Back to the Farm for Jim Lorette - from Hometown Hockey blog

Continuing with today's EHL Jersey Devils theme (although slightly, since he was better known as playing for the Jacksonville Rockets / Florida Rockets and Salem Rebels / Roanoke Valley Rebels) here's a brief blog on Jim Lorette from the Hometown Hockey blog...

http://hometownhockey.blogspot.com/2006/09/back-to-farm-for-jim-lorette.html Jim Lorette is from Fertile, Saskatewan. After a long professional hockey career in the Eastern Hockey League he is back in Fertile. Lorette began his EHL career in 1964 with the Johnstown Jets. The 210 pound defenseman never had a problem picking up a few penalty minutes. He also registered 53 and 43 point seasons. Eastern League stops included Jacksonville Rockets, Salem Rebels, New Jersey Devils and the Roanoke Valley Rebels. When the hockey career ended in 1971-72, Lorette returned to Fertile to occasionally play and coach. Today, Lorette has a 1200 acre grain farm and run a herd of 35-40 beef cows.

Jim Lorette's stats at Hockeydb.com

The Original Devils Were From South Jersey…

We may be on a little bit of a Jersey Devils blog roll here...

The Original Devils Were From South Jersey by Eric Model

Before there were the Devils … there were the Devils.

The contemporary version of the hockey Devils are to be found playing their National Hockey League schedule at Newark’s Prudential Center. Their minor league counterparts – also called the Devils – call Trenton their home and play at the Sun National Bank Center, formerly the Sovereign Bank Arena.

But once Devils Hockey was based in South Jersey at the Cherry Hill Arena. Those Devils were the Jersey Devils of the old Eastern Hockey League from 1964-71.

The original Devils were formed when the Philadelphia Ramblers, a member of the Eastern Hockey League, relocated to Cherry Hill at the end of the 1963-64 season, and there they remained until 1973.

Their home was built in 1959. Originally known as the Ice House, its seating capacity was 4,416.

The Arena is probably best known as a now legendary stop in the World Hockey Association, when the new Jersey Knights of the WHA very briefly called it home for the 1973-74 season – after leaving new York as the Raiders & the Golden Blades and before heading to San Diego where the franchise finally expired as the Mariners.

In its early days, the arena was home to the Jersey Larks, who left town for Knoxville, Tennessee when they could not meet their payroll in new Jersey. the Arena also hosted occasional home games of the basketball Philadelphia Warriors in the early 1960’s (before the Warriors left Philadelphia for San Francisco and were later replaced by the 76ers who went on to play at the Spectrum – itself just recently demolished).

Those that had occasion to stop there said that the old arena was a strange place. for example, there were no showers in the visitors’ locker room. Players had to change at their hotel (often the Holiday Inn). What facilities there were did not work well. the toilets backed up and the ice was not the smoothest and included what has been described as a “hill” at center ice.

“There was a crown in the middle,” related John Garrett a former WHA player in Ed Willes’ book the Rebel League. “A pass that was going along the ice would jump five feet in the air all of a sudden.”

The late Gene Hart was best known as the original Voice of the Philadelphia Flyers. less known is that before that time, Hart was the Voice of the Jersey Devils. in his autobiography “Score,” Hart describes the origins and the reasons for the Devils.

A surprise to many, he recalls, Philadelphia was awarded a National Hockey League franchise when the league expanded from six to twelve teams. Play was not to start until the 1967-68, and according to Hart, until that time one of the first things the new Flyers did was to sponsor a new team at the Cherry Hill Arena, the Jersey Devils, in order to get hockey interest started in the greater Delaware Valley.

Therefore, it is understandable that when one looks at a roster of the most notable Jersey Devil players and coaches, many also had ties to the Philadelphia Flyers. the list included:

• Bobby Taylor, who was later a backup goalie for the Flyers behind Bernie Parent.
• Dick Sarrazin, who later played for the Flyers in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
• Marcel Pelletier, who ended his twenty year career as a player/coach with the Devils in 1969.
• Rosaire Paiement played the 1966-1967 season, scoring 125 points. He later played for the Flyers and Vancouver Canucks in the NHL.
• Vic Stasiuk, the Flyers second head coach, was head coach of the Devils for two seasons, 1966-68.

