Long Beach Bombers
| Long Beach Bombers | |
|---|---|
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| City | Lakewood, California |
| League | USPHL Premier |
| Division | Pacific |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Home arena | The Rinks - Lakewood Ice |
| Colors | Pink, Blue, & black |
| Franchise history | |
| 2012–2020 | Ontario Avalanche |
| 2020–2021 | Anaheim Avalanche |
| 2021–2024 | Long Beach Shredders |
| 2024–Present | Long Beach Bombers |
The Long Beach Bombers are a Tier III junior ice hockey team in Pacific group of the United States Premier Hockey League's (USPHL) Premier Division. The team plays its home games at The Rinks – Lakewood ICE in Lakewood, California.[1]
History
[edit]Following the departure of the original Bombers franchise, Long Beach native and former Anaheim Ducks player Emerson Etem founded a new team. The Long Beach Shredders, were set to begin play in 2021 at the same Lakewood Ice location as the Bombers.[2] The Shredders played fairly poorly during their brief existence, ending their 2024 season as the worst team in the Pacific division and third worst in the Premier League overall with a 6-40-0 record in 46 games and a -338 goal differential.[3]
Rebrand announcement
[edit]In April 2024, the USPHL reported that former Bombers player Curtis Fisher and SoCal entrepreneur Josh Fitzgerald had purchased the Shredders and revived the Bombers name. Fisher had played for the team when it was the Bay City Bombers and when it first became the Long Beach Bombers. Fitzgerald was a longtime supporter and a previous club sponsor.[1] Their 2024-25 season opener was against the fledgling Ventura Vikings.[4]
Season-by-season records
[edit]| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Avalanche | ||||||||||||||
| 2020–21 | 36 | 8 | 27 | 1 | 17 | 96 | 188 | – | 3rd of 5, Pacific t-55th of 62 Premier |
Lost Div. Semifinal, 0–4 (Las Vegas Thunderbirds) | ||||
| Long Beach Shredders | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–22 | 44 | 11 | 29 | 4 | 26 | 149 | 276 | 844 | 6th of 6, Pacific 53th of 64 Premier |
Did Not Qualify | ||||
| 2022–23 | 44 | 8 | 34 | 4 | 20 | 135 | 281 | 701 | 6th of 7, Pacific 60th of 70 Premier |
Did Not Qualify | ||||
| 2023–24 | 46 | 6 | 40 | 0 | 12 | 84 | 422 | 1055 | 7th of 7, Pacific 58th of 61 Premier |
Did Not Qualify | ||||
| Long Beach Bombers | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–25 | 46 | 10 | 34 | 2 | 22 | 121 | 232 | 1222 | 8th of 8, Pacific 61st of 71 Premier |
Did Not Qualify | ||||
References
[edit]- ^ a b Boyd, Joshua (April 2, 2024). "New Long Beach Ownership Brings Back Historic Bombers Nickname". usphlpremier.com. USPHL Premier Division. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
- ^ Lopez, Julian A. (September 29, 2021). "Feature: Shredders Bring Hockey Back to Long Beach". The562.org. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "Premier Team Stats 2023-2024". usphlpremier.com. USPHL Premier Division. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ Boyd, Joshua (August 27, 2024). "USPHL Premier 2024-25 Division Previews: Pacific Division". usphlpremier.com. USPHL Premier Division. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2025.