XIHL season??

[5_hole_master]

rumors floating around that the league is supposed to start in the end of september but some teams are not even having tryouts untill that weekend? what's going on? it's crunch time here!! one post says end of OCT beginning of NOV others say last weekend in SEPT, any info?

[GROWL]

Here is the deal as I understand it.

The league will consist of a number of "festivals". Not all teams have to participate in every festival. So therefor teams don't need to be ready for the first event at the end of September. That is what I was told from Steve S.

[cyclonewinger]

Will you guys be participating in the None Check XIHL League that's suppose to start in the Spring?

[WCRHL]

you should get on the xihl's mailing list.

go to www.xihl.com and sign up. i received an email update last week from them.

Brennan Edwards
League Director
Western Collegiate Roller Hockey League
www.wcrhl.com

[GROWL]

That all depends on what happens between the negotiations between PIHA and XIHL. At this point the Growl is committed to doing whatever it takes to see these two entities become one.

[cyclonewinger]

Hope everything goes well.

Good Luck Anthony!

[-venom-]

The Growl aren't willing to go full-contact though... are they?

[NLane]

See page 2, 8/5 post by Benny G.

[cyclonewinger]

who the heck are the Werewolves?

lol

[MBurke]

Looks like they're doin' some testing out in the open. hmmm.

Mike Burke
Director of League Operations - NCRHA
Commissioner - ECRHA

[NLane]

They're from London. They hid in the fuselage when the Euro cup players returned.

[CreaseKeeper28]

SHeesh....bobby, yer still a moron!!! ha ha ha. Miss ya like the clap!

Bill "The worm"

[Somerset_GM]

The Somerset Wolves were sold at the end of last season. The new owner has renamed the team the New Jersey Werewolves, our web site will be up shortly.

[cyclonewinger]

Werewolves???

ok??? Good luck this season.

[SpiderRat]

Do you ever have anything nice to say about anything? Your Mom must have beaten you real bad when you were a kid. You are so negative.

Blah Blah Blah, Shoot the puck already

[cyclonewinger]

Grow some skin. I was wishing the team luck.

I am curious on why they picked that name. I guess they wanted to stay with the 'Wolf" theme.

In regards to the "Mom" comment, I rather note comment, the remark you made says plenty about you.

[5_hole_master]

who cares why they picked that name, maybe the owner likes the name? maybe the team voted on the name? maybe they are actually werewolves?

(man you are worse on the XIHL then i am on PIHA)

[cyclonewinger]

lol

[Somerset_GM]

Maybe I can shed a little light on the Werewolves name issue. In the 2002-2003 seasons the New Jersey Wolfpac played in the MLRH, during the summer in between that season and the next MSG contacted us saying that we were violating the Hartford Wolfpacks publicity rights. The following season, 2003-2004, we swithched our name to the Somerset Wolves, in keeping with the whole "wolf" thing. When our team got sold after the 2003-2004 season the new owners also wanted to keep with the "wolf" theme and decided on the Werewolves. Its not fun changing the name every season so we went with a name no one has. I hope this helps out.

[cyclonewinger]

thanks for the info!

[extremes55]

hey tro...not to mention that Mr. Saran Wrap looks kinda like a werewolf that is out 24/7!

fish

[Somerset_GM]

I dont know who he is trying to look like, but its not working. Having your beard connect to your chest hair connect to your back hair connect to the back of your scalp is not a good look for anyone.

[extremes55]

lmao...i really have no reply to that...thats priceless....i just like how nothing connects to the top of the scalp

[rhhof]

Alright - thats it - First of all Stay On Topic HERE

Watch your backs now because next time I'll just let the air out of your tires!!

And do I detect a little bit of jelousy(sp?) here...sucks when you youngins can only grow stubble in all areas (wink, wink) Chicks dig scars and shaggy guys!! Ask Don

And you know what they say about guys with big mouths fish, right?!

{{By the way, we are just having fun at each others expense}}

Adam
Roller Hockey Hall of Fame.com
P.O. Box 890
Bound Brook, NJ 08805

[Somerset_GM]

guilty as charged

[extremes55]

haha your the the man stio!......the hairy man!

