Long Island Ducks
The Long Island Ducks were nicknamed as such for the numerous duck farms that blanketed Long Island in the first part of the twentieth century. The Ducks were one of the toughest teams in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) to play against, with a boisterous following in Commack, New York, notorious for abusing rival players and referees both on and off the ice.
John Brophy, a minor league icon and former Toronto coach, guided the Ducks. To give you a sense of what he was like, Brophy was the basis for Reg Dunlop's character in Slapshot. In 1965 and 1966, the Ducks reached the Eastern Hockey League championship in consecutive seasons. They faced the Nashville Dixie Flyers twice, winning the first occasion but losing the second. Former NHL coach Don Perry is another prominent Ducks alum. The Ducks folded in 1973, following the establishment of an NHL club on Long Island, which effectively sapped the minor league team's popularity.
John Brophy, a minor league icon and former Toronto coach, guided the Ducks. To give you a sense of what he was like, Brophy was the basis for Reg Dunlop's character in Slapshot. In 1965 and 1966, the Ducks reached the Eastern Hockey League championship in consecutive seasons. They faced the Nashville Dixie Flyers twice, winning the first occasion but losing the second. Former NHL coach Don Perry is another prominent Ducks alum. The Ducks folded in 1973, following the establishment of an NHL club on Long Island, which effectively sapped the minor league team's popularity.
