Pro Roller Hockey

[#eight 0]

What are the options world wide to play Pro Roller Hockey? What do contracts consist of and salary?

[Tyler Roy 86]

Where are you playing? No salary in the US. Some tournys pay money to champs but thats about it.

[sdcopp 1]

some European Pro leagues pay, but have limitations to how many non-native players are allowed on the roster from my understanding

[Vet88 674]

Players can make enough to cover expenses and living costs (either as subsidised work or direct payments off the books) but don't get rich out of it, think of it more as an OE.But you have to be really really really good. I know a few guys who play for the Mission pro teams in the US and they get their gear covered but rarely get paid to play.

Pat Lee (ex TeamUSA) tried a while ago, also players out of the CHL and other 2nd tier leagues will play to keep their skill levels up in the off season.

[stock07 1]

I have noticed how higher level roller hockey leagues seem to do well on a regional level,(ie: Cali, midwest, parts of Europe) but can not survive financially on a national level on a consistent basis. Aside from the 4 major tourny's a year(Narch Winter/summer nationals and Torhs winter/summer) which in the "PRO" division offers a cash prize, the players on these teams may play for free and split the cash prize they are not being paid to play and are not truly "Pro's". Most of the "Pro" Leagues(MLRH, PIHA, Etc...) offer a cash prize at the end of the year as well, however these teams are paying alot of money to play in the leagues and no one is making any money. A "Professional Roller Hockey Player" is more of a lifestyle choice in my book, as you are being paid to teach, promote/sell/advertise products and not for playing roller hockey. There has been lengthy discussions about the future of "PRO" roller hockey and for a good many years now it has been steadily declining with little spurts here and there of upcoming leagues that fizzle out.

[twolinepass 0]

I have a friend playing in Italy and I forgot how much he makes but its not enough to make a living.. He doesnt have a "real" job but just a bunch of odd jobs related to hockey and is able to support himself but he is not making much money. That being said, I bet he enjoys his jobs more than I do my cube :(

[stock07 1]

I have a friend playing in Italy and I forgot how much he makes but its not enough to make a living.. He doesnt have a "real" job but just a bunch of odd jobs related to hockey and is able to support himself but he is not making much money. That being said, I bet he enjoys his jobs more than I do my cube :(

He probably does enjoy it now, but there is no future in it . Most, if not all of the highest level players in whatever the highest level of roller hockey today(NARCH Pro, MLRH, PIHA, Etc) has some other source of income, some is hockey related but most works in some other field and has a "real job" or is either in college/ in between college and that "real job". Roller Hockey from the smallest level or team to the highest level is so hit or miss around the country. Some programs are strong and well organized, while most are disorganized and poorly run. Hence why you see so many inline facilities come and go.

[Jim A 4]

the people that go over are usually top level players - the Yoder's in the past, Greg Thompson, Itan, etc.

talk to one of them at the big tournaments, if you're not playing against them and know them...then probably no chance for you to crack the roster..

[stock07 1]

the people that go over are usually top level players - the Yoder's in the past, Greg Thompson, Itan, etc.

talk to one of them at the big tournaments, if you're not playing against them and know them...then probably no chance for you to crack the roster..

Defiantly what Jim A said, If your not playing against those guys, you need to be if you want a shot to play in Europe.

[#eight 0]

Ok thanks for this guys! So going Pro in Roller is not much of an option. This sport needs to get bigger!

[stock07 1]

Ok thanks for this guys! So going Pro in Roller is not much of an option. This sport needs to get bigger!

How would you help it get bigger? Always good to hear others ideas?

[iceNsteel 0]

Not to step on any toes, but I kind of think roller hockey is never going to be seen as anything but a bastardized form of ice hockey. I play roller hockey, and it's fun, so I have nothing against it. But it really seems to me like the focus of anything is helping kids jump from roller hockey into ice hockey and have successful careers at it. As opposed to trying to make roller hockey a top tier sport in its own right.

[stock07 1]

Not to step on any toes, but I kind of think roller hockey is never going to be seen as anything but a bastardized form of ice hockey. I play roller hockey, and it's fun, so I have nothing against it. But it really seems to me like the focus of anything is helping kids jump from roller hockey into ice hockey and have successful careers at it. As opposed to trying to make roller hockey a top tier sport in its own right.

Ice hockey is simply not available/accessible to many people due mostly to financial reasons of some kind. Whether its ice facilities being costly to build,outfit,maintain or equipment being more costly and not easily available everywhere. Roller Hockey is much cheaper overall, and "could" be more easily available.

The Ice vs Roller debate can be argued endlessly.

[gosinger 122]

Over here (Austria) most roller "teams" are a bunch of ice players that want to stay in shape while they there is no ice-rink available during the summer; as soon as there is ice available there is almost no-one left for roller. It is advertised by the ice coaches as a method to train stick-handling, backwards-skating & cross-overs, but in most parts of the country there are no proper rinks or similar so we play under bridges, old parking lots, or where-ever we can find proper & clean asphalt. As we are far away from even having proper infrastructure for amateurs, there is no chance for any development towards a professional roller sport.

I miss the days when in the UK I was able to play indoors and there was a dedicated community :/

[iceNsteel 0]

Ice hockey is simply not available/accessible to many people due mostly to financial reasons of some kind. Whether its ice facilities being costly to build,outfit,maintain or equipment being more costly and not easily available everywhere. Roller Hockey is much cheaper overall, and "could" be more easily available.

The Ice vs Roller debate can be argued endlessly.

All that's true, which is why hockey will pretty much remain where it is popularity wise. I'm not going to debate a matter of personal preference between ice hockey and roller, that's up to individuals. But roller hockey is the hockey world's version of arena football. It's just never going to be on par with ice hockey.

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

Is the MLRH still around? I got asked to play on a team 8 or 9 years ago, but couldn't because it was my freshman year of college and I didn't have a car on campus to make games or practices. They were trying to recruit ice hockey players that could skate really well from what I gathered.

I went to a couple of NJ Rockin Rollers (RHI) games in middle school.