Roller vs. Ice

[Guy Incognito 0]

How different is roller than ice? I am interested in possibly joining a roller team because I don't know if the CAHL (ice) will offer a different night of hockey for D-Leaguers (Columbus, Ohio). If I was a C player I could play C and D, but there is no other option for D-Leaguers beside the Worthington Ice Center. Because of the local ice monopoly, the Chiller, LLC, bought the WICE, rumor has it they may not accomodate those who wish to play twice a week. So, I am thinking of joining a roller league. Any ideas of what to expect? How similar to ice? What additional equipment is needed? Costs? Anything else? Screw the Chiller if they go through with this. If there was another option in town I'd go there (according to what I'm hearing and the fact they won't reply to emails).

[Meathead 0]

Ok I didn't read your whole post but the main difference between roller and ice is using edges and stopping, not a whole lot more.

[delpiero81 0]

I'm an ice player, and i have to say... roller it's fun and challenging! And also similar. After some practice you will adapt to the skating, but not to the heat.

Every time i play i think i will die by autocombustion...

[althoma1 574]

Here are the differences I notice:

- Roller is hotter than ice as mentioned

- Roller is 4 on 4 with no offsides so the games tend to be higher scoring with more offence (a 3 goal lead with a few minutes left is pretty damn safe in ice, but not nearly as safe in roller)

- You generally have more time and space in roller and handle the puck more because it's 4 on 4 and the roller teams are usually much smaller.

- Puck control is even more important in roller. You'll see some good teams dump and chase in ice, but in roller the good teams try to maintain control of the puck and pass it around well.

- While roller is usually higher scoring the pace of ice is usually faster because players are more comfortable making turns and stops at full speed in ice and players like to slow down and set things up in roller.

I enjoy both games and while they are similar there are definitely differences. Oh, and as far as equipment goes you should be able to use the same helmet, gloves, elbow pads, jock and shin pads as you do for ice. I'd recommend getting vented inline pants as they help with the heat factor and perhaps and inline girdle. I don't wear shoulder pads for inline - actually I wear as little as possible as it does get damn hot. Oh, and always remember to bring a water bottle and keep yourself hydrated - it's important in ice, but even more important playing in the scortching heat for roller.

[All Torhs Team 0]

What additional equipment is needed? Costs? Anything else?

You will probally want a pair of inline skates instead of transferring a chasis onto your boot every week. The rest of the equiptment is pretty much all there. You will need roller hockey pants, which range from $15-$99.

You dont have to be worried about hitting, its more of a puck possesion game then ice. Some strategies in ice use dump and chase. In roller, that is never even thought of.

And besides not being cold, you will also be more winded because theres usually only 6-8 guys per team! :D

[crazykeeper3317 0]

im saying this from a goalies point of view but i think roller is much better, with it being more of a skillfull game then ice it gives players a chance to showcase their skills and me a chance to show off between the pipes :D

[hapamatt122 0]

I went and dropped in about a month ago in a roller game, it was kind of awkward to get used to because ur skating instincts for ice want to take over, and I don't know how to stop on roller so that made things difficult.

[beaucoup_fish 0]

Here are the differences I notice:

- Roller is hotter than ice as mentioned

- Roller is 4 on 4 with no offsides so the games tend to be higher scoring with more offence (a 3 goal lead with a few minutes left is pretty damn safe in ice, but not nearly as safe in roller)

- You generally have more time and space in roller and handle the puck more because it's 4 on 4 and the roller teams are usually much smaller.

- Puck control is even more important in roller. You'll see some good teams dump and chase in ice, but in roller the good teams try to maintain control of the puck and pass it around well.

- While roller is usually higher scoring the pace of ice is usually faster because players are more comfortable making turns and stops at full speed in ice and players like to slow down and set things up in roller.

I enjoy both games and while they are similar there are definitely differences. Oh, and as far as equipment goes you should be able to use the same helmet, gloves, elbow pads, jock and shin pads as you do for ice. I'd recommend getting vented inline pants as they help with the heat factor and perhaps and inline girdle. I don't wear shoulder pads for inline - actually I wear as little as possible as it does get damn hot. Oh, and always remember to bring a water bottle and keep yourself hydrated - it's important in ice, but even more important playing in the scortching heat for roller.

