pro inline hockey association

MDE3 · May 24, 2006

Unfortunately that's how it was several years ago as well....then beginning in 2002/2003, and finally in 2003 - 2004 it got cleaned up a lot...mostly in 2003/2004.... since then I have heard your same complaint voiced from multiple sources for last season and this.

One of the major problems is that Raue really feels that the fighting is one of if not the most important ways to sell the game....and so once that is known, you have guys thinking that they are "doing their duty to the league" or at least justifying their naturally goonish nature because of his philosophy. When the league champion Gladiators had a banner over the entrance to their home rink that read: "drop the puck...drop the gloves" as a promotion for MLRH hockey...it gave you an idea of what to expect.

In 2002/2003...I saw multiple fights between guys who "did not want to go" and guys who were there only for that purpose. I saw a well known 34 year old goon of 6' 4" x 240 well muscled pounds, take on a young player of 20 years old..who weighed no more than 135 lbs, and stood no taller than 5' 4" tall....and beat him to a pulp..for no justifiable reason.....I totally lost any respect for that player who was considered some kind of fighting legend in MLRH. As a result of some of the goonery in 2002/2003...some teams made strong statements about what they thought about all the BS and left the league...hence it started to get better late in the season, and then again in the following season.

In 2003/2004, in MLRH as well as in the XIHL in 2004/2005....there were fights..but they were occasional and usually between two designated "wanna go's". These were usually "better" fights anyway because they were between willing combatants.

Steve did a great job as commissioner of controlling how the fighting was to be allowed. He understood that ten year old kids would be there with their mothers....who mostly would decide to put little Johnny or Suzy into a different sport, if that's what the "elite" side of inline hockey was all about, and not come back as a fan....The occasional fight could be tolerated...brutality not.

To a great extent MLRH reminded me of High School ice hockey played in regions where kids did not grow up playing hockey and being well coached from a young age....all the football goons would come out hoping for some action, feeling that hockey was some sort of bullies free for all, with lot's of "inferior sized targets" out on the rink.

They could not skate well, did not know the difference between a hit and correct checking....and whenever someone outplayed them would drop the gloves in a heartbeat, or run that player from behind head first into the boards...or throw a high crosscheck to the throat or head....I wonder why the local school districts would not officially sanction hockey as a school Varsity sport?.....sound familiar??

opus22 · May 24, 2006

sound familar...you have no idea. im also a ref for the co high school leagues.

MDE3 · May 24, 2006

you have no idea.

:D I beg to differ.....lolol...I ran clinics for years for both inline and ice...A, AA, and highschool ice...watched and coached a lot of games.

nummer55 · May 24, 2006

I play in The Netherlands and in Belgium and I have a pretty good idea of the different leagues in Europe. The league some people were talking about in Italy is their Series A league. They flew CJ Yoder in, paid expenses and some salary for won games (only for the top players, amount varies between 250-500 EURO > 320-640 USD). The top teams in European FIRS/IIHF leagues (Spain, Belgium, France, Italy) play a Champions League which is of a very decent level (read high).

This Italian league is the closest thing to a professional league so far. I believe Europe has a better future in roller hockey anyway. The European sports culture has always been one in which clubs have more teams in different age groups. Most of the clubs own their own accomodation or get almost free accomodation rental from the local government.

Also, leagues are much more structured and are authorized by one of the international governing bodies. They all take their time to develop. In Germany for example an Elite level is played in two groups of 9 teams, in a North and South poule. These teams are getting close to become semi-professional (paid, but not main income) in the coming five years. The total number of teams in all ages groups in the German league is 203. Most of them are concentrated in a smaller part of Germany.

The only problem is the differentation in governing bodies (FIRS, IIHF, IISHF). They all have their own rules and leagues in different countries. When these bodies agree on a more general rule set and game conditions the future of roller hockey looks bright in Europe.

Links

Italian League website

http://www.legahockey.it

Download Champions League games (with CJ Yoder)

http://www.legahockeytv.it/home.php?sport=2

French League

http://franceinlinehockey.com/

Spanish League

http://www.fep.es/newnoticias.asp?mod=15

Belgium League

http://www.inlinehockey.be

German League (ball)