Why play roller hockey?

[kylec 9]

Mods and admins, if you feel like there is a more appropriate place for this thread please feel free to relocate. I know a lot of us play both inline and ice, but what I'm curious to know is why you play inline? What makes roller more appealing than ice? The more specifics you can provide the more appreciative I am. Also, if you can include your rough location that would help as well.

Thanks,

Kyle from Michigan 

[greasy17 19]

I play roller exclusively now and have abandoned ice. The primary reason is that I’m better at it and it is more enjoyable for me. I started playing hockey later in life at 15 years old. It began with street hockey and transitioned to organized ice and roller. When I graduated high school I sucked at ice still and played roller more regularly, but still played in some men’s leagues for ice. Ice was harder to practice just because it was easier to throw on roller blades and skate outside. Because of that my game in roller grew much better. My ice game could be better, it would just take more repetition like playing 2-3 times per week. But I enjoy roller so much, have great friends that I skate with, I figure why leave it just to say I play ice. Rather than split time between the 2 and get frustrated playing ice, I decided recently to play roller only.

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

I'm primarily an ice hockey player but have been playing inline also over the last 2-3 years. I will always favor ice over inline but I enjoy the change of pace, less time committed, earlier games and cheaper team fees. If one can do both, I'd do. I wish I did when I was still playing competitive ice hockey.

[Miller55 333]

I play roller. I grew up on long island where roller has been very popular, especially in the 90s/2000s. I played some ice but it was very expensive and I think when I was a kid the nights of ice hockey in long beach conflicted with something else I had going on so I played roller and stuck with it. We had a nice big outdoor rink a few minutes away and there were pickup games there literally every day from when I was like 12 until after I finished high school. The only expense was gear basically, and it was a lot more fun. Great crew of guys and eventually we played together ecrha and competitive men's leagues.

A bunch of the guys also got into ice in college, I had other extracurricular activities and roller was enough for me. They still try to get me to come and there was a period where I played drop in ice weekly, but I just like roller more.

I like the speed of the game, it is more easy going and fun, just a different style of game. I also like the finesse of it, the style of the game that my team plays. I recently moved from NY to Phoenix az and am really just praying to find a good team with guys who like to play hard and don't take themselves to seriously.

 

From Phoenix AZ (formerly NY)

[the_game 452]

There is a lower barrier to entry with Inline/Roller Hockey if you ask me. Grab a pair of inline skates, stick and puck/ball and boom your playing on any flat surface. Grab a group of friends or find a spot where theres a pick up game and you're playing. I'm with Miller, Long Island guy who got his start playing roller in the 90's where on every street you could find kids playing or at the local tennis court there'd be 'organized' games a few times a week and then there were leagues popping up all over. For parents its a way to test the waters to see if your kid is really serious about playing and then you can make the jump to ice if they're into it. For me roller was a springboard to ice hockey, fell in love with the game and all I wanted to do was play. 

Another way of looking at 'why play roller' is what it will bring to your ice game. Watch any hockey documentary or interview and every Canadian kid at some point talks about pond hockey and I would say for much of the US where it doesn't get cold enough roller serves as their pond hockey. No coaches telling you to get pucks deep or cover your point man, just you and your buds messing around, trying different moves, making your own game. I think theres a lot to say about that atmosphere where kids have no pressure on them and they can go out and just play.

And then if you want to get into 'organized' roller or a league or tournaments theres a lot to be said about how the 4 on 4 game develops your ice game, whether that be individual patience with the puck or stickhandling in general. Then theres the positional aspect with no offsides where the game changes to a puck control and I think a ton can be learned there to develop your hockey IQ. If you watch a high level roller game you will see how controlled the guys play, how they won't risk taking a shot if there isn't a good play or how if they don't see the right set up they'll take the puck back and re-group. You'll see how no one really plays a position, you can have a framework but the game can quickly develop to man on man where you end up all around the rink.

I like to compare inline hockey to watching the old Russian teams before they were allowed to play in the NHL. Those teams would gain the blue line and if they didn't have anything would come out, regroup and move back up the ice as a unit. To me thats roller hockey and I would say 9 out of 10 youth hockey coaches would lose their minds if they ever saw their players do that. My entire high school ice hockey team played roller at some point and so did our coach, we managed to create a little bit of a dynasty winning a few NY State championships back in the day and I would say a lot of how we played was inspired by roller hockey style puck control.

