Best Roller Hockey of All Time

[NJRH10]

Of all the leagues in the past and present, which should be held in the highest regard when it comes to furthering the sport and pure entertainment?

XIHL (Xtreme Inline Hockey League)
PIHA (Professional Inline Hockey Association)
MLRH (Major League Roller Hockey)
PBH (Pro Beach Hockey)
RHI (Roller Hockey International)
CIHL (Continental Inline Hockey League/California Inline Hockey League)
WRHL (World Roller Hockey League)

[born2runPROgm]

I think the RHI was an awesome product in some cities. I lived in San Jose at the time of the Rhinos and the games with the Bullfrogs, Blades...etc. were extremely entertaining. I loved the coverage on espn2. I think having the games in NHL sized arenas as well as having too many weak link teams in the league was a huge part of the downfall. Using UHL, ECHL or AHL sized arenas would have probably been more economical.

The Gambler

[DannyG]

Wow, I am indeed impressed that someone (anyone) is aware of the Continental Inline Hockey League...I have the two official team photos ('96 signed by every player) of the El Paso Rattlers, who I believe actually played three official CIHL league games in '96...

RHI is still the benchmark league, whereby all others are measured...

On another tack, however, please allow me to posit that "the best game," is that one you just got finished playing, where you had the game of your life, everything worked, you were at your most skillful, creative best, and...at the same time, so were all your teammates, and so were your opponents...

That game is the one where everybody walks out of the rink thinking great things, and the score never matters...

I know that the above post wasn't really after this type of answer, but I am in a philosophical mood this evening...

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

[GROWL]

I think it will be hard to compare any of the current leagues with the teams from the RHI. Atleast from my experience watching the MLRH, XIHL, NARL, and PIHA none of the teams stand up against a team like the Anaheim Bullfrogs. The Buffalo Wings program is probably the most talented and prepared that has participated in these leagues. I would argue that Team Rink Rat, Team Harrow, and the Mudcats are obviously the front runners in best pro squads, but I dont know if the pro series teams from NARCH and TORHS were included in what you were polling. If so I would give an honorable mention to the PAMA Cyclones.
As for the current leagues... MLRH, PIHA, XIHL, I'm very curious to see where our Growl squad for this coming season will stack up in the inline history books. However that is a question better asked after the season has been completed.

[MDE3]

I would aggree that the old Buffalo Wings program fell into that category, however their team for the XIHL was not their strongest effort.

[5_hole_master]

its not really a 'growl' team, it is a team of mostly all-stars that will happen to wear a growl jersey this season... a team, for example, is the typhoon or lunatics, who use the SAME players year after year, regardless of the season befores out come...

so what is going to happen this year?? yeah the growl are going to run through this 6 team league, the weaker teams are not going to want to play anymore, and next season there will be 4 teams or 3 teams... last season they had what 10 teams, including buffalo and virginia this season there are 6, and you guys now have 95% of the talent in the league... congrats you bought a piha championship

[ScrappersSponser]

The typhoon has a lot of changed players from their roster on the website....They have a bunch of Nasty Boyz players. The growl has a merger with a lot of the Nike Team Breakaway players... A lot of the teams in the league have players that played on other teams last year....It seems that you are upset that your boys up at th extremes didn't win last year and now you don't have a team....Or are you gonna jump from one team again this year to a team with a shot to win! Also the players on the Growl came to the Growl on their own. Money wasn't handed to them as you say they bought a championship. Maybe you should make it your goal to beat them. Any team can win any given day. Thats why you play the game!

Jeff Haze

[MDE3]

actually similar things were said about Nike Breakaway last year....they were all but handed the championship before the season started with their line-up by players "in the know"....look how they fared.

[WCRHL]

The RHI was great. I got to play on the floor before an LA Blades game, in the old Great Western Forum....it was awesome. And sitting in like the 10th row every game was cool, although man those big arenas did feel empty!!!

The CIHL was pretty sweet. I remember a Friday night game between the Golden Bears (from Torrance CA) against the team from Reno I believe. Man there was such a crowd (which means maybe 400 around a house rink). The boards were made of 2x4 wood framing with no give, and there was black chain link instead of glass, on a roll-on floor. It was AWESOME! (we've got real boards and glass now at TSA, and a roof structure...still roll-on floor though, fun stuff)

Brennan Edwards
Executive Director, NCRHA, www.ncrha.org
League Director, WCRHL, www.wcrhl.com

[RichardGraham]

Hi NJRH10,

Great question!

I had a blast covering Roller Hockey International, and except for a crappy puck, MLRH did very well when RHI went on hiatus for one season.

I am considering writing a book on the history of RHI. I have a ton of old press materials and team programs in storage, and when I get settled again, I'll go through all that stuff. To make the book interesting to ME, I'd want to have a lot of quotes from people who saw the games as fans -- a lot of you saw things that I didn't, and I know that a LOT of interesting things happened at RHI games... for instance:

Dave "Tiger" Williams going into the stands after a fan in Oakland...

The Los Angeles Blades' opening game, when the players were introduced and several of them slipped and fell on the Sport Court because of condensation caused by the fog machine.

The Anaheim Bullfrogs' opening game, attended by 13,000 people.

The RHI All-Star Game in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Buffalo Stampede/Portland Rage championship series, when John Vecchiarelli was a one-man wrecking crew for the Stampede.

Etc., etc.

If and when I get moving on that book, I'll post here and ask for IHC's readers' memories of RHI.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[NewarkBears1]

Stack up in the inline history books??? haha. You guys have a pretty good team on paper I'll give you that but I don't think the team is that amazing.

The team really isnt better then some of the Marple teams from past MLRH seasons/XIHL or probably even the Boston Storm from last year. Or the XIHL's Werewolves.

You guys definitely have a good team though. Good luck this season

[yokes]

I can agree with you for us(Marple) and the Wolves should win this year depending on our attendance, but Boston? I know some of those guys and they are really good but they got beaten pretty badly by us and didnt even make the finals in there one year. There is one little connection between two of those teams.....hehehe

If you dont hit me im not stopping it.

[Brooklynite10]

The Wolves should win if you attend or not.

[GROWL]

My comment was reserved strictly for the XIHL, PIHA, MLRH leagues, which i thought i made pretty clear. Like I said, while I am extremely confident about our squad this season, I will wait to see exactly how our team produces before I pull out the measuring stick.

[GROWL]

If marple showed up with their entire roster from this season, they would win hands down.