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 1998, there was a movement to revamp and come back the following year as the Major League Hockey (MLH) that year, but it never came to fruition. The RHI was revived in 1999, but cancelled the 2000 season and the league finally folded operations in 2001 when their team sites were limited to arenas in California.
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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] Teams
Note: RHI 1993-97, MLRH 1998, revived RHI 1999-2000 and California Roller Hockey League 2001, folded before 2002 season.
- Anaheim Bullfrogs (1993-1997;1999 and 2001)
- Calgary Rad'z (1993-1994)
- Connecticut Coasters (1993)/Sacramento River Rats (1994-1997)
- Florida Hammerheads (1993-1994)
- Los Angeles Blades (1993-1997; 1999 and 2001)
- Oakland Skates (1993-1996; 1998-99 and 2001)
- 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) and (2001)
- 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 Phantoms (1994)
- San Jose Rhinos (1994-1997;1999 and 2001)
- Tampa Bay Tritons (1994)
- Minnesota Blue Ox (1995; 1999)
- Motor City Mustangs (1995)
- Denver Daredevils (1996-1997)/ Detroit Renaissance (1999)
- Long Island Jawz (1996-1997)
- Toronto Trojans (1999)
- Chicago Bluesmen (1999)
- Dallas Stallions (1999)
- Utah Sun Dogs (1999)/ Spokane Sun Dogs (2001)
- Austin Chiles (1999)/ Arizona Chiles (2001)
- Fresno/Bakersfield Bombers (2001)
- Idaho Idols (1999; 2001)
- Milwaukee Blue Waves (2001)
- Minnesota Brown Shirts (2001)
- Phoenix Phantoms (2001)
- Ventura County Surfers (2001)
- San Diego Jackals (2001)
- Virginia Seagulls (1997-1998)/ Oakland Seagulls (1999)/ San Diego Seagulls (2001)
- Washington Web Warriors (2001)
- Washington DC Power (1998-1999)/ Portland Power (2001)
- Iowa Roadhogs (1999)/ Reno Roadhogs (2001)
- Kansas City Chiggers (1999)/ Fresno Chiggers (2001)
- Kansas City Rollerhawks (1999)/San Bernardino Rollerhawks (2001)
- Reno Redskates (1999)/ Redding Redskates (2001)
- Sacramento Golden Wheels (2001)
- San Francisco Hippys (2001)
- Santa Rosa Radikals (2001)
- Stockton Silver-Kats (2001)
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 def. Oakland Skates
- 1994 Buffalo Stampede def. Portland Rage
- 1995 San Jose Rhinos def. Montreal Roadrunners
- 1996 Orlando Jackals def. Anaheim Bullfrogs
- 1997 Anaheim Bullfrogs def. New Jersey Rockin' Rollers
- 1998 No season (MLRH Champion: Anaheim Bullfrogs)
- 1999 St. Louis Vipers def. Anaheim Bullfrogs
[edit] Licensing
The league inspired at least one video game, Super Nintendo's RHI Roller Hockey '95.
