New York Rockers
| New Jersey Rockin' Rollers | |
|---|---|
| City | East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Home arena | Continental Airlines Arena |
| Colors |
Green, Black, Yellow, White |
| Conference Championships | 1997 |
| Franchise history | |
| 1994–1997 | New Jersey Rockin' Rollers |
| 1999 | New York/New Jersey Rockin' Rollers |
Green, Black, Yellow, White
The New Jersey Rockin' Rollers were a professional roller hockey team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States that played in Roller Hockey International. In 1997 they were coached by Bob Antolos.
Despite efforts by the New Jersey Devils to prevent the team from playing in the Brendan Byrne Arena as part of a lease signed with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Reginald Stanton ruled in April 1994 that the essential difference between ice hockey and roller hockey meant that the tenancy by what ended up becoming the Rockin Rollers did not violate the terms of the Devils' lease at the facility.
Investment banker and team owner E. Burke Ross Jr., held a contest based on submissions from listeners to WDHA-FM and WMTR-AM, stations owned by Ross in New Jersey, and the team name "Rockin' Rollers" was chosen ahead of either the New Jersey Skunks or Swamp Rats. Ross expected to sell out all 20,000 seats for the team's opening home game and planned to join the three of 12 league teams that had made a profit the previous year and expected to make money in the team's first season in the league, which had expanded to 24 teams for the 1994 season. The Rockin' Rollers offered season tickets for as little as $55 for the full 11-game season and single-game tickets as low as $7, with entertainment and promotions at each game. The team brought in $540,000 in ticket revenue in the 1994 season.
Nick Fotiu, a former player with the New York Rangers and coach of the Nashville Knights of the East Coast Hockey League, was chosen as the team's coach and general manager. Fotiu wound up playing two games in the team's inaugural season.
At the league's second player draft, held in February 1994, the Rockin' Rollers selected identical twins Chris Ferraro and Peter Ferraro, and signed female goaltender Manon Rhéaume. More than one thousand people were expected to participate in open tryouts that were to be held at the South Mountain Arena in West Orange, New Jersey. The inaugural team included starting goalie Daniel Berthiaume and Iain Duncan, who both had experience playing in the NHL, as well as minor league star Trevor Jobe, who led the team in scoring their first season.
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