Jacksonville Rockets
Encyclopedia
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 Jacksonville or anywhere in Florida. They played most of their home games at the Jacksonville Coliseum; from 1966–68 they were known as the Florida Rockets, reflecting that they played some of their home games outside of Jacksonville in St. Petersburg, Florida
.
(EHL) in 1964, becoming Jacksonville's first professional ice hockey
team and the first truly professional team anywhere in Florida
. The league decided to expand into Florida and other Southern
states after finding unexpected success with the Charlotte Checkers
in Charlotte, North Carolina
. Organizers chose Jacksonville as the Jacksonville Coliseum was one of the few arenas in Florida equipped for ice hockey. For most of their existence the Rockets were coached by Canadian
Bob Sabourin
, who initially joined the team as a player and subsequently became the head coach and general manager
.
The Rockets faced an uphill battle in attracting fans as, at the time, hockey had made few inroads in Florida or the Southern United States in general. A contemporary article in the Jacksonville Journal
commented that when the Rockets began play, locals "didn't know a hockey puck from a bedwarmer or a hockey stick from a shepherd's staff." As such Sabourin and the team launched a number of ventures to promote the sport, organizing youth leagues and skating lessons at the Coliseum. Beginning in the 1965–1966 season they played some of their home games at the Bayfront Arena
in St. Petersburg, Florida
. In 1966 their name was changed to the Florida Rockets, reflecting their new "all-Florida" status; they hoped to add West Palm Beach
as a home city as well. However, they resumed their original name in 1968.
In spite of these efforts, the team played mostly losing seasons and drew modest crowds for most of their run. They drew sellout and near-sellout crowds in Jacksonville in 1967, when they were in contention for the EHL championship, but otherwise averaged around 2,500 spectators. The Rockets finally folded in 1972 due to the economic pressures. They were followed by another hockey team, the Jacksonville Barons, who played in the city in 1973 after relocating from Cleveland, Ohio
. The Barons folded at the end of the 1973–1974 season, and Jacksonville did not have another hockey team for nearly two decades. Sabourin remained in Jacksonville, where he worked promoting concerts, professional wrestling
, and other events. He eventually opened his own skating rink and owned another minor league hockey team, the Jacksonville Bullets
.
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. They played in the Eastern Hockey League
Eastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
from 1964–1972, when they folded. They were the first professional hockey team to be based in Jacksonville or anywhere in Florida. They played most of their home games at the Jacksonville Coliseum; from 1966–68 they were known as the Florida Rockets, reflecting that they played some of their home games outside of Jacksonville in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
.
History
The Rockets joined the Eastern Hockey LeagueEastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
(EHL) in 1964, becoming Jacksonville's first professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team and the first truly professional team anywhere in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The league decided to expand into Florida and other Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
states after finding unexpected success with the Charlotte Checkers
Charlotte Checkers (1956–1977)
The Charlotte Checkers were an American ice hockey team in Charlotte, North Carolina, playing in the Eastern Hockey League and Southern Hockey League.-Franchise history:...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. Organizers chose Jacksonville as the Jacksonville Coliseum was one of the few arenas in Florida equipped for ice hockey. For most of their existence the Rockets were coached by Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Bob Sabourin
Bob Sabourin
Robert Sabourin is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager. A left winger, he played one game in the National Hockey League , for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1951–52 NHL season. He later played in the minor leagues, eventually joining the Jacksonville...
, who initially joined the team as a player and subsequently became the head coach and general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
.
The Rockets faced an uphill battle in attracting fans as, at the time, hockey had made few inroads in Florida or the Southern United States in general. A contemporary article in the Jacksonville Journal
Jacksonville Journal
Jacksonville Journal is a now-defunct afternoon newspaper in the Jacksonville, Florida area. It began publication as the Metropolis in 1887. Renamed The Florida Metropolis in the early 1900s, it was renamed the Jacksonville Journal in 1922 upon its purchase by John H. Perry. The Journal's new...
commented that when the Rockets began play, locals "didn't know a hockey puck from a bedwarmer or a hockey stick from a shepherd's staff." As such Sabourin and the team launched a number of ventures to promote the sport, organizing youth leagues and skating lessons at the Coliseum. Beginning in the 1965–1966 season they played some of their home games at the Bayfront Arena
Bayfront Arena
The Bayfront Center was an indoor arena in St. Petersburg, Florida that hosted many concerts, sports, and other events, holding up to 7,500 people. It was built in 1965 and demolished in 2004....
in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
. In 1966 their name was changed to the Florida Rockets, reflecting their new "all-Florida" status; they hoped to add West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
as a home city as well. However, they resumed their original name in 1968.
In spite of these efforts, the team played mostly losing seasons and drew modest crowds for most of their run. They drew sellout and near-sellout crowds in Jacksonville in 1967, when they were in contention for the EHL championship, but otherwise averaged around 2,500 spectators. The Rockets finally folded in 1972 due to the economic pressures. They were followed by another hockey team, the Jacksonville Barons, who played in the city in 1973 after relocating from Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. The Barons folded at the end of the 1973–1974 season, and Jacksonville did not have another hockey team for nearly two decades. Sabourin remained in Jacksonville, where he worked promoting concerts, professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, and other events. He eventually opened his own skating rink and owned another minor league hockey team, the Jacksonville Bullets
Jacksonville Bullets
The Jacksonville Bullets were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They played in the Sunshine Hockey League, later renamed the Southern Hockey League, from 1992–1996...
.