MLRH

[Troho9]

Is there going to be a league? With all the teams heading to PIHA will MLRH just disappear?

[Hystyk28]

Hasn't it already disappeared?

[Falcons77]

Rumor has it that there will be the VA Wings, OUTLAWS, a NJ COUGARS team, New York, and Maryland team. I have been asked to run the DC team out of the new rink being built in Chantilly, VA; but I think that it wont happen. SO who really knows....

[Troho9]

I was just inquiring, safe to say MLRH is dead. No offense to anyone who is attempting to play for or run a team this season but with last seasons debacle I don't see any league credibility left. MLRH has had its ups and downs in the past but they always had strong teams with some big name players...those players and teams are all gone now.

[DblJ44]

I got a call, Bills giving it another go.

Im fat, bald, and slow.

[NJwerewolves12]

no kidding best of luck to MLRH

Doing the Cobra with E fly

[born2runPROgm]

As long as there's a breath left in Bills body, there will be mlrh (Or at least a website)... lol

"The defenseman formerly known as #11"

[GROWL]

Great Scott!

[Troho9]

I guess you have to give the guy credit for still trying. He is sort of like the local cable network/channel that will never get any bigger. Its a shame cause without his vision alot of us wouldn't be where we are today. He did start the original MLRH PRO and has continued to put some sort of Pro/AAA league together since 1998.

[Alvare71]

Tro Dog I would have to agree with you, Running a league is hard. Look at The RHI the refs have not even been paid from the 98 season! The IHA played 1 year and it cost $250,000 for 6 teams and they ran out of money. Bill Raue is a very good friend of mine and sure he is struggling,He helped me make alot of money, whether it was camps or clinics, but he does not does not force any team to sign up. The PIHA is really hot right now, and Charlie Yoder has never made a bad decision. I would like to see both leagues run strong, I mean everyone is excited about the champions game.Why not make it a tradition and see which league can win it every year.

Do you smell what the rock is cookin?

[Troho9]

My guess would be that PIHA will remain and MLRH will fold somewhere down the line. Structure is key and although PIHA has its faults there is structure to it. A good measuring stick from year to year is growth and being more organized and that is what PIHA has been doing and what MLRH has failed to do season after season. Let me add this; I am not on my knees for PIHA, I have barely played, and I do like the full contact aspect of the game, but lets face the facts one league has been progressing slowly in the right direction while the other was on the cusp of something great and failed to get over the hump.

[Superstar9]

I have no idea how many teams are actually in and who they are. I do know the Charlotte Outlawz plan on playing. In the middle of last season I stepped down from running that club because I got tired of the league schedule issues but the team decided to continue against my advice. I tried to talk them into going PIHA this year but, Bill is offering to pay for everything and the guys in charge like the contact. They haven't seen PIHA and are new to MLRH issues so they aren't listening to my chants of "let's go to PIHA" There's a few people including myself trying to stir up a solution to go PIHA in raleigh, mostly knights guys minus the trouble player (orzolick) from the knights that everyone up north loves so much, we dont like him either! If it wasn't for him, I never would have left the knights to begin with! They're a great bunch of guys that would be a great addition for the expansion of PIHA. Once and IF everything is figured out, we'll contact PIHA, hopefully it wont be too late but, right now that's a BIG "IF"

-Street-
www.PlanetRollerHockey.com
www.HockeyWheelz.com
www.Hockey9.com
COMING SOON

[wolves89]

It's weird how most of the same players played in both leagues a lot and there have been minimal forfiets in PIHAs history, BUT MLRH needs to cancel the rest of the season cuz teams dont show up? seems people repsect charley more maybe? i don't know cuz i really liked MLRH and the style of the game, so much more like ice, but oh well PIHA is going to be once again an amazing season... GO GROWL

i'm not slow, i'm patient

[GROWL]

In my time in this sport I have had little interaction with Bill Raue and what little I have had I regard him as an exceptionally nice person and a good salesman. I'd be lying if I said that I wouldn't be happy to see MLRH fold completely, so PIHA could take it's place as the one and only pro league and bring some legitamacy to pro inline hockey. That of course has nothing to do with Bill as a person, as I think he brings things to the table that Charley doesn't. The difference in the leagues in my opinion has nothing to do with Charley or Bill, its the core team owners and players that have supported PIHA since the beginning. If these same people supported Bill as they did Charley we would all be playing Major League right now. That is not a knock on anyone just a pat on the back to the people that made what we have today possible. Best of luck to everyone this season.

As per the Champions Game... if Bill continues to be around I wouldn't mind seeing it either, but who knows if he'd agree to it. As it is, we didn't contact him for the reason that the team that would represent his league will be joining PIHA next year and we dont really want to stir the pot. Thus why the game is being billed "Growl vs Roller Rats" instead of the Storm. For those interested, we are playing PIHA rules, but in a 4 (12min) period structure. Rosters are legitamate to those on both teams '06 rosters. Should be great!

