The league held a contest to name the team, and the "Ice Miners" nickname, a reference to the coal mining regions of Central and Western Pennsylvania, was picked in June.

[1] Gratz previously played goaltender at Penn State University, where he won four ACHA National Championships.

In the year before taking the position with the Ice Miners, Gratz served as a volunteer assistant for the Reading Royals of the ECHL.

He was called up to the American Hockey League with the Grand Rapids Griffins, and finished the year in the ECHL playoffs with the Cincinnati Cyclones.

[2] In winter of 2008, the team announced the hiring of Devon Moore to oversee its sales and marketing strategy.