The Cherry Hill Arena, known in its later years as the Centrum, was demolished in the late 1970s and replaced by a shopping center, now anchored by a Shop Rite.

There now is a shopping center across Brace Road called the Centrum Shops. This is not where the arena was, it was in fact across the street.

As for the hockey Devils who once played there, few folks mention them anymore. they died when the Eastern League did in 1973. These days when you say “The Devils,” most folks think of the team up the Turnpike. From a South Jersey perspective, the new Jersey Devils are not their team. Though the name says Jersey, to them the Devs are part of the new York market. Their team is the Flyers.

What the Devils do offer, however, is a home away from home for these Flyer fans (many from South Jersey), who can more easily secure seats for their team in North Jersey than across the river in Philly.

But to those few who still remember, memories of the original Devils endure.

Eric Model explores the “offbeat, off the beaten path overlooked and forgotten” on SIRIUS-XM Radio and at journeysinto.com.

PEI's Jamie Kennedy - EHL Jersey Devils

I'm taking a few weeks break from my usual EHLing, but I couldn't resist pointing out this blog by peihockey about my favorite Eastern Hockey League player ever: Jersey Devils' Jamie Kennedy.
http://peihockey.blogspot.com/2010/06/jamie-kennedy.html
"Born: September 7, 1946 - Charlottetown
Position: Center
Height: 5.08
Weight: 175

A feisty forward and brother of Forbes, Jamie Kennedy scored 321 goals and 630 points in only 588 professional hockey games.
Jamie entered the hockey scene in 1967 when he participated in the Memorial Cup tournament with the Halifax Jr. Candians, a team that included Islanders Bob Whitlock and Errol Thompson as well as future NHLer Bobby Sheehan. His solid performance earned him his first professional hockey contract in 1968 with the Jersey Devils of the Eastern Hockey League. He racked up 40 goals in his first season with the club followed by 49, 46 and 50 goals seasons.
In 1972 the newly formed World Hockey Association brought new opportunity for many players and Kennedy was among them. He was selected in the Rebel League’s 1972 General Player Draft by the New York Raiders. On July 12 of the same year Kennedy signed a contract with the team and would suit up for 54 games with the short lived Raiders hockey club. The remainder of Jamie’s season was spent with New York’s farm team in the IHL. In his first and only season in the WHA Jamie potted an unimpressive 4 goals. The Raiders could not compete with the New York Rangers, whom they shared Madison Square Gardens with, and were sold at the end of the year. Kennedy’s career in the WHA was over after only part of one season.
The Eastern Hockey League in which Kennedy had played his first 5 season of professional hockey for with the Devils folded in the summer of 1973. Its death gave birth to two new leagues, the North American Hockey League and the Southern Hockey League. Kennedy would play in each during his final three seasons of pro hockey. His first stop was with the NAHL’s Syracuse Blazers. The league that inspired the movie Slap Shot, the NAHL was a rough league and 3 of Jamie’s teammates compiled 280+ penalty minutes. One of those players was Bill Goldthorpe, the man who Ogie Ogilthorpe’s character was based after. The rough play didn’t slow Kennedy down and he netted 44 goals and 90 points during the season helping his team capture the regular season title. With 13 goals in the post season he lead the league and was instrumental in helping the Blazers capture the Lockhart Cup as league champions.
Jamie played his final two years of pro hockey with the Winston-Salem Polar Twins of the SHL and tallied 59 goals and 132 points during that span. The 1974-75 Polar Twins iced and impressive 4 PEIers as Don MacAdam, Peter Williams and Bob MacGuigan skated for club coached by Jamie’s brother Forbes. The following season another Islander in Angus Beck would team up with Kennedy.
Following the 1975-76 season Kennedy left pro hockey in the United States and returned back to Prince Edward Island were he would lace up for Charlottetown’s Senior hockey team for years to come, even leading them to a Hardy Cup as Canadian Senior A champions in 1981. "

Eastern Hockey League Schedule 2010-11

Here's your schedule for the 2010-11 season at Eastern Hockey League arenas. Some schedules aren't out, yet. I'll make updates as schedules become available. Non-hockey events are listed for arenas that no longer have ice. For details, click on the links included for all teams and arenas involved. Have fun! See you on the road!