So yea, why play roller? Because its fun, you can pretty much play any where, and it will help your ice game. And now you can go to college and play roller too. And if you want you can go play some tournaments and have a fun little vacation while playing some damn good hockey as well. 

[Stewie 721]

There are some factors that are appealing to roller hockey to me, but I do prefer ice. 

pros of inline are

less, lighter gear

quicker to get ready and get games in (no Zamboni, so about a 60 minutes experience between getting ready and playing the game, vs 90)

cheaper per game cost

can be more easily played outside/practiced at home

less stoppages

more room/time with puck per person

more goals (may not apply to everyone of course) 

 

[kylec 9]

19 hours ago, greasy17 said:

I play roller exclusively now and have abandoned ice. The primary reason is that I’m better at it and it is more enjoyable for me. I started playing hockey later in life at 15 years old. It began with street hockey and transitioned to organized ice and roller. When I graduated high school I sucked at ice still and played roller more regularly, but still played in some men’s leagues for ice. Ice was harder to practice just because it was easier to throw on roller blades and skate outside. Because of that my game in roller grew much better. My ice game could be better, it would just take more repetition like playing 2-3 times per week. But I enjoy roller so much, have great friends that I skate with, I figure why leave it just to say I play ice. Rather than split time between the 2 and get frustrated playing ice, I decided recently to play roller only.

I grew up playing street hockey, then a group of friends started playing roller in an empty parking lot on the weekends. I didn't play organized until I was like 13 or 14 for inline (ice was too expensive). There was only one place that offered it near me and it was actually an indoor soccer place that put down tiles. I have some of the best memories from that place, but they stopped doing inline a long time ago. More recently our only other place for year round inline closed down as well. I'm trying to get a feel for what competitive advantage inline has over ice if one day I can accomplish my dream to run an inlne hockey facility for  youth and adult leagues.

Thanks for your response!

[kylec 9]

19 hours ago, 215BroadStBullies610 said:

I'm primarily an ice hockey player but have been playing inline also over the last 2-3 years. I will always favor ice over inline but I enjoy the change of pace, less time committed, earlier games and cheaper team fees. If one can do both, I'd do. I wish I did when I was still playing competitive ice hockey.

As of late, due to circumstances of my inline facility closing I've been playing drop in ice hockey. I miss inline though. Cheaper fees and a different atmosphere is what I find to be attractive too. A lot of guys are trying still trying to make it to the pros in the beer leagues in ice for the leagues that I've played in - inline not so much. Do you play inline in a facility or like outdoors?

Thanks!

[kylec 9]

18 hours ago, Miller55 said:

I play roller. I grew up on long island where roller has been very popular, especially in the 90s/2000s. I played some ice but it was very expensive and I think when I was a kid the nights of ice hockey in long beach conflicted with something else I had going on so I played roller and stuck with it. We had a nice big outdoor rink a few minutes away and there were pickup games there literally every day from when I was like 12 until after I finished high school. The only expense was gear basically, and it was a lot more fun. Great crew of guys and eventually we played together ecrha and competitive men's leagues.

A bunch of the guys also got into ice in college, I had other extracurricular activities and roller was enough for me. They still try to get me to come and there was a period where I played drop in ice weekly, but I just like roller more.

I like the speed of the game, it is more easy going and fun, just a different style of game. I also like the finesse of it, the style of the game that my team plays. I recently moved from NY to Phoenix az and am really just praying to find a good team with guys who like to play hard and don't take themselves to seriously.

 

From Phoenix AZ (formerly NY)

I hear ya, inline seems way more relaxed, but still competitive compared to ice. I like that inline is less expensive too, especially for leagues. I wish roller was more popular all the way around, but I think some people think if you play roller, you're not a "real hockey player" or some weird stigma about it. I'm trying to figure out other competitive advantages inline has over ice incase one day I acheive my dream of owning an inline facility!

Thanks!

