The Official Site of Jersey Rockhoppers Hockey Team

Rockhoppers Add Offense With Talented Trio - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The Jersey Rockhoppers announced the signings of 3 forwards: Kyle Bozoian, Derek Porter and Drew Sanders for the upcoming 2008-2009 season.

Kyle Bozoian, a 25 year old from St. Louis, MO, comes to the Rockhoppers after a solid rookie season with the Indiana Ice Miners of the MAHL. As a rookie, the 6’2” 205lbs forward scored 62 points (24g-38a) in 32 games. Prior to turning pro, Bozoian played 4 years with NCAA D-III Suny-Fredonia, amassing 99 points (47g-52a) in 113 games. Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations, Brian Gratz, said “Kyle is a big strong forward with a natural scoring touch. He moves well and has a nose for the back of the net.”

Derek Porter, a 24 year old from Bozeman, MT, enters his 2^nd professional season after playing in both the MAHL and SPHL last year. As a member of the Indiana Ice Miners, Porter notched 46 points (13g-33a) in 32 games. He finished his 2007-2008 season as a member of the Jacksonville Barracudas of the SPHL, scoring 4 points (3g-1a) in 8 games. “Derek is a very solid 2 way player and a terrific penalty killer. He also has a tremendous amount of offensive potential, so I look for him to continue to do good things on both sides of the puck,” Coach Gratz stated of the 6’2” 190lbs centerman.

Drew Sanders, a 25 year old from Modesto, CA, joins the Rockhoppers’ offensive corps for the 2008-2009 season. The 5’8” 175lbs forward played his college career at NCAA D-I Sacred Heart University where he played in 129 games and scored 26 points (5g-21a) from 2003-2007. Last year, Drew played for the Wooster Warriors of the MAHL and in only 10 games amassed 19 points (7g-12a). Coach Gratz said that “Drew is a player that I have had my eye on since last year. He has a lot of offensive playmaking ability and should make waves in the EPHL this year.”

The signing of Bozoian, Porter and Sanders brings the Rockhoppers’ total to 9 players: 5 forwards, 3 defensemen and 1 goaltender. Coach Gratz feels that he has started to lay the foundation for a solid team and believes that these players will be instrumental in bringing a championship to West Orange, NJ.

The Jersey Rockhoppers begin their inaugural season in the EPHL on November 1^st. Watch out for more information and updates as the off season progress here at www.jerseyrockhoppers.com.

Rockhoppers Add Depth At The Blue Line - Monday, August 25, 2008

The Jersey Rockhoppers announced the signing of 3 players today: defensemen Dan Force, Rich Jondo, and Dustin Henning for the upcoming 2008-2009 season.

Dan Force, a 24 year old from Southlake, TX, enters his 2^nd season of professional hockey after playing 4 games with the Indiana Ice Miners of the MAHL last season. Force stands 6’1” at 205lbs and brings a heavy shot from the point. “Dan is a solid defenseman who plays aggressively. He also has a big shot that we will look to utilize on powerplay opportunities,” stated Coach Gratz. Dan played his collegiate career at Oklahoma University and also took part as a member of Team USA in the 2007 World University Games in Torino, Italy.

Rich Jondo, a 25 year old from Baltimore, MD, brings a large presence to the blue line for the Rockhoppers. At 6’3” 215lbs, Rich enters his 3^rd professional season and will be called upon to be a steady presence on the blue line. “Rich had a short season last year after an injury limited him to only 10 games, but he has the tools and brings a physical presence to the defensive core and I look forward to having him compete this year,” Gratz said of his new defenseman. Jondo played 10 games for the Wooster Warriors of the MAHL last season notching 4 points (0g-4a) and 58 penalty minutes.

Dustin Henning, a 24 year old from Steamboat Springs, CO, joins the Jersey Rockhoppers after a solid season with the Indiana Ice Miners of the MAHL last year. In 30 professional games, Henning scored 13 points (2g-11a) and had 25 penalty minutes. “Dustin is not a guy that you are going to see on the score sheet every night, but he plays the game with tremendous heart and sound defensive fundamental, which is all any coach can ask of his players,” Gratz remarked. “Dustin has a team first attitude and that is exactly the type of person we are looking for.”

For ticket information call the Rockhoppers ticket office at 973-419-6194 or E-Mail RWegs@ephl.com

First 3 Players Signed to the Rockhoppers Roster - Thursday, August 21, 2008

The Jersey Rockhoppers of the Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL) have announced the signing of three players to their roster for the inaugural season in the EPHL. Goaltender Nick Niedert and forwards Russell Spence and Chris Ferazzoli have signed on with the Rockhoppers for the 2008-2009 season.

