Inline Hockey History

[RichardGraham]

Hi Folks,

I'm writing a history of inline hockey for a sports encyclopedia and could use your help.

What people and events do you consider the most important in inline hockey's history?

I'm doing my own research, but I thought it would be fun to get IHC's readers' input as well.

Thanks!

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[rhhof]

Nobody, huh - Well - I'd consider, though I haven't met these guys and would like to just to chat at length with them, Paul Chapey - Founder of NARCH and what most people dont know he helped design the jofa/isd in-line puck that revolutionized the game a bit!! Also his countless work with the world teams and overall with the sport from the West Coast...Dave McLane who was one of the guys who helped put RHI together along with the World Roller Hockey League and Pro Beach Hockey - pretty inventive guy...WHY NOT RICHARD GRAHAM!! He is Alone in Front!! IHC has been helping the inline industry communicate for years and Richard has been editing magazines, articles and throwing around years of expierience in our sport. Though still as humble as can be, he has organized banquets and put together awards and hopefully soon with the Roller Hockey Hall of Fame maybe we can do it again

Go Roller!!

Adam
Roller Hockey Hall of Fame.com
3918 James St
Suite #14
Drexel Hill, PA 19026

[RichardGraham]

Hey Adam,

Thanks for the kind words. Your suggestions about Paul Chapey and David McLane are good ones. I hope some more readers will also respond.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[Rebecca]

Paul Chapey and Todd Melton (AIRHS then came NARCh)

and don't forget the ::managerial:: women behind some of these men: Tera and Leslie

Rebecca

[dcdawgs]

Richard,

I think that some important dates in roller hockey history is the first ever FIRS World Championships, I believe in 1992.

Also, the first ever IIHF Inline Hockey World Championship in 1996. You can maybe talk about over the years how other countries besides the USA and Canada, are starting to compete really well, like Finland, Sweden, Germany, etc.

Just some thoughts.

Josh

[N2HKY]

You might want to mention Scott Accongio coach for AKS who, along with his partners Keeler and Shaw, (can't remember first names) designed and manufactured the first aluminium inline chassie hence the team name AKS.

[RichardGraham]

Hi Rebecca,

Thanks for the suggestions.

Actually, NARCh preceded AIRHS.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[RichardGraham]

Hi Josh,

Thank you for your response and the good suggestions. Thinking about inline hockey's history is bringing up some good memories. What I can't use for the encyclopedia, I'll put in a piece for the Inline Hockey Central Home Page.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[RichardGraham]

Hi N2HKY,

Very good suggestion. Thanks. Product innovations are a very important part of inline hockey's history.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[NLane]

Todd Melton was a ref for the 1994 USARS Nationals in Buffalo, NY. That was the first time I'd seen him and NOBODY gave him even a 2nd look when he made a call.

[NLane]

Try contacting the USARS office in Lincoln, Nebraska. Maybe they have some info they can just send to you. USARS, or whatever they were called at the time, was the only National event in which our rink participated. That started in 1991 and sissy sticks and short pants were used. There had been other teams involved in hardball hockey in previous years from other rinks/locations in our area.

[RichardGraham]

Hi NLane,

Thanks for your suggestion. I appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[Defense1st]

Gilbert and Sealing lived in Hewlett, just behind Grant Park's Ice Rink. I quit playing goalie when he hit me in the head with a slapshot and I could not hear for a month.

Pick up hockey in the streets with NHL players was a kids dream in that part of the Island.

Phil

[RichardGraham]

Hi Rich,

>Are you ging to go back to the days where it all started? In the streets with roller skates, shopping carts for goals. We used to make goalie gear out of cardboard, mask and all.<

My understanding is that the assignment concerns "inline hockey," the version of the sport that was jump-started by the invention of the modern inline skate. If it's about the quad-skate version that was big back East in the '50s, then I'm in big trouble. LOL.

>When I was a boy, we would visit family in Long Beach, New York. When they were home, Rod Gilbert, Brad Park, Jimmy Neilson, and Rod Searling would come out and play street hockey with us kids on Sat. and Sundays with regular old roller skates. Thats where I had my first roller games, I was 8 years old.

Thems was the days..........<

Oddly enough, I never played hockey on roller skates when I was a kid. I played ice hockey in winter, and "street hockey" in summer, when we wore tennis shoes and played with a tennis ball. That was a blast.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[RichardGraham]

Hi Phil,

>Gilbert and Sealing lived in Hewlett, just behind Grant Park's Ice Rink. I quit playing goalie when he hit me in the head with a slapshot and I could not hear for a month.<

Ouch.

>Pick up hockey in the streets with NHL players was a kids dream in that part of the Island.<

I don't recall any Toronto Maple Leafs joining in on our street hockey games, but I was thrilled to play outdoors in Santa Monica with Luc Robitaille. Other pros that showed up there included Steve Duchesne, Felix Potvin, and others that I'm drawing a blank on at the moment. Bottom line, though -- it was fun!

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central