MLRH opens New Year with Festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan

**Doug Jones** · 12-17-2009, 11:19 AM

The New Year starts off with a bang with MLRH as it launches it's new format and Festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan to be played over January 16th and 17th with ten teams competing at the MLRH 2 pro level, AAA and AA.

The league is looking forward to the debut of the Chicago Roller Snakes, under the guidance of owners, Mark Costanza and Steve McHugh. Pat Lee has been named head coach of the AAA and AA Roller Snakes and will be playing with the Pro team along with Pete Messina. Lee will make his debut for the Snakes along with Messina in February.

The Detroit Revolution, who has remained undefeated this season, takes the floor in their home state to show their dominance and prove they continue to be the team to beat. Add the DC Filibusters and the Michigan Thunder into the mix and fans will be treated to a weekend of great hockey.

www.mlrh.com

**cusanorojo** · 12-18-2009, 08:17 AM

Pat lee and Messina are gonna smoke show whoever they play!! The league is terrible and o
if and when top level narch players play, it's a joke. The mlrh players are hardly pro roller hockey players. Narch competion and torhs blows mlrh out of the water

**General28** · 12-18-2009, 09:17 AM

cusanorojo,

While I am personally not a big fan of MLRH, don't knock them for trying to help promote the sport. There are people out there playing in that league that are just like the rest of us.... we all just want to play hockey.

Doug,

Great job on promoting the league and your SC organization... (I just wish that you were in the AIHL doing that kind of promotion..lol)

**Troho9** · 12-18-2009, 09:47 AM

cusanorojo - That's a very unfair statement. All people on here do is rip MLRH for calling itself a pro league and now they have some "name" tournament pro players playing and we are going to still rip them?

How many complete PIHA or AIHL teams could actually compete at NARCH or TORHS in the pro division? I will use my Savage Wolves team as an example, we are (not this year so far) a good AIHL team but when we go to nationals we are just able to compete with the big boys.

The tournament competition is always going to be better than any of the the leagues.

**Doug Jones** · 12-18-2009, 11:44 AM

Pat Lee, Peter Messina, John McGuiness (who just left SC to go back to Lindenwood), Stephen Campbell, Chris Street, there are some top quality players in MLRH who are all marketable and can bring fans to any place they play.

With the addition of these players and their abilities, regardless of what opinions' people have, we're happy to have them in the league with us. We're especially excited to see Mark Costanza and Steve McHugh running the Chicago Roller Snakes franchise.

Give us a chance to make things better and to have the league not compete with AIHL and PIHA, but a great choice and addition to anyone who wishes to play whereever!

**TourFLA98** · 12-18-2009, 03:04 PM

I don't think Chris Street should be mentioned in the same sentence as Pat Lee, Jmac, Campbell and Messina.

Mike Thiefault

**Fusion9** · 12-18-2009, 03:36 PM

I wouldn't say I'm as good as those guys listed but you're not listening to what Doug Jones is saying. I'm also a lot older than any of those guys. Doug is saying the players he listed PLUS many others are marketable inline players for MLRH. Is Nick Lidstrom as good as Ovechkin, Crosby, or Heatley? No but he's older, has had success, and is still marketable for the NHL. This thread is for promoting MLRH, please don't start with the negatives. Besides, I did still lead the league in scoring last season at 29. Cut a guy a break.

The league needs to simply focus on the positives and build. There are plenty of top level players in MLRH right now, just like the NHL, PIHA, AIHL, or any other league. People are going to voice their opinions on who's good, who isn't etc. Either way it's good I guess because it'll get people talking about it. Every fan has an opinion in every sport. That is the job of the fan to decide who they like and who they don't. So Mike, as a FAN of MLRH you're entitled to your opinion for sure.

**wednthavddr** · 12-18-2009, 07:49 PM

I am not trying to stir anything up, but isn't the Fusion folding? I have gotten word that there is a new team coming out of Tampa called the Tampa Terror (awful name) that will be the only team from Florida that is playing in the MLRH. The guy who is running the team says he has dropped $50,000 for the rights to the team. He called it an investment. As much as I want it to succeed, he should just put his money in something else for a better investment.

The home rink he is using has roll in floor and no kick plates. He has no home games scheduled and plans on traveling to SC and GA for games. He also tried setting up the team in 2 weeks asking everyone to put $300 down. This is all while people are leaving to go back home from college and buy holiday gifts. Not the brightest idea.

Is this true or is the guy full of it. There are some other things he said that I cannot really say as well.

**Doug Jones** · 12-18-2009, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by wednthavddr

I am not trying to stir anything up, but isn't the Fusion folding? I have gotten word that there is a new team coming out of Tampa called the Tampa Terror (awful name) that will be the only team from Florida that is playing in the MLRH. The guy who is running the team says he has dropped $50,000 for the rights to the team. He called it an investment. As much as I want it to succeed, he should just put his money in something else for a better investment.

The home rink he is using has roll in floor and no kick plates. He has no home games scheduled and plans on traveling to SC and GA for games. He also tried setting up the team in 2 weeks asking everyone to put $300 down. This is all while people are leaving to go back home from college and buy holiday gifts. Not the brightest idea.

Is this true or is the guy full of it. There are some other things he said that I cannot really say as well.

The Board of MLRH has addressed this gentlemen and we have extended the courtesy to work with him. However, there is too little time for him to be able to participate successfully for his franchise and for the league. The goal is to have a team that can compete and also be able to be set up to succeed.

So, we hope to see him during the pro tour and summer, if he is able to put this together by then.

**Fusion9** · 12-18-2009, 09:57 PM

I didn't want to comment on the above because I wasn't fully aware of the situation, Doug would best be the man in the know on new franchises. The Fusion I can speak for and there's no plans in folding at all. The team just came off our toughest trip of the year both physically and financially. We have smooth sailing the rest the season from a club perspective. Now we just have to focus on winning.

**MLRH League** · 12-20-2009, 11:12 AM

The good news is, MLRH will now have an onsite "TD" for all festival games whose sole responsibility is to:

1) Gather rosters and player signatures
2) Check player id's
3) Check scoresheets and game verification
4) Report immediately on event with blogs, pictures and videos
5) Administrate and carry forth any suspensions and or discipline issues
6) Make sure all games start on time and are played within the time frame

Don't forget to see the new MLRH, January 16th and 17th in Grand Rapids!

**MLRH League** · 12-31-2009, 09:11 PM

Laura Cowper will be on hand to greet all teams on January 16th and 17th in Grand Rapids, MI!

Players will be receiving their MLRH cards in South Carolina and Michigan that weekend!

Look for the website changes as of January 11th!!!