I agree with most of what he says, but I'm not so sure that the pace of ice is that much faster than roller if at all. In most of the roller games I play, it's typically unbelieveably fast - up and down to the very end.

On ice, I find that a lot of play takes place in the neutral zone, with turnovers abound, which of course, slows down the game.

Most other replies have also mentioned that in roller, stopping is not the same, and is the one element of the ice game I miss most when playing roller.

With regards to cost, I think roller is relatively cheap compared to ice, since you don't need as much protective gear. If that's a factor, then you might want to consider roller.

That said, I love both games.

[snipeshoww4 0]

Having played roller hockey in the off season for several years, I still continue to find the tansition between the two very difficult, especially when switching from roller to ice. I find myself out there for an hour of ice time and not stopping once, because i'm not used to doing so.

[cobrAA 0]

what kind of roller surface you use? on asphalt(street) i'm alright playing roller hockey but i tried playing in an arena where the ice was melt and the surface was soo much ',slick'' i was sliding(and not rolling) all over the place, i couldn't not even turn nicely!

[Grinder 2]

For a polished cement surface like that, you need to drop a few bucks and get some soft wheels. When the ice is out of the local rink, my group plays pick up. I use wheels with a 74 durometer specifically for those occassions, and have no problems.

[BigT 4]

i'm sorry but roller hockey isn't real hockey.......its like the flag football of hockey....but if you have no other options, than you do what you gotta do

[Grinder 2]

With that 'real' zinger of an analysis, you imply that roller hockey is lesser because it's different. A choice to play one or the other doesn't detract from the physical skill or talent needed in both. I would love for you to come make the 'flag football' comment to some people I know, including a former enforcer for the Portland Winterhawks, who now play roller in an informal league on Vancouver Island. These are some people who have excelled at ice hockey, and still bring a fast, tough game on wheels. Same as ice? No. Equally challenging in terms of fitness and skill? Absolutely.

[Dante2004 0]

The individual skills that you use in roller (as in...if you were alone on the court) are nearly identical. The mechanics of the shot, pass, skating, etc. And YES, you can do a hockey stop in a roller hockey floor. You will have to alter your stride slightly, but it is still basically the same. And if you find that your feet are slipping, then you simply don't have the right wheel setup for that surface.

I am not sure what SOME die hard "ice only" players have against the sport. I suspect that they may be the more physical type players that find they aren't as useful to their team in roller as they are in ice. Typical roller leagues are "no-checking", but depending on the level of play you are at, there is still a lot of contact. (less than full contact ice, but still present) Because of this, the stand out roller players are the highly skilled players that have mastered puck control/stick handling/shooting/passing/etc.

For a novice to intermediate level player, you might not notice a huge difference int he philosophy of the games, besides the rules differences as mentioned above. 4on4, no offsides, no icing. But once you get into the higher levels of the game you will realize that the strategy is completely different (puck control vs dump and chase) which makes roller hockey a great game. Not knocking ice, I love that too...but it is a different game.

One thing I will tell you though....whether you are a roller player going to ice, or ice player going to roller. It will take some time, each time you step on the ice/surface to adjust to the venue. The puck weight is one thing that you will have to adjust to. If you play roller for awhile and then step on the ice, the puck will feel like a lead weight. If you play ice for awhile, when you step back on the roller floor you will have rocks for hands. Depending on how quickly you can adapt, you may make the adjustment within touching the puck the first few times in warm ups...or halfway through the first period. As a coach, I recommend that players don't play in both sports at the same time. If you play ice all winter, play roller in the summer, or the other way around. Playing both sports at the same time might screw up your game a little. But then again I am working with developing players at a competitive level. If you just play in a beer league, you probably won't care and have more of the attitude of "more hockey the better".

I don't like the football to flag football comparison. It is more like...flag football to arena football. The main differences are a few rules that dramatically alter the philosophy of the game.

[Roach 0]

I agree with most of what he says, but I'm not so sure that the pace of ice is that much faster than roller if at all. In most of the roller games I play, it's typically unbelieveably fast - up and down to the very end.