[NewarkBears1]

I hope the Growl play XIHL full contact, that will be awesome

[5_hole_master]

nothing would make my day more, only if flynn plays

[wildjay2002]

Was wondering if anyone knows if there will be any teams or team tryouts in Ohio or near Ohio?

thanks

[BreakawayProGM]

You would purposely go out of your way to hurt someone? In defense to flynn, what did he do to you? I can't beleive you would allow yourself to be so thick headed. Why don't you challenge him to a duel. High noon......lol Your a joke 5 hole.

[GROWL]

I love all the people like you that have such a hard on for me. It is always complainers who have nothing better to do then point their anonymous finger at the person getting stuff done. Admittedly I run on with my mouth when I get frustrated during games, but I challenge you and the people like you to step up and take on the things I do. Here is what you'll find. Everyone has something negative to say, but never do the same people step up with a better solution if they have a problem with the way I get things done. Wanna know why I'm such an angry P**ck on the rink, well because it's people like you in this sport who never have a positive thing to say about anything. You've spent the past 6 months bashing everything about everything, instead why don't you step up and give Steve, Benny, and Charley a phone call and offer you assistance. Oh yeah, then people would know who you are and ruin your coward status. Don't bother replying, because I have no intention of disrespecting Richard's forums anymore then I have by replying to a constant complainer.

[5_hole_master]

easy all-star, it was a joke... and breakaway you are the joke so take it easy, i didnt bash anything its about time that the xihl is taking over, cause piha and mlrh were drowning on their own...

[dcdonkey]

This seriously must be a joke. Why should anyone provide free assistance to a business? Why should anyone help (for free) someone else make a buck? How many times have you heard of Best Buy or Circuit City asking the public for volunteers? People are in this to make money or else they wouldn't take on the liability of running a semi-professional league. If people weren't interested in money, MLRH would still be the sole league. When businesses need more help, they tend to hire employees not rely on free help.

[MDE3]

People do it all the time when trying to grow a business....where the rewards are on the backside....it's not all that unusual.

[ScrappersSponser]

I can speak on this as being a volunteer in PIHA last year. I gave plenty of my time to the Growl organization and I did not care about the money that can be made in the future. If there is money then great if not oh well. What some people nee to think about from the great league like these is the friends you made. I know I have many friends outside of our organization that will be friends for a lifetime. We are all one happy family in a way from the players to the coaches to the owners and the sponsors. Lets all focus on the good things we have gotten out of it and not the money right now. Money will come in the future. Just remember we are essentialy paving the way for our children so just consider yourself a pioneer!

Jeff Haze

[SpeedDemon]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

This seriously must be a joke. Why should anyone provide free assistance to a business? Why should anyone help (for free) someone else make a buck?

<hr></blockquote>

That's funny, because last time I checked, nearly every player in each of these leagues is a volunteer. Without them, there is no league.

[dcdonkey]

By your definition, people who play in house leagues are volunteers too. Players essentially pay to play in this league and any house league. Either the players pay or the team pays for them to participate. How does that make players different from any Disney visiter (customer)?

A volunteer puts effort in a transaction where they have no legal concern or interest. Because players want to see their individual organization grow, they have interest. Players also reap the benefits of having their team evolve. For example, hospital volunteers have no specific interest in the hospital as a whole. They do not get compensated if the hospital makes more or less money. The same cannot be said for a semi-professional team's players and staff. If the team has more money, the team is more likely to pay for amenities the players would have to pay for otherwise.

[SpeedDemon]

I don't give a crap whether my particular organization grows or not. I haven't gotten compensated for jack *censored* the past 5 years I've played. Do I care? No. I want to see the sport grown as a whole. That's it. I think many of us are the same.

Any other volunteer position pays for just as much as players get compensated - uniforms (attire), refreshments (food/drink on the bench), etc. I'm not getting reimbursed so much that I feel indebted to 'volunteer' my time to a team. I just do it and I think many others do too.

[RaysTheMac]

Mr. Saran wrap?

[NLane]

Volunteers can take mileage off their taxes. I wonder if these players can? Some should look into that.

[extremes55]

haha.....mr. saran wrap....if the world only knew....that memorable day of the last home game for the piha extremes.........twice, right mr. stio?

