Long Island Jawz
CityUniondale, New York
Founded1996
Home arenaNassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
ColorsBlack, Blue, Red, White
Murphy CupsNone
Conference ChampionshipsNone
Division ChampionshipsNone
Franchise history
Long Island Jawz
(1996)

The Long Island Jawz were a professional roller hockey team based in Uniondale, New York, United States that played in Roller Hockey International. They played only one year until a dispute with the New York Islanders caused the team to cease operations. The team was coached by Phil DeGaetano who played professionally for the Detroit Red Wings minor league affiliate.

The name "Jawz" was selected in November 1995 from three finalists in a contest to choose the team nickname, beating out the alternatives of Gladiators and Roller Ducks.[1]

With six goals in a 14-12 final, Tony Szabo of the Jawz was named the most valuable player at the 1996 RHI All-Star Game.[2] The team finished the 1996 season with a record of 16-9-3.[3] With 48 goals and 53 assists in 23 games, Hugo Bélanger was named as the 1996 player of the year, in a season in which he became the first RHI player to have a season with 100 points, though he left the team with five games left in the season to sign with a European ice hockey team.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "'Jaws' Picked for LI Franchise", Newsday, November 16, 1995. Accessed March 31, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The Long Island Jawz is the name of the new Roller Hockey International team that will play 14 home games at Nassau Coliseum next summer The nicknames Gladiators, Roller Ducks and Jawz were the three finalists chosen by a two-part promotions asking fans to name the team via call-ins on SportsChannel and WBAB radio along with Newsday coupon drops and entry ballots from area Herman’s stores."
  2. ↑ Clarkson, Roger. "Coyotes' Road Trip Continues Tonight", The Oklahoman, July 10, 1996. Accessed March 31, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "RHI All-Star Game Note: Joe Cook scored with 36.7 seconds remaining and Kim Maier added an empty-net goal to carry the Western Conference to a 14-12 victory over the Eastern Conference before 9,406 at Anaheim's Arrowhead Pond. Tony Szabo of the Long Island Jawz scored six goals and earned most-valuable player honors for the second consecutive year."
  3. ↑ "Roller Hockey International Final Regular Season Standings", The Californian, August 18, 1996. Accessed March 31, 2022, via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ via Associated Press. "Belanger selected player of year", The Index-Journal, August 28, 1996. Accessed March 31, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Hugo Belanger of the Long Island Jawz was selected the league's player of the year after becoming the first player in Roller Hockey International to score more than 100 points in a season. Belanger was second with 48 goals and third in assists with 53. He played in 23 games before leaving to play for a pro ice hockey team in Ginsburg, Germany."
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