Atlantic City - Trenton Devils (ECHL) and Albany Devils (AHL) at Boardwalk Hall (Washington Lions, Philadelphia Ramblers)
Clinton - Public Skating and local hockey TBD at Clinton Arena (Comets)
Charlotte - Live Events at Bojangles Coliseum (Clippers/Checkers)
Johnstown - Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) at Cambria County War Memorial Auditorium (Jets)
Knoxville - Knoxville Ice Bears (SPHL) at Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum (Knights)
Macon - Live Events at Macon Metroplex (Jacksonville Rockets)
Nashville - Live Events at Nashville Municipal Auditorium - (Dixie Flyers)
Roanoke - Virginia Tech Hockey at Roanoke Civic Center (Rebels)
Salem - Live Events at Salem Civic Center (Rebels)
Springfield, MA - Live Events at The Big E Coliseum (New England Blades)
Syracuse - Syracuse Crunch (AHL) at Syracuse War Memorial Arena (Blazers)
Syracuse - Live Events & local hockey TBD at Syracuse Fairgrounds Coliseum (Coca-Cola Coliseum) (Blazers)
Utica, NY - Utica College Hockey at Utica Memorial Auditorium (Clinton Comets)
Washington - Park your car at Uline Arena (Lions/Presidents)
West Palm Beach, FL - Live Events TBD at the Christian Convention Center (Florida Rockets)
Woonsocket, RI - Mount St. Charles Hockey TBD at Mount St. Charles Arena (Rhode Island Eagles)

SEPTEMBER 2010
09/24/10 7:30 PM Virginia Tech vs. Virginia at Roanoke
09/25/10 7:30 PM Binghamton U. vs. Virginia Tech at Roanoke

OCTOBER 2010
Sat 10/02/10 Paula Deen Live at Salem
Sat 10/09/10 7:30 PM Lake Erie at Syracuse
Sat 10/09/10 Collin Raye at Nashville
Fri 10/15/10 - Sun 10/17/10 CNY Reining Horse Assoc. Fall Classic at Syracuse (Fairgrounds Coliseum)
Sat, 10/16/10 7:30 Huntsville Havoc Exhibition Game #1 at Knoxville
Sat 10/16/10 7:30 PM Binghamton at Syracuse
Wed 10/20/10 Halloween Hootenanny Tour with Alice Cooper & Rod Zombie at Nashville
Wed 10/21/10-Sun 10/24/10 - New England Equitation Championships at Springfield
Fri, 10/22/10 7:30 Fayetteville FireAntz Home Opener at Knoxville
Fri 10/22/10 7:30 PM Norfolk at Syracuse
Fri 10/22/10-Sun 10/24/10 Stepping Stone Horse Show at Syracuse (Fairgrounds Coliseum)
Fri 10/22/10 7:30 PM Monmouth U. vs. Virginia Tech at Roanoke
Fri 10/22/10 7 PM Brockport State versus Utica College at Utica
Sat, 10/23/10 7:30 PM Wheeling vs. Trenton (at Johnstown)
Mon 10/25/10 Styx at Salem
Thur 10/28/10 - 10/31/10 TSASA Octoberfest Horse Show at Springfield
Fri 10/29/10 7:30 PM Hershey at Syracuse
Fri 10/29/10 7 PM Franklin Pierce versus Utica College at Utica
Sat 10/30/10 7:30 PM Albany at Syracuse
Sat 10/30/10 7 PM Franklin Pierce versus Utica College at Utica
Sat 10/30/10 Collin Raye at Charlotte

