Dayton Gems Add Physical Presence, Goaltending With Duff And Hogan
Dayton, Ohio – The Dayton Gems professional hockey team, a proud member of the Central Hockey League, is proud to announce that defenseman Nick Duff and former University of Michigan goaltender Bryan Hogan have signed for the upcoming 2011-2012 CHL season.
No stranger to Ohio, Duff spent last season as a member of the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, skating his first professional season in 2010-2011 after a successful major junior and collegiate career at the University of British Columbia. A team leader in penalty minutes during his final season of major junior with the OHL’s Brampton Battalion, Gems head coach Brian Gratz noted "Nick is going to bring a good physical presence and some toughness to our team. This is an area that we wanted to address and I think Nick's style of play will allow him to be very effective especially in the confines of Hara Arena."
Hogan, a native of Highland, Michigan, backstopped the University of Michigan Wolverines for four CCHA seasons in Ann Arbor, and now begins his professional hockey career as a member of the Dayton Gems. In his tenure at Michigan, Hogan maintained at least a .900 save percentage, highlighted by his senior season where he notched an impressive .924 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.08.
"Bryan comes to us from the University of Michigan where he had an outstanding career. He has good athleticism and is excited about competing for the Gems this year" added Gratz, a former professional netminder himself. Prior to joining the Wolverines, Hogan played two seasons for the USHL’s Lincoln Stars, leading his team to back to back Clark Cup playoff appearances.
Both players will be in a Gems sweater when the club opens its third training camp on Cassano’s Italian Ice inside the historic Hara Arena on October 10.
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