QuadDeuces
Registered User
There was a thread about this on another board on which I post, and I thought it would make for an interesting discussion here. Before you point to the obvious failure of the RHI, read the rest of the thread and then pass judgment.
There is currently a PIHA (Professional Inline Hockey Association) but it's a small league. I think it would get a lot more people into the sport in general, because when you ask an average American about hockey, what's the first thing that comes out of their mouths/into their minds? "Fighting, violence, brutal, low-scoring, etc..."
Roller hockey (I play myself) is less physical, but still a very exciting game. The game is very fast, and higher scoring (Another aspect that should get more of the Average Joe interested). If the league allows for the same checking contact as the NHL, it would be a fantastic draw.
It would certainly take time, but roller hockey would bring hockey to areas of the country where it's not in the culture, without the risk of expanding an NHL or AHL franchise there. Look at California (one of the 3 biggest hotbeds of roller hockey in the US, with Long Island, and St. Louis being the others)
The quality of the league would steadily improve, as there are more and more feeder leagues, such as NARCH, TORHS, and the college leagues. This is definitely a sport on the rise. Finally, it would hold over the NHL diehards over the summer with some interesting, albeit different, hockey action.
The major point is, I think it's time to give pro roller hockey another shot, but go about it slightly differently. The game has grown tremendously since the RHI folded.
- Minor league arenas. For God's sakes, don't try to fill an NHL arena for a roller hockey game. The cost of the use of the arena, the floor modifications, etc, will NOT pay off. Lets face it, a league for a niche sport that would be just getting off the ground will not sell out a 16,000+ seat arena. However, with proper marketing, I could definitely see 5,000-8,000 spectators filling out an AHL/ECHL arena.
- Cheap tickets. The ticket prices should be no more than an NLL game, and the less the better. For this you need an owner who is willing to not make a substantial profit while the league starts out. This would allow families to come out and see a hockey game for a reasonable price.
- Market the game's speed, high scoring, and physicality, but keep fighting out (never has been in roller hockey), for the reason mentioned in the beginning (American's associations with hockey).
- Get the game on Versus/ESPN2. It would be a great start for a niche league. In the summer Versus doesn't have an awful lot to show, so they'd take a cheap or revenue-sharing deal. Get it on the local networks as well.
- Put teams in established roller hockey areas (Long Island, St. Louis, California), and add in a few other areas that would be able to sustain it (Chicago, Southern Florida, etc...). Teams there would do reasonably well and more owners would become interested in bringing in other teams. NHL hotbeds would be able to support a team just based on the diehards alone looking for a hockey fix in the summer.
- Perhaps get a high profile name in extreme sports or sports broadcasting to endorse the league. Would appeal to a broader base of people.
Please keep wiseass comments to a minimum.
Edited to add: Don't misinterpret this as a thought that a pro roller hockey league could become a major pro sports league in the US. I could, however, definitely see it existing on the same plane or slightly above (once fully grown) as Arena Football, a niche sport with a small diehard following, and a well-run league.
Discuss.
-- George.
There is currently a PIHA (Professional Inline Hockey Association) but it's a small league. I think it would get a lot more people into the sport in general, because when you ask an average American about hockey, what's the first thing that comes out of their mouths/into their minds? "Fighting, violence, brutal, low-scoring, etc..."
Roller hockey (I play myself) is less physical, but still a very exciting game. The game is very fast, and higher scoring (Another aspect that should get more of the Average Joe interested). If the league allows for the same checking contact as the NHL, it would be a fantastic draw.
It would certainly take time, but roller hockey would bring hockey to areas of the country where it's not in the culture, without the risk of expanding an NHL or AHL franchise there. Look at California (one of the 3 biggest hotbeds of roller hockey in the US, with Long Island, and St. Louis being the others)
The quality of the league would steadily improve, as there are more and more feeder leagues, such as NARCH, TORHS, and the college leagues. This is definitely a sport on the rise. Finally, it would hold over the NHL diehards over the summer with some interesting, albeit different, hockey action.
The major point is, I think it's time to give pro roller hockey another shot, but go about it slightly differently. The game has grown tremendously since the RHI folded.
- Minor league arenas. For God's sakes, don't try to fill an NHL arena for a roller hockey game. The cost of the use of the arena, the floor modifications, etc, will NOT pay off. Lets face it, a league for a niche sport that would be just getting off the ground will not sell out a 16,000+ seat arena. However, with proper marketing, I could definitely see 5,000-8,000 spectators filling out an AHL/ECHL arena.
- Cheap tickets. The ticket prices should be no more than an NLL game, and the less the better. For this you need an owner who is willing to not make a substantial profit while the league starts out. This would allow families to come out and see a hockey game for a reasonable price.
- Market the game's speed, high scoring, and physicality, but keep fighting out (never has been in roller hockey), for the reason mentioned in the beginning (American's associations with hockey).
- Get the game on Versus/ESPN2. It would be a great start for a niche league. In the summer Versus doesn't have an awful lot to show, so they'd take a cheap or revenue-sharing deal. Get it on the local networks as well.
- Put teams in established roller hockey areas (Long Island, St. Louis, California), and add in a few other areas that would be able to sustain it (Chicago, Southern Florida, etc...). Teams there would do reasonably well and more owners would become interested in bringing in other teams. NHL hotbeds would be able to support a team just based on the diehards alone looking for a hockey fix in the summer.
- Perhaps get a high profile name in extreme sports or sports broadcasting to endorse the league. Would appeal to a broader base of people.
Please keep wiseass comments to a minimum.
Edited to add: Don't misinterpret this as a thought that a pro roller hockey league could become a major pro sports league in the US. I could, however, definitely see it existing on the same plane or slightly above (once fully grown) as Arena Football, a niche sport with a small diehard following, and a well-run league.
Discuss.
-- George.
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