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West Orange, New Jersey Joins Eastern Profesional Hockey League

April 14, 2008 - Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL)
Jersey Rockhoppers News Release


(West Orange, New Jersey) The new Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL) has announced the addition of West Orange, New Jersey to the league's lineup of cities for the upcoming 2008-09 hockey season. The new franchise has signed a two-year agreement to play their home games at the Codey Arena at South Mountain; the former practice facility of the NHL's New Jersey Devils. The new EPHL entry will be the first professional team to play its home games at the recently modernized Essex County arena.

The new EPHL team is owned by Curtis Russell and Igor Mrotchek. Russell, from Clifton, New Jersey, brings sixteen years coaching experience dating back to 1992 with the Clifton youth hockey development program. He also helped launch youth ice hockey programs in Nutley and Wayne, New Jersey and six years ago began working as a Midget "A" travel coach with his partner, Igor Mrotchek from Morristown. Mrotchek played minor league hockey in Russia and started the Penguins youth hockey program in Montclair, New Jersey in 1998. In 2002, he purchased an ice skating facility in Dunellen, New Jersey.

"We both love the sport of hockey, but professional sporting events can be financially difficult for families," Curtis Russell said. "Minor league hockey is a low-cost high-quality solution that families can afford and provides the same level of excitement. Any seat in the Codey Arena is comparable to the best seat in the house at a major league game, and it's at a price that's affordable." Russell believes there is a great deal of hockey talent in New Jersey and having the EPHL at the Codey Arena will expose young skaters to the game and encourage them to pursue the sport. "My goal is to put New Jersey on the map as one of the places that makes great hockey players," Russell added.

Igor Mrotchek said owning a hockey team always has been his dream. "We had rented ice time in Essex County for our youth camps," Mrotchek said. "Codey Arena is such a nice facility since the improvements have been made to the rink. When you walk into the facility, it's like you're walking into a professional arena."

The new EPHL West Orange team will play twenty-five home games at the Codey Arena beginning in November. Season ticket information will be available at the beginning of May at the team's web or via www.EPHL.com. The West Orange team is conducting a "Name the Team" contest where the winner will be picked at random and will win two season tickets to the 2008-09 inaugural season. To submit your suggestion, please visit the Eastern Professional Hockey League website at www.EPHL.com .



Eastern Professional Hockey League Stories from April 14, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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