New Jersey Rockets Youth Hockey Association
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Off-Ice Staff

Executive Staff Support Staff
Richard Carlson Lois Deresky (Junior Team Manager)

NJ Rockets Coaching Staff

Bob Thornton
thorts8@aol.com  |  516-816-2599
Doug Holewa

General Manager, AJHL & MJHL Head Coach, Master Scheduler

Bob Thornton is entering his seventh year with the NJ Rockets Junior program as director and head coach of the Junior A and B teams. He was an assistant coach of Roanoke Express (ECHL), and played in the USHL, OHL and ECHL throughout his ten year career as a hockey player. Bob is also the manager of the USHL Combines and Player Development program.


Brian Mullen
Brian Mullen

Junior Associate Head Coach

A Hells Kitchen, New York native, Brian played Division One hockey for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, winning an NCAA championship in 1981.  Brian then moved on to a 12-year playing career with the Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks (an original member of the franchise) and the New York Islanders.  Brian, who had the rare occurrence of not playing in the minors before making his NHL debut, holds the distinction of being the first NHL player to have been drafted off the roster of a New York Metropolitan Junior Hockey Association team.  Brian, who has received numerous accolades for his off-ice contributions to hockey, brings his wealth of experience, enthusiasm and knowledge to the Junior Rockets bench as a Level 4-certified coach and returns to the bench of the organization where he played his junior hockey as the Associate Head Coach of the AJHL and MJHL Rockets. 


Randy Deresky

Randy Deresky

AJHL & MJHL Assistant Coach

Randy Deresky returns for his 13th year with the NJ Rockets, and has over 45 years of experience as a head coach, assistant coach and player. Randy had played for the NJ Rockets when it was a men's semi-pro team. At that time, he was coached by former New York Ranger player and Hockey Hall of Famer Camille Henry. He played Junior in the Metropolitan League and was selected to be on the First Team All-Stars. Randy played varsity hockey for four years at Morris Hills High School and was the team captain for two years. He is the only player to win the "Halvorsen Most Valuable Player Award" for two consecutive years. In his senior year, he was recruited by the Kitchener Rangers, the top team in the Ontario Junior League and directly associated with the New York Rangers. In 2000, he was awarded a spot on the NJ Star Ledger's "Team of the Century" as one of the top ten ice hockey players of the decade. On March 28, 2010, Randy was awarded a place in the NJ High School Hockey Hall of Fame, along with many prestigious players and coaches such as Jim Dowd and Derek McGuire.


Tony Samms
tsamms@aol.com  |  908-803-6303
Tony Samms

MJHL Assistant Coach, Off-Ice Instructor/Trainer

Tony Samms honed his hockey skills as a NJ Rockets youth team player. In high school, he earned the Gordon Cup championship freshman year, a state championship during sophomore year, and was captain of his high school team in junior and senior years, as well as an all-state selectee. After high school, he skated for Northeastern and earned a business degree from the university. Tony is a USA Hockey Level 4 certified coach and will return for his sixth season with the Rockets organization. He will coach and instruct junior players and will direct his efforts and knowledge toward off-ice/on-ice conditioning as well as defensive player development.


George Bosak

George Bosak

MJHL, AJHL & Youth Goalie Coach

Coach George Bosak enters his fifth consecutive season with the NJ Rockets, 7th overall. Coach Bosak has been the Goaltending coach in all seven and begins his second season co-coaching the '99 Rocketa program. George, along with the Rockets organization, has been proud to develop accomplished goaltender, such as Geordan Murphy (Bentley, DI), John Yanchek (Middlebury), Kevin Doyle (U-Mass Amherst, Hockey East, full scholarship), Colin Brennan (Chicago Steel- USHL), and several others. Coach Bosak has also helped develop several players that have progressed onto the Rockets Junior program. Coach Bosak played his junior hockey with the Philadelphia Little Flyers and Springfield Olympics, under the late Coach Garry Dineen. He played college hockey for the University of Scranton, the ECAC West Div III. He set the NCAA record for saves in a season for Div III in 1994 with 1,095. Coach Bosak then played three seasons as a backup goalie in the Southern, Western Professional, and East Coast Hockey leagues. Coach Bosak, along with the NJ Rockets, is committed to providing the areas hockey players an excellent foundation to develop into the best players they can become!

Golf Tournament

Latest News

» Rockets Alumni Help Amarillo Win Robertson Cup
» Bloom and Quinlan Make College Plans
» MJHL League MVP Commits to UMASS-Amherst
» Rockets Battle But Unable To Advance At Tier III Junior Nationals
» Bracco and McAvoy Make USANTDP
» Rockets Drop OT Thriller
» Rockets Repeat As Keegan Cup Champions
» McAvoy Added to NTDP
» Creelman Steals the Show as Rockets Advance
» Bracco and Aibel Earn USANTDP Evaluation Camp Invites
» Bracco Named AJHL Rookie of the Year
» Rockets Advance Past Opening Rounds
» Rob Broderick Named President
» Sandy Ground Project
» Former Rocket Zupon Nominated for Hockey Humanitarian Award
» Gambardella Commits
» Deresky Commits
» Junior B's at the Midway Point
» Junior A's at the Midway Point
» Mullen Brothers Followed Unlikely Road to NHL
» Pair of Rockets Commit to ECAC
» Preview: '12 Patriot's Challenge
» Annual Golf Tournament
» Coach Holewa to Bridgeport Soundtigers
» Aston-Reese Participating In Devils Prospect Camp
» Alumni Boyle To Attend Islanders Prospect Camp
» Amarillo Rounds Up a Pair of Rockets
» Rockets Have Three Chosen in USHL Draft
» Grabowski to Continue His Education at Princeton
» Sarcona to Niagara
» Rocket Pair Drafted By OHL
» Lincoln Likes Willett
» Rocket Season Ends in Rochester
» Marsh to Penn State
» Hitchcock to NTDP
» 2012 Keegan Cup Champions!
» Rockets Expand Midget Program
» Rockets Announce All-Stars
» Aston-Reese on Mid-Term Ranking List
» Gambardella to Des Moines
» Aston-Reese on NHL Scouting List
» Girls U19 Tier I Place Two in ECAC Division I
» John Carlson Arrives
» Pink Weekend in Walpole
» Joan Mariconda on the Loss of Tony Mariconda
» Hitchcock Named MJHL Forward of the Week
» Jr B's Finish Second at BJB Shootout
» Jr A's Clicking on All Cyclinders
» Campion Named D of Week
» Willett to Northeastern
» Recap: Patriot Challenge
» Hitchcock to Yale
» 9/11: A Nation Still Mourns
» Tony Mariconda
» Live Mercyhurst Coverage
» Labanc to NTDP
» When Irish Eyes are Smiling
» Kobe Bryant Greets Rockets Alumni John Carlson
» Rockets Announce Commitments
» Harris Chosen in NAHL Draft
» Former Rocket John Parker Commits to Maine
» Barrie Colts Bankin' on Labanc

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