Roller Hockey International
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Roller Hockey International or RHI was an inline hockey league in North America between 1993-97 and 1999. Teams competed through a regular and playoff season in hopes of winning The Murphy Cup (not unlike the NHL's Stanley Cup). The league appeared during the rollerblading boom of the early 1990s, but lost steam as the fad died down. In its five combined years of activity, the league saw seven franchises move and eight franchises change names. After folding in 1999, there was a movement to revamp and come back the following year as the Major League Hockey (MLH), but it never came to fruition.
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[edit] Rules
The rules in the RHI were similar to but not identical to those of the National Hockey League at the time, but seemed to try to appeal to the younger extreme sport generation; the RHI had five players at a time on the playing surface opposed to the NHL's six; the penalty times on average were about 1/4 less than the NHL's; there were no blue lines; the puck itself was smaller, a 3 1/2 oz. piece of red plastic; there were four 12 minute quarters opposed to the NHL's three 20 minute periods; a tie score at the end of regulation time would always be followed by a shootout instead of a five minute extra period; and the average number of goals scored per game was 16.7 to the NHL's 7.
[edit] Trivia
- The league inspired at least one videogame, Super Nintendo's RHI Roller Hockey '95.
[edit] Teams
- Anaheim Bullfrogs (1993-1997;1999)
- Calgary Rad'z (1993-1994)
- Connecticut Coasters (1993)/Sacramento River Rats (1994-1997)
- Florida Hammerheads (1993-1994)
- Los Angeles Blades (1993-1997)
- Oakland Skates (1993-1996)
- Portland Rage (1993-1994)
- San Diego Barracudas (1993-1996)/ Ontario Barracudas (1999)
- St. Louis Vipers (1993-1997;1999)
- Toronto Planets (1993)
- Utah Rollerbees (1993)/Las Vegas Flash (1994)
- Vancouver Voodoo (1993-1996)
- Atlanta FireAnts (1994)/Oklahoma Coyotes (1995-1996)/Las Vegas Coyotes (1999)
- Buffalo Stampede (1994-1995)
- Chicago Cheetahs (1994-1995)/Michigan Cheetahs (1996-1997)
- Edmonton SledDogs (1994)/Orlando Rollergators (1995)/Orlando Jackals (1996-1997)/ Miami Jackals(1999)
- Minnesota ArcticBlast (1994; 1996)
- Montreal Roadrunners (1994-1997)
- New England Stingers (1994)/Ottawa Loggers (1995-1996)/Ottawa Wheels (1997)
- New Jersey Rockin Rollers (1994-1997)
- Philadelphia Bulldogs (1994-1996)
- Phoenix Cobras (1994-1995)/Empire State Cobras (1996)/Buffalo Wings (1997; 1999)
- Pittsburgh Phantom (1994)
- San Jose Rhinos (1994-1997;1999)
- Tampa Bay Tritons (1994)
- Minnesota Blue Ox (1995; 1999)
- Motor City Mustangs (1995)
- Denver Daredevils (1996)
- Long Island Jawz (1996)
- Chicago Bluesmen (1999)
- Dallas Stallions (1999)
- Utah Sun Dogs (1999)
Note: The Palm Desert Silver-Cats (1995) and later in Ontario, California (1997) were a semi-pro team that played exhibition games with the Blades and Bullfrogs of the RHI league.
[edit] Murphy Cup Championship Winners
- 1993 Anaheim Bullfrogs
- 1994 Buffalo Stampede
- 1995 San Jose Rhinos
- 1996 Orlando Jackals
- 1997 Anaheim Bullfrogs
- 1998 No season
- 1999 St. Louis Vipers