[dcdonkey]

Wouldn't you assume that if a person were trying to create this sport?s growth, he or she would start from the fundamentals (i.e. kids at the tyke level)? The only apparent route to popularize this sport would be to implement more organization at the youth level. Perhaps the same organization used in ice hockey would be more appropriate than just NARCh and TORHS tournaments.

How can MLRH or XIHL have a large enough impact if it's target audience is people who either play or have some relation to a roller hockey player?

[NLane]

A few years ago there was an event that didn't have adult teams entered that used 2 rinks for 6 days in Chesapeake, VA. That happens all over the place. I think youth events as far as tournaments go are very popular. It's too expensive to have travel leagues that cover a lot of miles all year. Why create a youth level that, if you are really good, goes nowhere pro? Oh yeah, there are the tournaments once a year. What happens to the average ice player when he turns 19? House leagues and maybe an adult tournament in a northern city somewhere. Why do pro ice players make community appearances? Mostly because the team/league wants the public to get closer to them which results in more ticket sales. So are you saying that doesn't work so the XIHL shouldn't do it?

[MDE3]

Actually I think that there is a lot more traveling within the tournament series for many kids at the elite levels who are constantly going to tournaments which require overnight stays for the families involved, A lot of this could be avoided by having local league play. One thing that would have to change, however would be the duration of the games..no one would want to drive an hour or so to just play a 30 minute game.

[dcdonkey]

Professional ice hockey players actually have some community presence. People can't compare NHL superstars to XIHL players. NHL players have &quot;star power.&quot; People have actually heard their names already and have an impression of who's better than whom. NHL players actually distinguish a skill difference to the uniformed consumer. They acquire this information in a plethora of locations. This is especially true if these people play video games, watch SportsCenter, or any hockey game on TV. Roller hockey hasn?t made a single stride in marketing relations.

The fact of the matter is that the &quot;pro&quot; roller players need to have a better influence at the youth level. The only way for roller hockey to evolve would require the best players teaching the youth. Once the average skill level increases dramatically, we will actually have something to sell. It is obvious that we don't have much of a quality product to offer fans because the most talented MLRH or XIHL player is far below that of a mediocre NHL player. Why should consumers pay to watch these teams if they only offer a lesser quality game when compared to a typical high school team in the Northeast or Michigan?

[ScrappersSponser]

You can't really say all pro roller players have no star presence. If you ask anybody who has ever seen a roller hockey game and ask them to mention a star, 99 out of 100 times you will hear the name CJ Yoder. Roller hockey does have its star presence it just hasn't taken off yet. Hopefully we all can witness Roller Hockey taking off, but it just might not happen till most of us are old and grey.

Jeff Haze

[SpiderRat]

I'd have to disagree. It's all relative. People who don't watch or know anything about the NHL, would have a difficult time naming anyone playing. But if you've played ice hockey or are a fan of the NHL, well that's a different story. Same with most all sports. Same with inline. People in the inline world know the more talented players. The kids that play TORHS and NARCH know the "big" guys playing. Sure the "pro" players could interact with the kids more, hold clinics, do meet and great kinds of things, be a bigger presence at the regionals and nationals, but trust me, I've seen it, when CJ, Robbie, Taj, Chad, Buff, and other "name" players walk into a building, the kids know who they are.

Blah Blah Blah, Shoot the puck already

[cyclonewinger]

CJ is posted on every single roller hockey site, but that's all.

I know for a fact that last year a Pro Roller hockey player tried out for the Atlanta Thrashers farm team and did not make it.

Roller Hockey is totally different and having expectations or comparing it to the NHL or even Jr. Hockey is unrealistic and if you believe that it's possible then your living in a closed up world. Perhaps in 10 years, so that it's why it's key to continue to work with youth inline hockey.

I liked the PIHA idea, because it was somewhat local. We need that in a more expanded version. PIHA WEST, PIHA EAST, PIHA MIDWEST and PIHA South WEST. Or something like that.

[ScrappersSponser]

Cyclone,

I think you hit the bullseye with going with regional leagues...If you take all their champions and do one giant playoff weekend it might create some good interest....Although this could already be the direction the XIHL is going.....Isn't it great to see all this interest and the season hasn't even started yet!!!