NOVEMBER 2010
Fri, 11/05/10 7:30 Augusta RiverHawks Church Night at Knoxville
Fri 11/05/10 BJ Thomas & Billy Joe Royal at Salem
Fri 05/11/10-Sun 07/11/10 Christmas Made In The South Craft Show at Macon
Sat, 11/06/10 7:30 Columbus Cottonmouths Scout Night at Knoxville
Thu 11/11/10-Sun11/14/10 Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics at Macon
Fri, 11/12/10 7:30 PM Wheeling vs. Trenton (at Johnstown)
Fri 11/12/10 7 PM Westfield State vs. Utica College at Utica
Fri 11/13/10 7 PM Oswego vs. Utica College at Utica
Sat 11/13/10 7:30 PM Hershey at Syracuse
Sun, 11/14/10 5:00 Huntsville Havoc Family Fun Day at Knoxville
Wed 11/17/10 11:00 AM Binghamton at Syracuse
Fri 11/19/10 7:30 PM Albany at Syracuse
Fri, 11/19/10 7:30 Augusta RiverHawks Food Drive at Knoxville
Fri 11/19/10 7:30 PM Temple vs. Virginia Tech at Roanoke
Fri 11/19/10 7 PM Neumann vs. Utica College at Utica
Sat 11/20/10 7:30 PM Maryland vs. Virginia Tech at Roanoke
Sat 11/20/10 7:30 PM Springfield at Syracuse
Sat, 11/20/10 7:30 Augusta RiverHawks Hometown Hereos at Knoxville
Fri 11/26/10 7:30 PM Hershey at Syracuse
Fri, 11/26/10 7:30 Huntsville Havoc Weiner Dog Race at Knoxville
Sat 11/27/10 7 PM Amherst vs. Utica College at Utica
Sun 11/28/10 3:00 PM Hamilton at Syracuse

DECEMBER 2010
Thu, 12/02/10 7:30 Mississippi Surge “Two"riffic Thursday at Knoxville
Fri, 12/03/10 7:30 Mississippi Surge Teddy Bears Toss at Knoxville
Fri 12/03/10 7 PM Manhattanville vs. Utica College at Utica
Fri 12/03/10 7:30 PM Kentucky vs. Virginia Tech at Roanoke
Sat 12/04/10 7:30 PM Kentucky vs. Virginia Tech at Roanoke
Sun 12/5/10 4:00 PM Albany vs. Adirondack (at Atlantic City)
Fri 12/10/10 7:30 PM Adirondack at Syracuse
Fri, 12/1010 7:30 PM Wheeling vs. Gwinnett (at Johnstown)
Sat, 12/11/10 7:30 PM Wheeling vs. Gwinnett (at Johnstown)
Sat 12/11/10 7:30 PM Bridgeport at Syracuse
Sat 12/11/10 7 PM Buffalo State vs. Utica College at Utica
Sun 12/12/10 4:00 PM Albany vs. W-B/Scranton (at Atlantic City)
Sat, 12/18/10 7:30 Pensacola Ice Flyers Guaranteed Fight Night at Knoxville
Sat 12/18/10 7:30 PM W-B/Scranton at Syracuse
Sun 12/19/10 3:00 PM Hartford at Syracuse
Tue, 12/21/10 7:30 Huntsville Havoc Family Fun Day at Knoxville
Sun, 12/26/10 5:00 Pensacola Ice Flyers Family Fun Day - Spongebob at Knoxville
Tue, 12/28/10 7:30 Fayetteville FireAntz Healthcare Night at Knoxville
Tue 12/28/10 7:00 PM Adirondack at Syracuse
Thu 12/30/10 7:30 PM Mannheim Steamroller 25th Anniversary Christmas Tour at Macon