Nick Niedert, a 26 year old goaltender from Hudson, IA, played last year with the Indiana Ice Miners of the MAHL. During the 2007-2008 season, Nick was named MAHL League MVP with a tremendous 24-1-0 record, 2.51 GAA and a 92.8% save percentage. He served last year as the player-assistant coach for the Miners under Coach Gratz and will be asked to do the same again for the Rockhoppers. “Nick provides great leadership in the locker room and on the ice. He had a break-out year last season and is very excited to follow it up with a great season for the Rockhoppers,” remarked Head Coach Brian Gratz.

Russell Spence, a 26 year old from Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, is entering his sixth professional season. The 6’3” 220lbs forward joins the Jersey Rockhoppers after having played in the ECHL, UHL, CHL and over seas in Germany throughout his career. “Russell brings a lot of experience and leadership to the organization, and I am looking for him to be a big part of the Rockhoppers’ success this year.” Spence played last year in the MAHL with the Indiana Ice Miners and the Youngstown Steelhounds of the CHL.

Chris Ferazzoli, a 28 year old forward from Floral Park, NY, joins the Rockhoppers after playing in the ECHL, CHL and MAHL last season. The 2^nd year pro stands at 5’6” 165lbs and brings a tremendous amount of offensive skill to the team. Last year, Chris had 65 points (22 goals and 43 assists) in the MAHL and added 3 points (2g-1a) in 8 ECHL games. Director of Hockey Operations, Brian Gratz, stated “Chris is an outstanding playmaker with great hands and excellent speed. I look for him to have great season with the Rockhoppers. He should put up some impressive numbers in this league and have a great shot at being call-up to a higher level.”

Jersey Rockhoppers Kick-Off Team Activities at Codey Arena - Thursday, August 14, 2008

(The New Jersey Rockhoppers of the Eastern Professional Hockey League cordially invite you to attend our Pro Players Camp this Saturday, August 16 from 10am-1pm and Sunday August 17 from 9am-Noon. The Pro Players Camp will be held at the Richard J. Codey Arena @ South Mountain in West Orange, New Jersey.

You will have the opportunity to:

-    Meet Rockhoppers Coach Brian Gratz

-    Win an Autographed Hockey Stick

-    Meet Team Owners and Staff

-    Preview and Reserve Seat Locations

So come on down to the Richard J. Codey Arena @ South Mountain in West Orange, NJ (near Turtle Back Zoo) and get your first taste of New Jersey's Newest Professional Hockey Team!!

For Ticket Information Call 843-492-7982 ext. 8105 or E-Mail RWegs@ephl.com

Pro-Camp Registration Announcement! - Tuesday, July 08, 2008

The Jersey Rockhoppers will hold the 2008 Professional Hockey Prospects Camp at the Richard J. Codey Arena in West Orange , NJ on August 15th – 17th, 2008. The General Manager, Head Coach and staff will attend the 2008 Tryout Camp that is open to qualified players age 18 and older upon review of their application either onsite or via WEB registration.

Jersey Rockhoppers announced their first Head Coach, Brian Gratz - Monday, June 23, 2008

(West Orange, NJ) – The Jersey Rockhoppers of the Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL) announced their first Head Coach, Brian Gratz for the 2008-09 season today as they prepare for the upcoming season. “Brian had a great season last year and we are please to have him head up the top coaching spot” said Curtis Russell, President and Owner of the Jersey Rockhoppers.

Brian Gratz attended college at Penn State University from 1999-2004, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance with a minor in Economics. As a goaltender for Penn State, he won 4 ACHA National Championships and was named 1^st Team All-American Goaltender and National Player of the Year Runner-up in 2003. Upon completion of his college career, Brian was signed by the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL in 2004.

In the 2004-2005 season, Brian played professional hockey in the SPHL for the Huntsville Havoc, the UHL with the Fort Wayne Komets and finished with Johnstown in the ECHL. The following season, Brian played for the Fort Wayne Komets of the UHL before finding a more permanent home with the Reading Royals of the ECHL in December for the remainder of the season.

In 2006-2007, Brian began the year as a volunteer assistant coach for the Reading Royals before returning to play with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL in December of 2006. He was called up to the AHL for the Grand Rapids Griffins in January, and finished the season in the ECHL with the Cincinnati Cyclones before losing in the playoffs to the eventual conference champions, Dayton Bombers.