On ice, I find that a lot of play takes place in the neutral zone, with turnovers abound, which of course, slows down the game.

Most other replies have also mentioned that in roller, stopping is not the same, and is the one element of the ice game I miss most when playing roller.

With regards to cost, I think roller is relatively cheap compared to ice, since you don't need as much protective gear. If that's a factor, then you might want to consider roller.

That said, I love both games.

While I agree with most if not all of what beaucoup_fish stated, I have to emphasize his last statement of loving both games.

PS - where yah been beaucoup? I haven't come across a post of yours in awhile!

[Thockey17 1]

i'm sorry but roller hockey isn't real hockey.......its like the flag football of hockey....but if you have no other options, than you do what you gotta do

Besides anything DomiLeafs said, this is the dumbest comment ever posted.

[althoma1 574]

I agree with most of what he says, but I'm not so sure that the pace of ice is that much faster than roller if at all. In most of the roller games I play, it's typically unbelieveably fast - up and down to the very end.

On ice, I find that a lot of play takes place in the neutral zone, with turnovers abound, which of course, slows down the game.

Rollerhockey is more wide open and can be end to end as you say - I agree with that. What I was trying to say was that in rollerhockey teams will often slow the play down to set things up much like you'd see an ice team on the Power Play do. Now some teams and players just skate hard and drive to the net or go wide on the wing and centre it, but I do notice teams and players will circle back, slow down or set up a play more often in roller than in ice. Just my observation. Personally I'm also more comfortable skating at full speed in ice than in roller as I know I can stop on a dime without difficulty or make a really tight turn on ice. In roller, while I skate all out at times, I'll usually slow up more than I would on ice before heading toward the end boards, making a tight turn or stopping.

In ice teams often try to push the puck from end of the ice to the other as fast as possible and that includes dumping the puck in and chasing it - in roller good teams and players are often more patient and wait for a play to develop. Now, ice teams can do this as well, but it's more common in roller in my experience.

[snipeshoww4 0]

what kind of roller surface you use? on asphalt(street) i'm alright playing roller hockey but i tried playing in an arena where the ice was melt and the surface was soo much ',slick'' i was sliding(and not rolling) all over the place, i couldn't not even turn nicely!

Not sure of the name of the surface, but it was like a smooth tile. Once you get used to it, its great but still seems a little slippery. Maybe part of the reason I thought it was hard to go back to ice.

[Thockey17 1]

Not sure of the name of the surface, but it was like a smooth tile.

SportCourt.

[Dante2004 0]

Sport Court? Ice Court? Spider Court? Flight Deck?

[Sprungster 5]

I don't want to make this a sales pitch, but there's an answer to the gap between ice blades and roller as far as quickness, cutting, stopping, &&&. ;)

IMO, roller is much more of a finess game, and healthier for all concerned. There's still a ton of checking, but it doesn't get out of hand as much and there's no place for goons who are only there to take out the guy that's beating you.

This is what I've seen and felt in roller since I got involved in '98. I've heard this discussion a million times from players, coaches, refs and governing bodies. Less violence is better. Look at the NHL games that have been lost due to gratuitous penalty time, Not to mention the excellent players whose careers got cut short.

[roostingmx 0]

I like ice

[KYHockey3 0]

i'm sorry but roller hockey isn't real hockey.......its like the flag football of hockey....but if you have no other options, than you do what you gotta do

that is a stupid statement.

roller is just as real as ice.

give roller a try and you may get hooked on it. roller is AWSOME!!

[Dante2004 0]

Nothing wrong with having a preference of one sport over the other...it just sounds ignornant to mock one. Essentially the same skills are required. The only reason ice may appear to be "better" is that the more talented players (professionals) head in the direction of ice primarily because that is where the glory and money is. Give multi-million dollar salaries to players in a pro roller league instead of the NHL and you would she a dramatic shift.

Kind of like the NFL vs CFL

[Patrick67 1]

what kind of roller surface you use? on asphalt(street) i'm alright playing roller hockey but i tried playing in an arena where the ice was melt and the surface was soo much ',slick'' i was sliding(and not rolling) all over the place, i couldn't not even turn nicely!

You went from outdoors to indoors roller? Bet you forgot to change wheels, hence the slipping. ;)