Jersey Rockhoppers
The Jersey Rockhoppers were a professional ice hockey team based in West Orange, New Jersey, in the United States. They played the 2008-2009 season as members of the Eastern Professional Hockey League and played at the 2,500 seat Richard J. Codey Arena.
| Jersey Rockhoppers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | West Orange, New Jersey |
| League | Eastern Professional Hockey League |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Home arena | Richard J. Codey Arena |
| Colors | Black, Orange |
| Owner(s) | Curtis Russell, Igor Mrotchek |
| General manager | Herm Sorcher |
| Head coach | Brian Gratz |
| Franchise history | |
| 2008 to 2009 | Jersey Rockhoppers |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 1 |
The Rockhoppers name was chosen by the team's owners after a name the team contest. The owners decided on an animal name, co-owner Igor Mrotchek stated “We think that Rockhoppers makes a nice match and is identifiable with grace, agility and an aggressive nature compared to other penguins”.[1]
The 2008-09 Rockhoppers were coached by Brian Gratz.[2] On March 28, 2009, the Rockhoppers won the EPHL Championship by defeating the Brooklyn Aces 2 games to 1.
Notable players
On March 21 and 22, 2009, former New York Ranger great, Ron Duguay, suited up to play two games in the EPHL, one game with the Brooklyn Aces and the other with the Jersey Rockhoppers, to raise money for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit organization associated with Madison Square Garden.[3]
Roster
| # | Player | Pos. | Shoots | Height | Weight | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 |  |
John Morea | LW | R | 5' 9" | 180 lbs. | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| 8 | |
Chris Ferazzoli | C | L | 5' 6" | 165 lbs. | Floral Park, New York, United States |
| 10 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} |
Ron Duguay | F | R | 6' 2" | 210 lbs. | Sudbury, Ontario Canada |
| 16 | |
Anthony Becker | F | R | 5' 11" | 173 lbs. | North Tonawanda, New York, United States |
| 17 | |
Matt Tyree | F | L | 6' 1" | 210 lbs. | Spooner, Wisconsin, United States |
| 18 | |
Logan Bittle | F | R | 6' 1" | 200 lbs. | Peoria, Illinois, United States |
| 19 | |
Tom Boudreau | F | R | 5' 8" | 159 lbs. | Oak Lawn, Illinois, United States |
| 20 | |
Drew Sanders | F | L | 5' 8" | 175 lbs. | Modesto, California, United States |
| 21 | |
Kyle Bozoian | F | L | 6' 2" | 205 lbs. | St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| 22 | |
Jason McCrimmon | F | R | 6' 4" | 238 lbs. | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| 25 | |
Joe Welgos | F | R | 6' 2" | 190 lbs. | Darien, Illinois, United States |
| 27 | |
Patrick Serpico | F | R | 5' 8" | 180 lbs. | Marlboro, New Jersey, United States |
| # | Player | Pos. | Shoots | Height | Weight | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | |
Mike Bouchard | D | L | 6' 1" | 220 lbs. | Smithfield, Rhode Island, United States |
| 11 | |
Rich Jondo | D | L | 6' 3" | 215 lbs. | Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| 23 | |
Alex Hager | D | R | 5' 11" | 198 lbs. | Warwick, Rhode Island, United States |
| 24 | |
Dustin Henning | D | R | 5' 11" | 185 lbs. | Steamboat Springs, Colorado, United States |
| # | Player | Pos. | Catches | Height | Weight | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
Rob Lemelin | G | R | 6' 1" | 205 lbs. | South Hamilton, Massachusetts, United States |
| 39 | |
Nick Niedert | G | R | 5' 8" | 185 lbs. | Hudson, Iowa, United States |
References
- West Orange Professional Hockey
- "Standings for the Jersey Rockhoppers of the EPHL at". Hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
- Klein, Jeff Z (March 22, 2009). "Locks Still Flowing 20 Years Later, Duguay Returns". The New York Times.