Hockey League club named Gratz as its new coach and general manager on Wednesday, July 7, at a news conference in the lobby of Hara Arena attended by about 40 supporters.
Gratz, 28, replaces John Marks, who was fired in April after the Gems finished 25-46-4-1 in their inaugural season.
“To us, changing the image of this team is No. 1,” said Rob Garfield, a Gems co-owner. “A lot of times, older coaches are stagnant in their practices. They do the same thing over and over and it doesn’t work, that was obvious last year. You bring in a new, young, hungry, aggressive coach who knows what it’s like to win championships, and he’s in the early part of his career where he wants to advance ... he’s gonna light a fire under these guys.”
Gratz, who was part of the Dayton Bombers for about a month as part of his three-season pro career spent mostly as a backup goaltender, has a 63-17-0-2 record in two seasons as the head coach of the Indiana Ice Miners and Jersey Rockhoppers.
“I may have bounced around and been quite a journeyman as a player, but I felt that it was a better learning experience,” Gratz said. “I got to see a lot of coaching styles. I saw a couple good coaches, and I saw a lot of bad coaches, so I got to take what I liked from each one.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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