[kylec 9]

9 hours ago, the_game said:

There is a lower barrier to entry with Inline/Roller Hockey if you ask me. Grab a pair of inline skates, stick and puck/ball and boom your playing on any flat surface. Grab a group of friends or find a spot where theres a pick up game and you're playing. I'm with Miller, Long Island guy who got his start playing roller in the 90's where on every street you could find kids playing or at the local tennis court there'd be 'organized' games a few times a week and then there were leagues popping up all over. For parents its a way to test the waters to see if your kid is really serious about playing and then you can make the jump to ice if they're into it. For me roller was a springboard to ice hockey, fell in love with the game and all I wanted to do was play. 

Another way of looking at 'why play roller' is what it will bring to your ice game. Watch any hockey documentary or interview and every Canadian kid at some point talks about pond hockey and I would say for much of the US where it doesn't get cold enough roller serves as their pond hockey. No coaches telling you to get pucks deep or cover your point man, just you and your buds messing around, trying different moves, making your own game. I think theres a lot to say about that atmosphere where kids have no pressure on them and they can go out and just play.

And then if you want to get into 'organized' roller or a league or tournaments theres a lot to be said about how the 4 on 4 game develops your ice game, whether that be individual patience with the puck or stickhandling in general. Then theres the positional aspect with no offsides where the game changes to a puck control and I think a ton can be learned there to develop your hockey IQ. If you watch a high level roller game you will see how controlled the guys play, how they won't risk taking a shot if there isn't a good play or how if they don't see the right set up they'll take the puck back and re-group. You'll see how no one really plays a position, you can have a framework but the game can quickly develop to man on man where you end up all around the rink.

I like to compare inline hockey to watching the old Russian teams before they were allowed to play in the NHL. Those teams would gain the blue line and if they didn't have anything would come out, regroup and move back up the ice as a unit. To me thats roller hockey and I would say 9 out of 10 youth hockey coaches would lose their minds if they ever saw their players do that. My entire high school ice hockey team played roller at some point and so did our coach, we managed to create a little bit of a dynasty winning a few NY State championships back in the day and I would say a lot of how we played was inspired by roller hockey style puck control.

So yea, why play roller? Because its fun, you can pretty much play any where, and it will help your ice game. And now you can go to college and play roller too. And if you want you can go play some tournaments and have a fun little vacation while playing some damn good hockey as well. 

MAN, all valid points! I think there is some stigma that if you play roller, you're not a real hockey player - I even heard a varsity coach tell his team NOT to play inline because it will impact their fundamentals of skating! Granted this coach was a really great high school coach and all, but for the love of the game, and different skill development will help regardless! One day I hope to own an inline facility to bring inline back to youth and adults around here, and all of these are very very good points.

Thanks!

[kylec 9]

2 hours ago, Stewie said:

There are some factors that are appealing to roller hockey to me, but I do prefer ice. 

pros of inline are

less, lighter gear

quicker to get ready and get games in (no Zamboni, so about a 60 minutes experience between getting ready and playing the game, vs 90)

cheaper per game cost

can be more easily played outside/practiced at home

less stoppages

more room/time with puck per person

more goals (may not apply to everyone of course) 

 

Very true, more room, more time with the puck, and maybe more goals (haha). No icing or offsides, no zamboni - all positive aspects! Most important for me growing up was that it was a less costly option over ice. I enjoyed every inline game I played whether it was organized or not.

Thanks for sharing!

[JSchultz 25]

I almost exclusively play inline these days, mostly for the things noted above; cost and because it's generally a more relaxed atmosphere. I wouldn't mind picking up ice again, but I'm not about that 'games at 11:45PM on a Tuesday' life. Between that and 5:45A games on Saturdays, I felt like beer league got shit time slots, which is just how she goes. At least with inline I can get Sunday afternoon games and 6:30-9 start times on week days. 

[Miller55 333]

51 minutes ago, JSchultz said:

I almost exclusively play inline these days, mostly for the things noted above; cost and because it's generally a more relaxed atmosphere. I wouldn't mind picking up ice again, but I'm not about that 'games at 11:45PM on a Tuesday' life. Between that and 5:45A games on Saturdays, I felt like beer league got shit time slots, which is just how she goes. At least with inline I can get Sunday afternoon games and 6:30-9 start times on week days. 

