Posts under ‘EPHL’

Here is the final part of the nearly half-hour Q & A done with Riggs on June 1.

Aces Over Brooklyn: What are looking forward to doing in year two?

Jim Riggs: There’s work to be done, there’s no mistaking that. The sooner we can announce these teams, then we have July and August to sell the product and the players that played last season will know that things are stable and they’ll come back as well. They are our best recruiting tool. When they go back home, if they had a good experience and I would hope the Brooklyn and New Jersey players had a good experience, certainly the way the playoffs went, they’re going to tell people that we’re a decent place to play. We’re telling the people in New England that there are a lot of players from that area and if they don’t make the American Hockey League and the ECHL, what are they doing right now? They’re probably going to start a full-time job. We think we can offer the same type of situation that Brian Gratz and Chris Firriolo did recruiting players from the area that will be more than happy to play because their friends and family are in the area. We also know that there are scouts at our games last year.

Aces Over Brooklyn- What is the situation with the Hudson Valley Bears? Are they finished?

Jim Riggs- They are not finished. We are currently looking for another ownership group for them. It was no secret that it was a league-run team last year. We think that it is better for everyone involved if that team has local ownership that really focuses on marketing the product in that area. There’s a minor league baseball team that plays there, the Hudson Valley Renegades and we hope that whoever takes over the team uses them as a model and take this team and run with it. They can provide great family entertainment that is affordable and we know for sure that the Newburgh building is willing to put in addition seating if the right ownership group surfaces.

So finding a new ownership group for this team is another one of our projects that we are working on. We really want them to be one of the teams that returns and does there own thing like the other teams did last season.

I had the luxury of chatting via-telephone with EPHL Commissioner Jim Riggs this past Wednesday and for nearly a half hour, we discussed what’s in store for the league.

Here’s the first part of that interview, with the next part to follow sometime during the upcoming week.

Aces Over Brooklyn- What is going on in terms of the expansion process the league is involved in?

Jim Riggs- Well, it’s actually a couple of things. First of all, we finished the year with four teams and we’ve been telling people that we’re going into the new season with at least four teams and maybe more. That is what we’ve been truly working on since the end of the regular season. The process, I will admit, has been slower than we would have liked, but I think we are dealing with something that no other minor league has to deal with.

AOB- What kind of things?

According to a press release by the EPHL, Jersey Rockhoppers co-owner and president Curtis Russell has been named the new president of the league, replacing Tim Kolpien, who has stepped aside as president to focus on other growth opportunities for his primary business.

Kolpien, who is also the principle owner of the Danbury Mad Hatters, will however remain involved in the league by providing team support services offered by the league and is beginning discussions with potential owner groups about the team, which according to the press release, should be sewn up by May.

“It’s an exciting time for the EPHL,” commented Russell. “We had a successful first season, and we have meaningful regional opportunities for sponsors.  We expect to have at least six markets field EPHL teams for the 2009-10 season.  Despite the challenging economy, we are growing and will present an exciting product to new fans in New England next season.”