ORLANDO, Fla. — There’s a new kid in the world of single-A level pro hockey and he’s getting himself all gussied up and ready for his world premiere.
The Eastern Professional Hockey League, the brain child of lifelong hockey executive and commissioner Jim Riggs and headed by president Tim Kolpien, is preparing to debut this fall by setting up teams, securing facility leases and building fan bases in cities around the Northeast. Five locations from New Jersey to New Hampshire are set with a sixth city in the works to be announced.
The league recently had its preseason meetings in Danbury, Connecticut, one of the anchor cities for the EPHL. The opening date for training camps to begin was set for October 22 with the 50-game regular season scheduled to kick off on November 1.
Among the other items discussed:
Rosters: Teams will be allowed to carry 20 players with a maximum of 17 being dressed for each game. Teams will be allowed to have up to four veterans (players who have appeared in more than 180 professional games) on its roster. All players will have to wear visors.
Ties: Games that end in a regulation tie will be followed by a 4-on-4 sudden death overtime period. If the overtime fails to produce a winner, the winner will be decided by a three man shootout. Two points in the standings will be awarded for a win and one point given for an overtime or shootout loss.
Playoffs: And the end of the regular season, the top four teams in the standings will qualify for the post-season. The first place team will face the fourth place team and the second and third place teams will in best-of-three semifinal series. The two winners will meet in a best-of-five championship series.
NHL rules will be followed with the exception of the instigator penalty, which will be reduced. The goaltender “trapezoid” area behind the net will not be used but tag-up off sides and automatic icings will be utilized.
A series of agreements with league partners were also announced. They include: Ballistik Hockey for equipment; ClicknPrint Tickets for ticketing services; LeagueStat.com for statistical information and Penn Atlantic for streaming video casts of games.
The rules are in place but just who are the first five teams in the new EPHL? Let’s take a look…
Brooklyn Aces: Owned by Brooklyn Aces LLC, the team will be playing its home games at the Aviator Sports & Recreation Center on Flatbush Ave.
The team’s first Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations is Chris Firriolo. Firriolo comes downstate from Syracuse where he was the General Manager and Head Coach for the Syracuse Stars Junior-A team in the Eastern Junior Hockey League, where 12 of his players have gone on to spots on NCAA rosters. Over the years, more than 100 players who have received coaching from Firriolo have gone on to NCAA Division 1, Division 3, Major Junior and professional careers at just about every level.
The Aces will be running a pro tryout camp from September 5-7 to look for players for the initial training camp roster.
Copper City Chiefs: Based in Rome, New York at the Kennedy Arena, the Chiefs are actually a revival of the Chiefs franchise that tried to give it a go last season in the North Eastern Hockey League (NEHL) but failed when the league itself fell apart. Owner Wayne Premo is a local real estate executive and also owned the previous incarnation of the Chiefs.
Danbury Mad Hatters: Set to play in the Danbury Ice Arena and owned by Sekund-Starr Sports and Entertainment LLC, the Mad Hatters are looking to erase the bad taste left in the mouths of Danbury fans when the UHL Trashers went under amid a myriad of legal problems. Principal owners Tim Kolpien, Igor Mrotchek and Curt Russell along with General Manager Brendan Tedstone promise plenty of good hockey and entertainment for the fans.
The team recently announced the hiring of former Trashers’ defenseman Dave MacIsaac as the franchise’s first coach. MacIsaac played in parts of two seasons for the Trashers, having his best season in 2005-2006 when he scored 15 goals and 25 assists in 53 games while amassing 130 penalty minutes. The former University of Maine player spent time in Italy and with the St. Georges team in the rugged LNAH last year.
Exeter Freeze: The northernmost franchise announced so far, the Freeze will be playing out of the Exeter Ice House in Exeter, New Hampshire. Headed up by V.P. and General Manager Dick Arpin and V.P. of Hockey Operations Peter Tufts, the Freeze are looking forward to providing an opportunity for local talent to make the jump to the pro ranks.
The first Head Coach for the Freeze will be Rob Miller. Miller, a native of Morristown, New Jersey, played his college hockey at nearby New Hampshire College and Salem State. His pro playing days included stints in the ACHL (Jacksonville), WHA2 (Lakeland) and the SEHL and SPHL with the Knoxville Ice Bears. He also has an extensive instructional background, having worked with programs in New England, New York and Minnesota as well as with the Walpole (MA) Express junior program.
Jersey Rockhoppers: Owned by Pro-Hockey LLC, the Rockhoppers will play their home contests at the Codey Arena in West Orange, New Jersey.
When principal owners Curtis Russell and Igor Mrotchek went looking for a head coach, they wanted a winner. They certainly found one in Brian Gratz. Gratz, a graduate of Penn State, led the Indiana Ice Miners in the MAHL to an incredible 31-1-0 record last season, including an astounding 26-game winning streak, before the league suspended operations. His playing career included stops in the SPHL (Huntsville), UHL (Fort Wayne) and the ECHL (Johnstown, Reading and Wheeling).
The Rockhoppers will be holding a tryout camp for prospective players August 14-16 at the Codey Arena in West Orange.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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