Definitely a valid point. Ice time is retarded and we used to play at 11-12 and then wash up and drive 40 minutes home.

If you're looking to start a inline rink and run house leagues you've got your work cut out for you, but you can definitely succeed. One thing is to make good leagues. Another thing that I've found to be good is to market it as a different sport altogether. It really is strategically very different, even though the end goal of both ice and roller (and basketball, football, soccer and lacrosse) is to put the puck in the net and stop it from going in yours, but the way that it accomplished is totally different. As mentioned, high level roller hockey is a game of possession and control. It requires a ton of patience and discipline. Not that ice doesn't, but there are many differences. Developing court vision is also very different in roller, as is playing both sides of the puck. Many more

Edited September 11, 2020 by Miller55

[thelaterskater 16]

10 hours ago, Miller55 said:

Ice time is retarded

There’s got to be a better way to say that

[althoma1 574]

Until I was 13, I primarily played pond hockey, street hockey and roller hockey outdoors in parking lots or behind schools (I played one organized season of ice hockey when I was 7). I played a variety of sports as a kid and although I was probably better at some others; hockey was always my favourite. It was expensive though and I knew my parents didn't have a lot of extra money. I started a paper route at 11 and saved up to buy better skates and then managed to save enough to buy a whole kit of used equipment at 13. Then I started playing organized ice hockey at 13 as well as on the pond in the winter, but still only played street and roller outdoors in the summer. Eventually, when I was 16, I joined an organized inline league. 

I always enjoyed pond hockey the most, but roller hockey was a close second. No offsides, no icing, no dump and chase and no one was trying to take your head off. I liked that you had more time and space with the puck and didn't have to worry about stopping at a blue line if a teammate wasn't moving the puck. I like the control and glide of ice skates, but the rules of the inline game. 4 on 4 ice hockey with no offsides or icing would be ideal for me (the ASHL is having 4 on 4 ice with COVID, but you still have offsides and icing - it's just a floating line. Once you gain the blue line then the offensive zone expands to the red line...so closer to roller than regular ice hockey, but still not the same rules). With the standard ice and inline rules, I actually prefer inline to ice (even though I like skating on ice better. The Sprung chassis I use for inline helps, but using actual blades on ice is still a better skating experience). 

The price of inline was definitely appealing when I started. Inline was basically half the price of ice, but over the years I've found the price of the for profit inline leagues has crept up and there really isn't a huge gap in price per game for most leagues in my area anymore (with the exception of one non-profit draft league I play in, but that's not a fair comparison).

[JSchultz 25]

2 hours ago, althoma1 said:

Until I was 13, I primarily played pond hockey, street hockey and roller hockey outdoors in parking lots or behind schools (I played one organized season of ice hockey when I was 7). I played a variety of sports as a kid and although I was probably better at some others; hockey was always my favourite. It was expensive though and I knew my parents didn't have a lot of extra money. I started a paper route at 11 and saved up to buy better skates and then managed to save enough to buy a whole kit of used equipment at 13. Then I started playing organized ice hockey at 13 as well as on the pond in the winter, but still only played street and roller outdoors in the summer. Eventually, when I was 16, I joined an organized inline league. 

I always enjoyed pond hockey the most, but roller hockey was a close second. No offsides, no icing, no dump and chase and no one was trying to take your head off. I liked that you had more time and space with the puck and didn't have to worry about stopping at a blue line if a teammate wasn't moving the puck. I like the control and glide of ice skates, but the rules of the inline game. 4 on 4 ice hockey with no offsides or icing would be ideal for me (the ASHL is having 4 on 4 ice with COVID, but you still have offsides and icing - it's just a floating line. Once you gain the blue line then the offensive zone expands to the red line...so closer to roller than regular ice hockey, but still not the same rules). With the standard ice and inline rules, I actually prefer inline to ice (even though I like skating on ice better. The Sprung chassis I use for inline helps, but using actual blades on ice is still a better skating experience). 

The price of inline was definitely appealing when I started. Inline was basically half the price of ice, but over the years I've found the price of the for profit inline leagues has crept up and there really isn't a huge gap in price per game for most leagues in my area anymore (with the exception of one non-profit draft league I play in, but that's not a fair comparison).

