Speed Hockey League

[RichardGraham]

Hi Folks,

I figured I'd bring the Speed Hockey discussion over to this new message board:

There is a new inline hockey league on the horizon.

On Wednesday, May 22, I had a lunch meeting with one of the league's founders and viewed an impressive and professional PowerPoint presentation that described what the league was all about.

It is a 3-on-3 league with recessed goals (and goalies), but the rink is flat and a puck will be used.

It's a very interesting concept, and I know that I will be letting IHC's readers know a lot more about it very soon. (Oh, and by the way... this league WILL support IHC with advertising dollars. What a concept!)

The league's Web site should be up by about June 1.

Some of the people involved in the league include:

Alex Bellehumeur, co-founder, RHI, and puck inventor

Nicholas Johannes, owner, Ice Court

Bob Elder, former GM, Anaheim Bullfrogs

Dennis Murphy, another co-founder of RHI, will be on the new league's advisory board.

Rex Fontenot, former PR guru for the Anaheim Bullfrogs, will be the league's PR director.

I'm a traditionalist in many ways, but I am really excited about this new concept. It will be VERY interesting to me to see how it is received by the inline hockey world in general, and inline hockey players specifically.

I believe it's also set up so that a venue could actually host two of the rinks quite comfortably. If I'm not mistaken, the stands are intended to hold approximately 8,000 fans.

More information on this new league will be coming on IHC soon.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[RichardGraham]

Hey,

How did you sneak in here? [img]/wtimages/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

lol

The league is apparently not looking to be in most local rinks.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[calihockey]

Rich,

are they looking at local rinks or arenas? Long Beach Arena would fit the bill perfectly. The pond where they Bullfrogs use to play would work if they used the bottom bowl (like they do for boxing). you should give them your number in case they need an enforcer to rack up those penalty minutes!

[DannyG]

If...

the 3v3 concept, with a rink 125 by 75 say, would work in almost every college basketball "memorial gym" type in the country. The original, before-t.v.-got-a-hold-of-it, concept for Pro Beach hockey was to have been this format. Teams with ten player rosters, 8 skaters/2 goalies, fast & furious, is a sound game concept...

not really sure I like the indoor-soccer goals-in-the-boards concept, but...

what it comes down to, though, is that, regardless of special rules that will make for creative tactical play anyway, the skills of the game will be the skills of the game...and if that's what's on the floor for the fans to see, then that's good for hockey.

<font color=purple>DannyG</font color=purple>

[RichardGraham]

Hi Cali,

The Pond cost the Bullfrogs $25,000 per game.

Think Convention Center... [img]/wtimages/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Rich

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[RichardGraham]

Hi Folks,

In my post on Speed Hockey I stated that Bob Elder was the former GM of the Anaheim Bullfrogs. That is incorrect. He was the president of the club.

Also, Charley Yoder of the PIHA and the Tour Mudcats will be involved in the league. He will be heading up the rules committee.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central