JANUARY 2011
Fri 01/07/11 7 PM Curry vs. Utica College at Utica
Fri, 01/07/11 7:30 Huntsville Havoc Back to School Night at Knoxville
Sat 01/08/11 7 PM Cortland vs. Utica College at Utica
Sat, 01/08/11 7:30 Louisiana IceGators Race Night at Knoxville
Fri 01/14/11 7:30 PM UMBC vs. Virginia Tech at Roanoke
Sat 1/15/11 7:30 PM Rochester at Syracuse
Sat 1/15/11 7:30 PM Penn State vs. Virginia Tech at Roanoke
Sun 1/16/11 4:00 PM Adirondack at Syracuse
Fri 1/21/11 7:30 PM Rochester at Syracuse
Fri 1/21/11 7:30 PM East Carolina vs. Virginia Tech at Roanoke
Fri, 1/21/11 7:30 PM Wheeling vs. Trenton (at Johnstown)
Fri, 01/21/11 7:30 Louisiana IceGators Legends Night at Knoxville
Sat 01/22/11 7:30 East Carolina vs. Virginia Tech at Roanoke
Sat, 01/22/11 7:30 Louisiana IceGators Legends Night at Knoxville
Sat 1/22/11 7:30 PM Norfolk at Syracuse
Sun 1/23/11 4:00 PM Trenton vs. Wheeling (at Atlantic City)
Sun 1/23/11 6:00 PM Liberty vs. Virginia Tech at Roanoke
Wed 1/26/11 7:00 PM Houston at Syracuse
Thu, 01/27/11 7:30 Fayetteville FireAntz “Two"riffic Thursday at Knoxville
Fri, 01/28/11 7:30 Columbus Cottonmouths Baby Derby at Knoxville
Fri 1/28/11 7:30 PM Toronto at Syracuse
Fri 01/28/11 7 PM Hobart vs. Utica College at Utica
Sat 1/29/11 7:30 PM Adirondack at Syracuse
Sat 01/29/11 7 PM Hobart vs. Utica College at Utica
Sun, 1/30/11 5:00 PM Wheeling vs. Trenton (at Johnstown)

FEBRUARY 2011
Thu, 02/03/11 7:30 Columbus Cottonmouths “Two"riffic Thursday at Knoxville
Fri 2/4/11 7:00 PM Albany vs. Hershey (at Atlantic City)
Sat 02/05/11 7 PM Manhattanville vs. Utica College at Utica
Sat 2/5/11 7:30 PM W-B/Scranton at Syracuse
Sat, 02/05/11 7:30 Huntsville Havoc Star Wars Night at Knoxville
Thu, 02/10/11 7:30 Columbus Cottonmouths “Two"riffic Thursday at Knoxville
Fri, 2/11/11 7:00 PM Wheeling vs. Reading (at Johnstown)
Sat, 2/12/11 8:00 PM Wheeling vs. Toledo (at Johnstown)
Sat, 02/12/11 7:30 Fayetteville FireAntz Weiner Dog Race at Knoxville
Fri 2/18/11 7:30 PM San Antonio at Syracuse
Fri, 02/18/11 7:30 Augusta RiverHawks Miss Ice Bear at Knoxville
Sat 02/19/11 7 PM Elmira vs. Utica College at Utica
Sat 2/19/11 7:30 PM Rochester at Syracuse
Tue 2/22/11 7:00 PM Charlotte at Syracuse
Fri 2/25/11 7:30 PM Binghamton at Syracuse
Sat 2/26/11 7:30 PM Hamilton at Syracuse
Sun 2/27/11 4:00 PM Albany vs. Norfolk (at Atlantic City)

MARCH 2011
Fri, 03/04/11 7:30 Huntsville Havoc watch live at Knoxville
Sat, 03/05/11 7:30 Augusta RiverHawks Scouts Night - Sleepover at Knoxville
Fri 3/11/11 7:30 PM Texas at Syracuse
Fri, 3/11/11 7:30 PM Wheeling vs. Kalamazoo (at Johnstown)
Sat 3/12/11 7:30 PM Rochester at Syracuse
Wed 3/16/11 7:00 PM Albany at Syracuse
Fri 3/18/11 7:30 PM Toronto at Syracuse
Sat 3/19/11 7:30 PM Charlotte at Syracuse
Sat, 03/19/11 7:30 Fayetteville FireAntz Bike Night/ Fan Appreciation at Knoxville
Fri, 03/25/11 7:30 Fayetteville FireAntz Smokies Night at Knoxville
Fri 3/25/11 7:30 PM Albany at Syracuse
Sat 3/26/11 7:30 PM Rochester at Syracuse

APRIL 2011
Fri 4/1/11 7:30 PM Binghamton at Syracuse
Sun 4/3/11 3:00 PM W-B/Scranton at Syracuse
Fri 4/8/11 7:30 PM Norfolk at Syracuse
Sat 4/9/11 7:30 PM Norfolk at Syracuse