How much are league fees in Toronto for inline? We pay ~$1200 USD for a 10 game season per team. ($1583 CAD)

[althoma1 574]

5 hours ago, JSchultz said:

How much are league fees in Toronto for inline? We pay ~$1200 USD for a 10 game season per team. ($1583 CAD)

It varies by league:

Mississauga- $2800 for 30+ and Silver divisions or $367.25 for individuals with tax.

$2290 for Platinum/Gold. I believe it's 12 games for Platinum/Gold and 13 for the other divisions. I have only reffed here in the past.

Usually they have a boxing day special where you can save $50 if you register and pay early. It runs from late April till late July or did in the pre-COVID times.

They have 2 certified refs, a TK, real time stats, music between stoppages and play on a nice Sport Court with a puck. The top division has Junior and College players and us probably the best roller hockey in the GTA.

Toronto Inline- Either uses Sport Court or smooth cement depending on the season. Approximately $250 per player for 12-14 games. They don't have real time stats, sometimes have 2 and sometimes have 1 ref and sometimes the owners or league members TK from the bench. They primarily play with a ball, but have had puck divisions in the past. 

It's mixed skill, but doesn't hold a candle to Mississauga.

East End Saints in Ajax- play on smooth cement with a puck. 2 refs and a TK. $230 for 15 games or $430 for 30 games if a player plays in 2 divisions. I played it one year, but the drive is tough for the early evenings. Mixed skill. Solid league.

GTA Inline-  invite only mixed skill draft league on Sport Court with a ball. About $12 a game per player. Volunteer refs and TK. Not for profit. I was playing here before Covid. 

York Inline - RIP. Shut down a few years ago. Played here for years. Was on Sport Court with a puck, 2 refs and a TK, and was approximately $250 per player for around 14 games.

BFHL in Thornhill- On cement with a puck. $355 per player for 18 games. 2 refs and a TK. Mixed skill. The floor is slick, but also slow (have only reffed here, but don't love the surface).

My preference is Sport Court with a puck, but the draft league struck the right balance of location and price and the teams are usually pretty balanced with the draft. Mississauga is a great league, but I don't want to spend an hour driving there for 1 game. I used to occasionally ref 4 or 5 game shifts, but I stopped even doing that due to the traffic and commute time.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 11, 2020 by althoma1

[Westside 232]

Love reading all these answers. I grew up playing organized ice hockey in Chicagoland, but would play pond and roller for fun with friends. I got back into pick up roller hockey a few years ago in DC when I had free time and to supplement ice hockey which I was doing 2-3x per week. With Covid and ice time pretty much non existent I’ve spent a lot more time on inlines and would like to play more. Hopefully I can find a league around Los Angeles when things get closer to ‘normal’. 

Having not playing organized roller, with pickup the nice part is it’s free. The price of ice time around LA is ridiculous compared to Chicago or DC. That alone makes me consider joining a roller league for the spring/summer rather than playing ice year-round. All you need to play is a pair of skates and a stick even though I also wear shins/gloves and some other guys wear elbows/helmets. You can practice anywhere for free which is awesome. For me, the downsides are I can’t stop/pivot quickly (compared to ice) and I also find balls bouncy and harder to control than pucks. Everywhere I’ve played outdoor has been on asphalt or a rougher concrete surface. The ‘no offsides’ thing really threw me when I got into playing as I’d be waiting for the puck carrier to move the puck up while everyone else was rushing to the other zone! I definitely agree it’s a different game than ice in how you control the puck and how the overall game flows 

[Miller55 333]

On 9/11/2020 at 5:17 PM, Westside said:

Love reading all these answers. I grew up playing organized ice hockey in Chicagoland, but would play pond and roller for fun with friends. I got back into pick up roller hockey a few years ago in DC when I had free time and to supplement ice hockey which I was doing 2-3x per week. With Covid and ice time pretty much non existent I’ve spent a lot more time on inlines and would like to play more. Hopefully I can find a league around Los Angeles when things get closer to ‘normal’. 