Jeff Haze

[dcdonkey]

How many people identify the name Gretzky or Lemieux? Simply put, everyone. People who have no interest in hockey pick up names, even while they watch the local evening news. These names are all over national media making it impossible not to confront them.

Coaching must begin with our most knowledgeable players. Typically, these are our ?pro? players. How many junior ice hockey teams have coaches who never played ice hockey or know anything about it? From my experience, most junior ice hockey teams have had a coach who has at least played a few D3 NCAA games. It appears to be quite different in the world of roller hockey. Some roller hockey coaches lack roller hockey qualification and education. Coaches educate youth players on his or her view of how to play the game ?properly.? When uncertified parents/adults teach youth players bad habits, we aren't going to achieve progression.

We need to begin with development. Children need to begin playing the same game that adults do. Consistently between the different age brackets is crucial.

[cyclonewinger]

You have a point.

I have seen coaches who are not just overweight, but can't skate. How frustrating can that be for a kid, especially if the coach is a screamer.

You would be surprised at a JR. Ice Hockey level, on what kind of requirements are needed. I know that at Ice Travel Level coaches must be certified.

[SpeedDemon]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

I liked the PIHA idea, because it was somewhat local. We need that in a more expanded version. PIHA WEST, PIHA EAST, PIHA MIDWEST and PIHA South WEST. Or something like that

<hr></blockquote>

That would be fun.

[NLane]

The weekend deal for the XIHL is just for this season as it started a bit later than they wanted. It will be spread out next season. I think a lot of the elite inline players are involved with youth teams/leagues and have been for a few years. CJ, Troho, Matt D, Frank McM and Ian W have been coaching awhile now (and I know there are others). Maybe it doesn't happen anough and maybe you don't like all these players or think they are good enough to coach but ask the kids. I think if I paid all the money that ice hockey parents pay then I'd certainly want a coach that knows something about the game! But I have seen parents run ice practices and the "pro" show up for 10 minutes with 1 instruction, then they disappear. That wouldn't be worth it for me. I think the elite inline players are helping the youth and in turn it will help the sport and fill seats at any elite level game.

[cyclonewinger]

Pro showing up for 10 minutes? Highly unlikely, unless it's some kind of camp that has hundreds of kids out there. For the most part, Ice Hockey Clubs have qualified coaches who have played college, JR. Hockey or some sort of Pro.

Lets not take a jab at Ice Hockey. Inline has a long way to go and perhaps it's going in the right direction with the new league(s).

[NLane]

I can only tell you about Chilled Ponds in Chesapeake and the local pro's actions one evening while I was there and a youth team was practicing on the ice. I saw it happen. It wasn't a knock, it was a comparison between ice and inline just as dcdonkey was doing. The youth ice teams in our area are just now attending national tournaments. The roller players have been collecting medals at national tournaments since the early '90's. Once again just a comparison, not saying one is better than the other. For my bucks a medal at a national event was worth more than the banner from a regional tournament. We couldn't afford the ice hockey prices. Even with going to a national event the total dollars were less for inline than ice. I don't know how parents do it when their children play both!

[Superstar9]

another big thing that hurts the inline community is that outside of the "hotbeds" there really isn't that many "inline people" that have the talent or experience to teach the youth in remote areas to make the community grow on a national level. There are a ton of rinks in the middle of nowhere that are run by people who don't have a clue when it comes to inline. With all the players in the "hotbed" areas, a lot more of them could be elsewhere teaching and making a decent living on teaching hockey in these areas alone, not just working a 9-5 and then playing hockey. It would help the "community" as a whole in the long run to educate and properly teach the youth everywhere, not just in PA/NJ etc.

Street

[Superstar9]

yeah that does suck to travel for hours for a tourney, spend the weekend there, and play a total of 2 hours across 4 games, you end of spending your weekend watching hockey. Maybe that's something one of the tournament series out there will change to push their product more.. hint hint**

Street

[NLane]

Agreed! But we used to get outskated by teams from Iowa, Texas, etc. at nationals. Where are those players? This was back in the early/mid '90's. I know there is hockey in a rink in Kansas City because a coach from Haygood Rink in Va Beach coaches there.