[GROWL]

I think you are rapidly running out of time if you arnt already to late. The expansion of PIHA that south without enough notice is going to be tough, as things are just about set for 2007. I give Charley a lot of credit for being extremely on top of things nice and early this season. There was virtually no break what so ever in between seasons and it has lead to some great things. We cant force anyone to do any different, but just remind them that they are paying for what they get. If Bill is charging nothing, then that is likely what they are going to get in return. If a team has to pay nothing then what is to stop them from not keeping their responsibility to the other teams and the league. Thus why there are so many forfeits and a cancelled league last year. If the team owners arnt willing to work to raise the money to enter an organized league, then they probably arnt worth having in the first place. Try convincing individual players to tryout for the Robins or one of the other possible teams that might pop up in that region this year.

[Superstar9]

well said Flynn, that is exactly what i was trying to explain to the guys in charlotte. If you don't pay for a service, how good can it be? That is why I am talking to the guys in Raleigh and seeing who else is interested in helping me put up the money for PIHA entry and the other expenses involved in running a GOOD organization. I myself can't front 15-20k or it would already be done. I completely understand if it is too late to jump into PIHA, I believe that planning as early as they have is the ONLY way a team can successfully market. I tried getting this done out in charlotte a few months back which wouldve been prime but, things dont always work out that way and not everyone agrees with us on PIHA, especially the people who havent been dealing with MLRH for years now and know that most things wont change. Oh well, they'll learn eventually as we all have. I do have to give Bill some credit, he has managed to pull something off every year but he is def not headed in the direction PIHA is, that's for sure. I think right now, MLRH is going to survive by keeping the lower end players and teams, I've seen just that in the form of the w-mlrh co-ed tournament he's running right now, only a handfull of good players are playing in it, the rest are fill-ins from various areas. I've been skating with the Outlawz in that tournament and even we are using players that would never play for the team in the regular season...well, back in the early season when the team was actually decent...

-Street-
www.PlanetRollerHockey.com
www.HockeyWheelz.com
www.Hockey9.com
COMING SOON

[NLane]

Are there any players having to make a choice about which team to play on this weekend (as some played in both leagues)?

[GROWL]

No not an issue this time around, however that was actually the reason we didn't have the game last year between us and the Werewolves of XIHL.

[SpiderRat]

Anthony, great post. It was nice to see mention of Bill here on IHC without a knife in his back. I've been reading the previous post just waiting to add my two cents, so here it is. Although we, the Storm/Roller Rats, will be competing in PIHA this upcoming season, it is, in my opinion, no reflection on Bill. The structure and travel requirements set up for our division in PIHA is tailor made for our team. After meeting with Charlie, reading the positive posts here on IHC, and the over-all discussions we have had with a bunch of PIHA players, we, and I actually don't speak on behalf of all the Roller Rat players when I say we, feel like PIHA is the way to go. PIHA is growing rapidly and we want to be a part of that. Charlie has an awesome vision in place for the league and we believe he will succeed. You were right when you said if people backed Bill the way people back Charlie......Unfortunately that isn't happening. I still think there is a demand for MLRH style hockey. Some people just like to see the hits. Unfortunately again, Bill has been burned as well as some of the teams far too many times for the league to resemble it's glory days I think. Bill is a very nice man and he will always have my utmost respect. He has made a promise two years in a row in saying that he will foot the bill for the U.S. champions to travel abroad, and he delivered. He has taken me/us, on his dime, to places I would have never thought I would be playing inline hockey. Those two trips were probably the more memorable highlights of my days playing. Bill considers MLRH his baby and in my opinion, that is why he is slow in accepting help. He just wants it run his way. As a previous poster stated, Bill will with every breath try and keep it going. I wish him nothing but success. So, in closing, I just wanted to state my opinion on why we as a team will be playing PIHA next season. Both leagues have merit as far as I'm concerned, it's just time to try something new and exciting. And that excitement starts this Saturday. Tell your boys Anthony to take it easy on the leagues rookie team. LOL.

Blah Blah Blah, Shoot the puck already

[Alvare71]

I know everyone has a favorite league and for me I really love to hit and be hit. For a team to be ran at the pro level is $250,000 to $500,000 and thats if it goes well, we are a long way off from donig that again. Piha is running very well because I think alot of guys don't want to get hit or be put into a fighting situation. I am not saying there afraid, but the concern of getting hurt is always there, I mean I work for a living and have to pay my bills. I like the 4 periods, better than the two, I am an old man now and I need those 2 extra periods, and hitting gets me into the game. I am not a speedster and I will never be a puck hog, and in the mlrh you can equel that by hitting those fast guys and stop them, I have always played in a checking league. When I first played in the piha in 2004 I was so frustrated because I could not play my game. I am talking with bill today and it is going to be a long and positive conversation, and if there is anything I can do to help him I will. I wish everyone good luck in there season, no matter which one it is, I am sure you will see me on some team some where. I want everyone to know we are the forefathers of this sport, any sport takes along time to establish and as long as we work together it will succede, I mean if we front the bill why can't we choose which direction a league goes........Players association.....its time.

Do you smell what the rock is cookin?