Having not playing organized roller, with pickup the nice part is it’s free. The price of ice time around LA is ridiculous compared to Chicago or DC. That alone makes me consider joining a roller league for the spring/summer rather than playing ice year-round. All you need to play is a pair of skates and a stick even though I also wear shins/gloves and some other guys wear elbows/helmets. You can practice anywhere for free which is awesome. For me, the downsides are I can’t stop/pivot quickly (compared to ice) and I also find balls bouncy and harder to control than pucks. Everywhere I’ve played outdoor has been on asphalt or a rougher concrete surface. The ‘no offsides’ thing really threw me when I got into playing as I’d be waiting for the puck carrier to move the puck up while everyone else was rushing to the other zone! I definitely agree it’s a different game than ice in how you control the puck and how the overall game flows 

Where in LA? My sister lives there and they are in Brentwood now. Hey husband plays at Mar Vista, not sure if it's just pickup or if they have an adult league, but there is definitely pickup there during the week and on weekends. When they lovyed further east he played at the famous West Covina rink. There's plenty of roller in the area though. Look up rinks on the rink source map

[SirJW 207]

Plenty of both ice and roller rinks in SoCal. There is a pickup in one of the parking lots at The Rose Bowl too. 

https://www.nhl.com/kings/community/local-rinks

https://www.nhl.com/ducks/community/rink-partners

 

 

Edited September 13, 2020 by SirJW

[Westside 232]

20 minutes ago, Miller55 said:

Where in LA? My sister lives there and they are in Brentwood now. Hey husband plays at Mar Vista, not sure if it's just pickup or if they have an adult league, but there is definitely pickup there during the week and on weekends. When they lovyed further east he played at the famous West Covina rink. There's plenty of roller in the area though. Look up rinks on the rink source map

I’m in Santa Monica and have been to the Mar Vista rink once. I was invited to pickup a few times pre-covid and believe they have leagues as well. I wasn’t sure if anyone was playing since as last I heard the rink was locked up. Looks like SM beach pickup is going to start up again soon so I’ll likely head there for pickup and hopefully when leagues start again at MV I can join a team. 
I recently found out about the Rose Bowl group which sounds sweet, but it’s a bit of a drive from the Westside. I do plan to check it out at least once or twice. Same with Covina. 

[Miller55 333]

2 hours ago, Westside said:

I’m in Santa Monica and have been to the Mar Vista rink once. I was invited to pickup a few times pre-covid and believe they have leagues as well. I wasn’t sure if anyone was playing since as last I heard the rink was locked up. Looks like SM beach pickup is going to start up again soon so I’ll likely head there for pickup and hopefully when leagues start again at MV I can join a team. 
I recently found out about the Rose Bowl group which sounds sweet, but it’s a bit of a drive from the Westside. I do plan to check it out at least once or twice. Same with Covina. 

Yeah wasn't thinking about covid since my sister and brother in law have actually been in NY for about the last 3 months anyway lol. Covina is definitely a trek from the west side, but the play there is definitely really good

[Stewie 721]

On 9/10/2020 at 6:43 PM, kylec said:

I grew up playing street hockey, then a group of friends started playing roller in an empty parking lot on the weekends. I didn't play organized until I was like 13 or 14 for inline (ice was too expensive). There was only one place that offered it near me and it was actually an indoor soccer place that put down tiles. I have some of the best memories from that place, but they stopped doing inline a long time ago. More recently our only other place for year round inline closed down as well. I'm trying to get a feel for what competitive advantage inline has over ice if one day I can accomplish my dream to run an inlne hockey facility for  youth and adult leagues.

Thanks for your response!

What area of Michigan are you from? I know within the last few years three different rinks that have closed (Grand Rapids, Canfield in Dearborn heights, and joe dumars) 

[kylec 9]

3 hours ago, Stewie said:

What area of Michigan are you from? I know within the last few years three different rinks that have closed (Grand Rapids, Canfield in Dearborn heights, and joe dumars) 

My local rink was Rivertown... the hole in the wall, at best... 

[Stewie 721]

3 hours ago, kylec said:

My local rink was Rivertown... the hole in the wall, at best... 

Yeah I played a tournament there, very interesting place. Closest year round place to me closed too (Canfield) but there’s a little hope that the summer only rink that is indoor soccer rest of the year may go in-line year round