Northeastern Hockey League (1979)
Eastern Hockey League (1979-1981)
Tombstone
Born: January 1979 – The Jersey Aces relocate to Hampton, VA
Folded: Postseason 1981
First Game: January 10, 1979 (W 6-3 vs. Erie Blades)
Last Game: April 1, 1981 (L 6-5 vs. Richmond Rifles)
NEHL Championships: None
John Mitchell Cup Championships (EHL): None
Arena
Hampton Coliseum
Opened: 1969
Branding
Team Colors:
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 1979: Jim Humphrey, Mike Schmidt, et al.
- 1979-1980: Jim Humphrey & Jerry Decker
- 1980-1981: Steve Wanting & Jim Wanting
NHL Affiliation:
Background
The Hampton Aces were a low-level minor league hockey team in the Tidewater region of Virginia. The club started out as the Jersey Aces in Cherry Hill, New Jersey in the fall of 1978. Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt was one of the team’s financial backers. After the team flopped in the Philly suburbs, Schmidt and his partner abruptly moved the club to Virginia midway through the club’s debut season.
The Aces played for the Northeastern Hockey League championship in the spring of 1979. They were defeated by the Erie Blades.
Prior to the club’s second season, the Northeastern Hockey League re-branded itself as the Eastern Hockey League. The league struggled to stay afloat with just six members. The Aces also struggled, finishing in last place in 1980 and again in 1981.
The Aces folded along with the rest of the EHL in the summer of 1981.
Hampton Aces Video
Links
Eastern Hockey League Programs
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One Response
The Aces did not flop in Cherry Hill. The Arena, The Centrum, was condemned by the Cherry Hill Fire Department as a fire hazard. They moved right before an exhibition game was to be played with the Russian hockey team, Spartak and never refunded fans of their money.
No sooner did the team leave than the building was razed and a shopping center was put in it’s place. It is still standing today.