Biggest Inline League

[malcb33 97]

Just wondering, I have been told that there's not to much competitive inline in Canada, but where would have the biggest league and Inline base in Canada?

[jay 1]

I'm sure others will pipe in that know more but from reading the boards the last couple of years it seems Vancouver has more inline going on.

[gee2626 0]

Langley has a huge year round roller hockey complex, which generates high-level leagues.

I was told Richmond's Pitch league is pretty big too, but the competition is not as high as the one in Langley.

Richmond and Langley are both neighboring districts of Vancouver

[JBP 18]

Oakville Ontario has a very large league supporting Rec. and Hub divisions through all ages and supporting a large Rep program + a Jr A team (Oakville Coyotes) Also 4 divisions of adult Rec, Competative, Elite and over 35 (unfortunately where I fall in now). Look at www.rollerhockey.net

The Halton Roller Hockey League ...HRHL, Been going since 1995

[alvinator 0]

....I was told Richmond's Pitch league is pretty big too, but the competition is not as high as the one in Langley....

Richmond and Langley are both neighboring districts of Vancouver

it's actually PICH. for more info on the league, go to www.pichpage.com, not sure how often it gets updated at this time of year, but they have fairly regular updates

during the season...

and yes, from what i understand, PICH is based in vancover, but the two venues they use for rinks are located in Richmond.

There is also a league called VIHL taht's starting to become pretty popular as well, this is 'rumoured' where Gilbert Brule played last season!

[Eazy_b97 1]

There does seem to be more appeal out West. The Oakville league looks big and there's also one in York, which appears to be a year round league. Oakville, Brampton and London were the teams which I usually played against in competitive roller hockey, while alot of centers seemed to be in and out.

[rh_joel 0]

Oakville Ontario has a very large league supporting Rec. and Hub divisions through all ages and supporting a large Rep program + a Jr A team (Oakville Coyotes) Also 4 divisions of adult Rec, Competative, Elite and over 35 (unfortunately where I fall in now). Look at www.rollerhockey.net

The Halton Roller Hockey League ...HRHL, Been going since 1995

Thats where I play and have since 97. Its a great league and run very well. Last year they were able to get a Tour hockey sponsorship for the Rep teams.

York Inline is also quite large but not as big as Oakville I don't think. Burlington (directly west of Oakville) also have a league for all ages and a Rep program.

[Eazy_b97 1]

I played in Burlington's this past fall. It's a good league, but nothing exceptional. It seems to be really geared towards a younger audience, which isn't great for me, but does help the sport grow which is awesome.

You play in Oakville? They don't have a winter league, do they?

[rh_joel 0]

Unfortunately no winter league. Me and a few other guys have asked the owner for a few years now about it but there isn't enough interest that they'd be able to take over an ice rink for the winter. In York there is a small winter league with about 6-7 teams of ages from 16+ but most of the participants are in their mid-twenties. I don't know if this league is run by York inline but I know that the entrance fee per team is very high due to the fact that once again they need to take over an ice rink.

I know the owner of the Burlington league. He had built a rink originally for all year roller but there was too much money to be made in ice and it is used for girls hockey during the ice season.

We can only hope that eventually some place will offer a reasonable winter league.

[SouthPaw 0]

I play in Calgary, it sucks. Everyone is too ice oriented. But Edmonton is pretty good. All year sportcourt. Only for youngins though.

[shute 4]

pitch is the largest league in canada (over 100 teams) or at least that is what they webpage said.. they also have pitch west based in toronto that are run by the same guys. what is surprising is that most of the people who play pitch are asian. i play in both pitch and westcoast (in langley) and westcoast if far better in terms of overall skill

[Eazy_b97 1]

Unfortunately no winter league. Me and a few other guys have asked the owner for a few years now about it but there isn't enough interest that they'd be able to take over an ice rink for the winter. In York there is a small winter league with about 6-7 teams of ages from 16+ but most of the participants are in their mid-twenties. I don't know if this league is run by York inline but I know that the entrance fee per team is very high due to the fact that once again they need to take over an ice rink.

I know the owner of the Burlington league. He had built a rink originally for all year roller but there was too much money to be made in ice and it is used for girls hockey during the ice season.

We can only hope that eventually some place will offer a reasonable winter league.

I dealt with the guy who runs the Burlington league alot because I ran my own team last year. He was a really good guy, as was the one who was helping him. We only played at Nelson last year and the younger guys got their inline specific arena. I'm hoping Burlington (or possibly Oakville) starts a winter inline league. I'd like to play in York, but it's too far to go. I wish there was more interest around, and I'll leave it to Burlington because the Hammer sure isn't going to get one anytime soon. They don't even have Sport Court yet.

[beaver5 1]

in edmonton there isnt year round inline rinks...

they turn a couple of the soccer centers into sportcourt. then ice rinks turn into cement floors.

[deft1 0]

There is also a league called VIHL taht's starting to become pretty popular as well, this is 'rumoured' where Gilbert Brule played last season!

No, Brule did not play in the VIHL. He was on the roster of one of the teams as a spare two years ago, which isn't surprising given that he is from North Vancouver where the VIHL plays most of its games. Also added as a spare on that same roster was Cam Paddock who won a memorial cup with the Kelowna Rockets and was drafted by Pittsburgh. They were both added because they are friends with some of the guys that were on the roster.

As for popularity, the VIHL still trails the Westcoast league in size, 35 teams to 60 teams, but it is much, much better run league.