Major League Roller Hockey Europe
Major League Roller Hockey Europe (MLRH Europe) is a not-for-profit organisation which operates semi-professional and amateur inline hockey leagues in Europe. Headquartered in Fareham, MLRH Europe is an expansion organisation to the MLRH in the United States.
MLRH's expansion to Europe was announced in April 2012 ahead of a full summer schedule spanning from May to August, with the Summer Season culminating in the MLRH European Summer Cup held on 4–5 August.
MLRH's American professional league is considered the highest level a player can reach in the sport. MLRH's European leagues differ strategically from its American parent league by offering a full range of competitions from junior sports to veterans' competitions. MLRH Europe's mandate specifically recognises the need to develop youth and grassroots operations to ensure continued growth for the sport and accessible international playing opportunities for all skill and age levels.
History
The history
Major League Roller Hockey was founded in 1998 in Alexandria, Virginia by entrepreneur Bill Raue. The inaugural season featured two franchises from the suspended RHI (the Anaheim Bullfrogs and Buffalo Wings) and 18 new franchises, with 11 in the United States, one in Canada and six in the United Kingdom. The first games were played during the summer of 1998. Hugo Belanger of the Virginia Vultures, former Roller Hockey International Leading Scorer, finished the inaugural season leading the league in goals (79), assists (79) and points (158). The Anaheim Bullfrogs defeated the Orlando Surge to win the first Jason Cup title in front of 10,000 fans at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California.
While MLRH operated successfully in its inaugural season, the league went on hiatus for the 1999 season. Roller Hockey International returned in 1999 for one last season before folding for good. MLRH however fell victim to the demise of RHI and was brought down as professional roller hockey flamed out in 1999. According to Bill Raue, "There were so many bad feelings when RHI folded with $40 million in losses that it was virtually impossible to play at the professional level."
Returning in 2000, MLRH operated throughout the Midwest and Eastern seaboard playing with primarily amateur players. Starting in 2005, MLRH expanded to a Super League with the American champion facing the European champion in a world championship. In 2009, MLRH moved to a pro tour style league before returning to a traditional home-and-home style league in 2010.
Game
Each Major League Roller Hockey regulation game is played between two teams and is 48 minutes long. The game is composed of four 12-minute quarters with an intermission of either one minute between first and second, and third and fourth quarters, and a halftime of five minutes between the second and third quarters. At the end of the 48-minute regulation time, the team with the most goals wins the game. If a game is tied after regulation time, a shootout ensues. Five players for each team in turn take a penalty shot. The team with the most goals during the five-round shootout wins the game. If the game is still tied after the five shootout rounds, the shootout becomes sudden death. Whichever team ultimately wins the shootout is awarded a goal in the game score and thus awarded two points in the standings. The losing team in overtime or shootout is awarded only one. Shootout goals and saves are not tracked in hockey statistics; shootout statistics are tracked separately.
Shootouts do not occur during the playoffs. In the playoffs, sudden-death 12-minute four-on-four periods are played until one team scores.
Inline hockey rink
Major League Roller Hockey games are played on a rectangular inline hockey rink with rounded corners surrounded by walls and Plexiglas. MLRH standards call for a rink measuring at least 20 meters by 40 meters. The center line divides the floor in half, and is used to judge illegal clearing violations. Near the end of both ends of the rink, there is a thin red goal line spanning the width of the floor, which is used to judge goals and illegal clearing calls.
Rules
While Major League Roller Hockey follows the general rules of inline hockey, it differs slightly from those used in IIHF or FIRS games. Infractions of the rules can lead to either the stoppage of play in the case of offside and illegal clearing calls, or a penalty call for more serious infractions.
The league has different rules regarding being offside. First, the league only has an "offside pass" rule, which requires a stoppage in play if a pass originating from inside a team's defending zone was completed on the offensive side of the center line, unless the puck crossed the line before the player. Furthermore, the league also does not have an a standard "offside" rule resulting from skate position.
Also, a linesman stops play due to illegal clearing the moment the puck crosses the goal line, similarly to international ice hockey rules. The team that is guilty of illegally clearing the puck they are not allowed to make a line change before the following faceoff.
In MLRH, minor penalties called have a duration of one and one half minutes. Double minor penalties in MLRH have a duration of three minutes. Major penalites in MLRH have a duration of four minutes, as opposed to five minutes in ice hockey. Players who receive a second fighting major in MLRH games are ejected from the game. Usually a penalised team cannot replace a player that is penalized on the floor and is thus shorthanded for the duration of the penalty, but if the penalties are coincidental, for example when two players fight, both teams remain at full strength. Also, unlike minor penalties, major penalties must be served to their full completion, regardless of number of goals scored during the power play.
See also
- Jason Cup
- List of defunct MLRH teams
- List of MLRH seasons
- Major League Roller Hockey AA
External links
fi:Major League Roller Hockey Europe