Jacksonville Rockets
30°19′28″N 81°38′27″W / 30.3245°N 81.6409°W
Jacksonville Rockets | |
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City | Jacksonville, Florida |
League | Eastern Hockey League |
Operated | 1964–1972 |
Home arena | Jacksonville Coliseum |
Colors | Orange, white, and blue |
The Jacksonville Rockets were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They played in the Eastern Hockey League from 1964–1972, when they folded. They were the first professional hockey team to be based in Florida. They played most of their home games at the Jacksonville Coliseum; from 1966–68 they were known as the Florida Rockets, playing some of their home games in St. Petersburg, Florida.
History
The Rockets joined the
The Rockets faced an uphill battle in attracting fans, as at the time hockey had made few inroads in the southern United States. A contemporary article in the
The Rockets fielded mostly losing teams and drew modest crowds for most of their run.
References
- ^ a b c d e McDonald, Dan (June 22, 2003). "Bringing Down the House". The Florida Times-Union. Archived from the original on December 16, 2010. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
- ^ Garry, Smits (June 7, 2010). "Summer of 10: The top 10 little-known sports franchises in Jacksonville history". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
- ^ ISBN 0-470-15941-3.
- ISBN 978-0771057717. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Basch, Mark (November 8, 2004). "Hockey's future a lot brighter in Jacksonville". The Florida Times-Union. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
- ^ St. Petersburg Times. April 15, 1966. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
- ^ Frank Quine (November 15, 1966). "Palm Beach Erased -- We're One of Two". Evening Independent. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
- ^ "Jacksonville Rockets". hockeydb.com. Retrieved December 21, 2010.