The Jersey Rockhoppers were a professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
team based in
West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is a suburban township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 48,843, an increase of 2,636 (+5.7%) from the 46,207 counted in the 2010 Census. , 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.
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”.
The 2008-09 Rockhoppers were coached by
Brian Gratz. 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
Ronald Duguay (born July 6, 1957) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1977 through 1989, and served four seasons as a minor league coach. He appeared as an ...
, 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
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
.
Roster
References
External links
Eastern Professional Hockey LeagueFan ClubJersey Rockhoppers
{{EPHL
Eastern Professional Hockey League (2008–09) teams
Ice hockey teams in New Jersey
West Orange, New Jersey
2008 establishments in New Jersey
Ice hockey clubs established in 2008