Last season, Brian took his first head coaching position with the Indiana Ice Miners of the MAHL. At the helm, he led the team to a 31-1-0 record and the MAHL Championship. During the 2007-2008 season, the Indiana Ice Miners set a professional hockey record of 26 wins in a row. Brian could have extend his winning streak with the Miners had it not be for the short season demise of the MAHL commented Igor Mrotchek, Owner of the Jersey Rockhoppers. “Brian really cared about his players and worked hard to get them to the next level, just look at the number of call ups” said Russell. Throughout that season, Brian was responsible for 30 call-ups to ‘AA’ leagues, such as the ECHL, CHL and IHL. At the conclusion of the 2007-2008 season, Brian Gratz was named the MAHL Coach of the Year.

Brian Gratz is originally from Fort Wayne, IN and now resides in State College, PA with his wife, Kelli, and his 4 month old daughter, Emerson.

#####

JERSEY ROCKHOPPERS UNVEIL 2008-09 JERSEYS - Friday, June 06, 2008

(West Orange, NJ) – The Jersey Rockhoppers of the Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL) today unveiled the jerseys that the team will wear for their inaugural 2008-09 season.

Featuring the team’s colors of orange, black, and white, the team unveiled three jerseys: a white for home, a black for road, and an orange alternate jersey to be worn on special occasions.

The team’s home jersey features the Jersey Rockhoppers’ primary logo of a “Rockhopper Penguin” standing on the team name that is shaped and colored like snow covered rocks. The jersey is white, and features black with an orange ring from the neck down the shoulders through to the top of the sleeves. The numbers on the back will be orange on top of black and the player’s name will be in black.

The team’s road jersey features the team’s secondary logo of a “Rockhopper Penguin” standing on the map image of New Jersey. The jersey is black on the front and back with white and orange trim at the waist, and features orange from the neck down the shoulders through to the top of the sleeves. The numbers on the back will be white on top of orange and the player’s name will be in white.

The team’s alternate jersey was based on the idea of trying to connect the team to the Township of West Orange where the team plays its home games. The alternate jersey will be Orange with a black stripe between two white stripes on the sleeves and the waist of the jersey. The Jersey Rockhoppers logo will be positioned in the center. These jerseys will be worn on special dates during the season.

In addition to these jerseys, players will wear black helmets, black pants, and black, white and orange socks.

“We feel that our jerseys represent a new look to a traditional hockey sweater,” Rockhoppers owner Curtis Russell said. “It will be great to see a variation of these sweaters for our youth hockey program and the nice looking replica jerseys will also look terrific on the fans that support the Jersey Rockhoppers” according to owner Igor Mrotchek who also owns a local New Jersey youth hockey program called the Jersey Penguins.

The Jersey Rockhoppers open their 50 game season in November at the Richard J. Codey Arena in West Orange and will play 25 games at home. For more information or to inquire about season tickets please visit www.jerseyrockhoppers.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Wednesday, May 21, 2008

West Orange, New Jersey “NAME THE TEAM” Contest Concludes
New EPHL team will be known as the Jersey Rockhoppers

After one month and over 500 entries, the Eastern Professional Hockey League’s new team in West Orange has a name: The Jersey Rockhoppers will take the ice in November.

“We had many great suggestions,” commented co-owner Curtis Russell. “There were plenty of original ideas and many that connected with the rich hockey past of Essex County or focused on the historic landmarks that dot the county footprint” One of the common themes related to Thomas Edison whose West Orange home is now a national landmark. “In the end after weeks of discussion, we wanted to connect with Turtleback Zoo and so we knew it was going to be an animal of some sort,” explained co-owner Igor Mrotchek. “The Turtlebacks suggestion was considered, but a slow animal did not connect with the sport of hockey,” Mrotchek continued. “We think that Rockhoppers makes a nice match and is identifiable with grace, agility and an aggressive nature compared to other penguins.”

The Mountaineers and Renegades also received strong consideration. Only one type of logo style was reviewed before deciding on a Rockhopper in its natural state with red eyes and tufts of yellow hair. The team’s primary colors have not been set in stone but it should be finalized in the next couple weeks.

The logo was designed by FSDesign of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Contest prizes, including a pair of season tickets and an authentic team jersey, will be awarded to entrants chosen at random later this week. Those winners will be announced next week. Uniform designs and mascot details will be unveiled in early summer.
In other news, the Rockhoppers announced that a new permanent website is now online at www.JerseyRockhoppers.com

The Jersey Rockhoppers will play 25 home games at the Richard J. Codey Ice Arena as part of the 2008-09 Eastern Professional Hockey League regular season which begins Saturday, November 1, 2008. Season tickets will be on sale at the Rockhoppers web site and later this summer at Richard J. Codey Ice Arena office.