Hudson Valley Bears
| Hudson Valley Bears | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City |
Poughkeepsie, New York Newburgh, New York |
| League | Eastern Professional Hockey League |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Home arena |
Mid-Hudson Civic Center Ice Time Sports Complex |
| Colors |
Black Gold Blue |
| Owner(s) | Curtis Russell |
| General manager | Phil Esposito |
| Head coach | Phil Esposito |
| Media | Poughkeepsie Journal |
| Franchise history | |
| 2008 to 2009 | Hudson Valley Bears |
The Hudson Valley Bears were an ice hockey team in the Eastern Professional Hockey League. They split their home games between the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York and the Ice Time Sports Complex in Newburgh, New York.
History
2008-2009
The Hudson Valley Bears were founded in 2008 as an Eastern Professional Hockey League expansion team. The Bears were the savior of the league. The Bears were founded to be the 4th team in the league and save the EPHL season after Copper City Chiefs and New Hampshire Freeze folded. The Bears had little success during their first season, as they finished their inaugural regular season at 3-45-1-1, finished dead last and missing the playoffs by 54 pts. They also finished last in attendance with average attendance 235.[1]
In October 2008, weeks before the first games were scheduled, two franchises pulled out, leaving three teams. Rather than postpone the season, a replacement was cobbled together: the Hudson Valley Bears, who played their home games in Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York and the Ice Time Sports Complex in Newburgh, New York.[2]
The Bears’ roster was drawn from a pool of nearly 100 “local guys with part-time jobs,” as Jim Riggs, the league commissioner, put it.[3]
Roster
| # | Player | Pos. | Catches | Height | Weight | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 |  |
Len DiCostanzo | G | R | 5' 10" | 185 lbs. | Port Jefferson Station, New York, United States |
| 33 | |
Vincent Januska | G | R | Chester, New York, United States | ||
| 85 |  |
Tim Schneider | G | L | 5' 7" | 165 lbs | Düsseldorf, NRW, GER |
| # | Player | Pos. | Shoots | Height | Weight | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | |
Dan Malloy | D | L | 6' 2" | 215 lbs. | Stamford, Connecticut, United States |
| 4 | |
Chris Sullivan | D | R | 6' 3" | 195 lbs. | South Windsor, Connecticut, United States |
| 5 | |
Chris Clark | D | R | 6' 3" | 215 lbs. | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| 15 | |
Tony Troccia | D | R | Brick, New Jersey, United States | ||
| 32 | |
TJ Cline | D | L | 6' 1" | 220 lbs. | Buffalo, New York, United States |
| 77 | |
Gabe Yeung | D | R | 6' 5" | 230 lbs. | Madison, Wisconsin, United States |
| # | Player | Pos. | Shoots | Height | Weight | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | |
Jerry Cardinale | F | L | 5' 9" | 165 lbs. | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| 12 | |
Scott Horvath | F | R | 6' 2" | 225 lbs. | West Redding, Connecticut, United States |
| 14 | |
John Geverd | F | R | 5' 11" | 217 lbs. | Hooksett, New Hampshire, United States |
| 15 | |
Kevin Kaminski | F | R | |||
| 16 | |
Joey Bouchard | C | L | 5' 9" | 240 lbs. | Deerfield, New Hampshire, United States |
| 18 | |
Jeff Pozzuto | F | R | 6'1" | 180 lbs. | Butler, Pennsylvania, United States |
| 18 | |
Tom Westfall | F | R | 6' 5" | 220 lbs. | Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States |
| 19 | |
Scotty Estey | F | L | 5' 11" | 190 lbs. | Highland Falls, New York, United States |
| 20 | |
Joe Morrison | F | R | |||
| 21 | |
Devin Guy | F | 6' 0" | 200 lbs. | Highland Falls, New York, United States | |
| 44 | |
Phil Esposito | LW | L | 6' 2" | 235 lbs. | East Haven, Connecticut, United States |
| 52 | |
Bill Blaszcyk | F | R | 6' 1" | 208 lbs. | Manorville, New York, United States |
| 83 | |
Chris Seifert | F | L | 6' 0" | 180 lbs. | Fairfield, Connecticut, United States |