Benny_Gulakiw
07-01-2003, 12:03 PM
Below is a copy of a press release which will be sent out later today. My friends on IHC are the first to hear the news.
Contact: Benny Gulakiw
716.741.1276 or 716.491.2656
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: July 1, 2003
INLINE HOCKEY AMERICA-ELITE POSTPONES 2003 SHOWCASE SEASON
League Determines More Time Is Needed
Inline Hockey America (IHA) announces that the 2003 Showcase Season for its Elite League, a semi-pro men?s roller hockey league to be based in the Great Lakes region, will be postponed. IHA President, Benny Gulakiw, explains the reason for the postponement, ?IHA set goals and standards for this league to operate and unfortunately, after a tremendous amount of time, energy and money, those goals and standards could not be met.?
In order for IHA-Elite to execute an Inaugural Showcase Season, a minimum of four teams was required. After traveling around the region interviewing prospective team operators and visiting potential venues, three teams were selected to represent this new endeavor: the Buffalo Wings, the Chicago Bulldogs and the Pittsburgh Snipers.
The fourth team was going to be created to represent the Rochester, New York market. The new team, to be called the Flash, was set to play out of the beautiful ESL Centre. The Rochester Flash was going to build off of the grassroots programs developed and operating at the ESL Centre and utilize some of the talent cultivated from Rochester Institute of Technology?s (R.I.T.) very successful college club roller hockey team.
The Buffalo Wings, the Chicago Bulldogs and the Pittsburgh Snipers were all already existing teams and clubs that had been operating at the highest levels. It was their desire to participate in a summer, elite league and after a thorough review, they were found to meet the standards established by the league.
For the Pittsburgh Snipers, they felt that IHA-Elite was their opportunity to have their elite team play on a year round basis. After the announcement that the Snipers were accepted into IHA-Elite, a conflict quickly arose between them and Major League Roller Hockey, the winter-season roller hockey league that the Snipers played in. Certain individuals associated with the Snipers? organization decided to press forward in an effort to operate a team in IHA-Elite this summer representing the Pittsburgh market. Pittsburgh would enter the IHA-Elite league under the name, the Pittsburgh Steel.
After many months of trying to finalize all the logistics in launching a league at this level, on Wednesday, June 25, a four-team schedule was finalized and each team indicated that they were ready to proceed with the 2003 IHA-Elite Inaugural Showcase Season. On Friday, June 27, as the July 5 opening weekend crept forward, the Pittsburgh Steel called the league office to say they were indeed not prepared to start the season and operate at the level set forth by the league. After consulting with the other three teams, it was determined that in the best interest of the league and the individual teams that the 2003 Showcase Season be postponed.
?I am extremely disappointed in having to make this announcement,? says Gulakiw. ?We were so close to getting this off the ground, but in the end, all of our hard work was still not enough to overcome the obstacles in launching a new league at this level.?
Inline Hockey America will now take some time to determine the future of the Elite league. Many teams, representing various major markets throughout the region, have expressed interest in participating in the 2004 season. IHA will continue with its other programs including the IHA Women?s Challenge Series and the creation of local area leagues at the collegiate and the high school levels in Buffalo, Rochester and other urban areas in the region.
For more information on Inline Hockey America, visit IHA?s web site at www.inlinehockeyamerica.com or call the league?s office at (716) 741-1276 or (716) 491-2656.
Benny Gulakiw
President
Inline Hockey America
Contact: Benny Gulakiw
716.741.1276 or 716.491.2656
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: July 1, 2003
INLINE HOCKEY AMERICA-ELITE POSTPONES 2003 SHOWCASE SEASON
League Determines More Time Is Needed
Inline Hockey America (IHA) announces that the 2003 Showcase Season for its Elite League, a semi-pro men?s roller hockey league to be based in the Great Lakes region, will be postponed. IHA President, Benny Gulakiw, explains the reason for the postponement, ?IHA set goals and standards for this league to operate and unfortunately, after a tremendous amount of time, energy and money, those goals and standards could not be met.?
In order for IHA-Elite to execute an Inaugural Showcase Season, a minimum of four teams was required. After traveling around the region interviewing prospective team operators and visiting potential venues, three teams were selected to represent this new endeavor: the Buffalo Wings, the Chicago Bulldogs and the Pittsburgh Snipers.
The fourth team was going to be created to represent the Rochester, New York market. The new team, to be called the Flash, was set to play out of the beautiful ESL Centre. The Rochester Flash was going to build off of the grassroots programs developed and operating at the ESL Centre and utilize some of the talent cultivated from Rochester Institute of Technology?s (R.I.T.) very successful college club roller hockey team.
The Buffalo Wings, the Chicago Bulldogs and the Pittsburgh Snipers were all already existing teams and clubs that had been operating at the highest levels. It was their desire to participate in a summer, elite league and after a thorough review, they were found to meet the standards established by the league.
For the Pittsburgh Snipers, they felt that IHA-Elite was their opportunity to have their elite team play on a year round basis. After the announcement that the Snipers were accepted into IHA-Elite, a conflict quickly arose between them and Major League Roller Hockey, the winter-season roller hockey league that the Snipers played in. Certain individuals associated with the Snipers? organization decided to press forward in an effort to operate a team in IHA-Elite this summer representing the Pittsburgh market. Pittsburgh would enter the IHA-Elite league under the name, the Pittsburgh Steel.
After many months of trying to finalize all the logistics in launching a league at this level, on Wednesday, June 25, a four-team schedule was finalized and each team indicated that they were ready to proceed with the 2003 IHA-Elite Inaugural Showcase Season. On Friday, June 27, as the July 5 opening weekend crept forward, the Pittsburgh Steel called the league office to say they were indeed not prepared to start the season and operate at the level set forth by the league. After consulting with the other three teams, it was determined that in the best interest of the league and the individual teams that the 2003 Showcase Season be postponed.
?I am extremely disappointed in having to make this announcement,? says Gulakiw. ?We were so close to getting this off the ground, but in the end, all of our hard work was still not enough to overcome the obstacles in launching a new league at this level.?
Inline Hockey America will now take some time to determine the future of the Elite league. Many teams, representing various major markets throughout the region, have expressed interest in participating in the 2004 season. IHA will continue with its other programs including the IHA Women?s Challenge Series and the creation of local area leagues at the collegiate and the high school levels in Buffalo, Rochester and other urban areas in the region.
For more information on Inline Hockey America, visit IHA?s web site at www.inlinehockeyamerica.com or call the league?s office at (716) 741-1276 or (716) 491-2656.
Benny Gulakiw
President
Inline Hockey America