Roller Hockey International (1996)
Tombstone
Born: 1995 – RHI expansion franchise
Folded: July 1996 – The Jawz announce they will disband after the 1996 season
First Game: May 30, 1996 (W 13-8 @ Minnesota Arctic Blast)
Last Game: August 13, 1996 (L 7-4 vs. New Jersey Rockin’ Rollers)
Murphy Cup Championships: None
Arena
Nassau Coliseum (16,297)11996 Long Island Jawz Program
Opened: 1972
Branding
Team Colors: Blue, Silver, Black & Red21996 Long Island Jawz Program
Ownership
Owner: Jim Leahy
Trophy Case
Roller Hockey International Player-of-the-Year
- 1996: Hugo Belanger
Editor's Pick
Wheelers, Dealers, Pucks & Bucks
A Rocking History of Roller Hockey International
Who won the first professional sports championship for the city of Anaheim? Which Roller Hockey International team owner posed for Playboy? Which RHI team’s logo did Sports Illustrated describe as looking like “a malevolent vacuum-cleaner attachment?” Which coach won two championships for two different teams in RHI’s first two seasons? Why were fans nearly ejected from the Oakland Skates’ arena for celebrating a hat trick?
Author Richard Graham takes you behind the scenes to show how Dennis Murphy created Roller Hockey International, and why Murphy might be the most unlikely, least known and most influential visionary in North American professional sports history.
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Background
The Long Island Jawz made a brief appearance in Roller Hockey International, playing a single campaign in the summer of 1996. The owners of the Jawz – who also owned RHI’s New Jersey Rockin’ Rollers franchise – got into an acrimonious battle with Spectacor Management Group (SMG), managers of the Nassau Coliseum, over advertising placement rights. In July 1996, only one month after starting play, the Jawz announced they would fold after completing the 1996 RHI schedule.
The team was pretty good, finishing 16-9-3 under Head Coach Phil DeGaetano. Winger Hugo Belanger (48 goals, 53 assists) recorded the only 100-point season in league history. Roller Hockey International named Belanger its 1996 Player-of-the-Year. Another key player was Glen Metropolit (39 goals, 37 assists) who later enjoyed a 9-year NHL career between 1999 and 2010.
Long Island Jawz Shop
Links
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