On Tuesday, June 4th, Hudson Valley Venom owner Pat Manning made announcements on several fronts related to the newly relocated Hudson Valley Venom professional hockey team that will be playing in the renowned Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) starting this October. The Elmira River Sharks was purchased by the Manning family to be relocated to the Hudson Valley.

Hudson Valley Venom Announces New Head Coach and Assistant Coach

Josh Newberg has been named as Head Coach for the Venom. Newberg lives in Cranford, NJ. He has played five years of Junior A and seven years professional hockey. He most notably had a 70-point season playing for the Binghamton Black Bears in the 2021-22 season and was Player/Assistant Coach for the Mentor Ice Breakers of the FPHL during the end of the 2019-20 season. Josh has been in player development for almost 10 years and has his Strength and Conditioning Certification. He is a legendary face-off man who brings a veteran’s IQ and leadership skills while having the respect with players and coaches alike in the FPHL. “Josh is an obvious choice to lead when you are looking to build championship team out of the gate,”said Manning.

“I am extremely excited to start this new chapter in the Hudson Valley,” said Newberg. “The Venom seems like a great fit in an area that wants and deserves a competitive pro-hockey team. I am honored to accept this position. We are already underway in making this a great Inaugural season!”

MJ Maerkl will be joining the Venom continuing his role as Assistant Coach as he did successfully for Elmira last season. Hailing from Binghamton, Maerkl is a SUNY Morrisville graduate and spent four years with the USPHL’s Wilkes-Barre-Scranton Knights as an Assistant Coach and Skills Coach for their AAA program. He joined Elmira as Assistant Coach while also playing 36 games for them as well. “MJ has the respect of the existing Elmira players who now will be relocating to the Hudson Valley, and his insight is always spot-on,” said Manning. “It’s an honor to be part of another expansion program in the FPHL and represent the Hudson Valley alongside Head Coach Josh Newberg” added Maerkl.

Also, announced was the final decision on where the Venom will be playing its Inaugural season starting this October. The IceTime Sports Complex, a two-rink facility directly off Interstate 84 near the junction of the NYS Thruway in Orange County will host the Venom. The owners of the facility, who also own the McCann Ice Arena in Poughkeepsie where the Vipers play, will lead a construction project through the summer building locker rooms and needed amenities for the Venom while also expanding seating capacity. Season Ticket sales have begun for the Venom and can be found at HudsonValleyVenom.com.

The Hudson Valley Vipers take home the cup! The Hudson Valley Vipers, the sibling team to the Hudson Valley Venom also owned by Pat Manning, are a Senior AAA full contact minor-league hockey in the American Premier Hockey League. The Hudson Valley's newest minor-league hockey team just won the American Premiere Hockey League Championship in their inaugural season! How's that for a first year? The Hudson Valley Vipers beat the Toledo Mobsters on Saturday, May 18th 7 - 4!

The APHL offers a competitive Semi Pro AAA Hockey experience that provides local, regional, and national exposure for our hockey players. The mission for the American Premier Hockey League is to provide a hockey league that is safe, fun and rewarding for players to compete in; each team recruits LOCAL players while offering a strong alternative route in semi-professional hockey. The APHL focuses on two paths that our players embark on, while providing an opportunity for our players need to grow in their personal lives inside and outside the rink.

You can watch the Hudson Valley Vipers win the cup below, as they faced the Toledo Mobsters