ORAL HISTORY

rial to people on the beach. I did (1995-97, 1999), Part-Owner, St. Louis Vipers it because I wanted it to work, Keith Blase was starting to make sure it took off. a team in St. Louis and ap- proached me about playing. I JIMMY VIVONA had just retired from Defenseman, Connecticut Coasters (1993), and still had a passion to play a New York Riot (MLRH, 1998) little bit. I was building a roller- I’ve been playing roller hock- hockey rink at the time, because ey since I was three. I grew up it wasn’t affordable to build an on roller skates. I played in the ice rink in St. Louis. You could INTERNATIONAL best roller-hockey league in say that it was self-serving, but New York, the famed Fort Ham- I thought joining the Vipers ilton Roller Hockey League in would be a good marketing tool Brooklyn. The Mullen Brothers, for my roller rink. Joey and Brian, played there. It was the toughest league I had RHI quickly becomes a place ever played in, tougher than for minor-leaguers to work dur- AN ORAL HISTORY RHI. In 1993, they had tryouts ing the summer and for some ex- for RHI, and I went there with NHL players who weren’t ready JIMMY VIVONA my quad roller skates. I’m one to “hang ’em up” yet to play the The rise and fall of professional roller hockey in the 1990s is a cautionary tale about a league of the few RHI players to play pro game again, albeit on a dif- on the quad skates as opposed ferent surface. In addition to that began with great promise, but whose demise was a result of mismanagement, greed, to the inline skates. Shank, Dadswell and Turnbull, infighting and a heated dispute over a puck patent that generated millions BY SAL BARRY other former NHLers to play DOUG DADSWELL in RHI include , Goaltender, Rad’z (1993) Al Secord, Rik Wilson, Corrado WENTY YEARS In 1991, Murphy gets the idea and said, “Let’s start a new SportsChannel America televises I was retired from ice hockey Micalef, Matt DelGuidice, Walt ago, Roller to start a new hockey league. league in roller hockey.” I said, some RHI games in the U.S. dur- for about a year. I had just got Poddubny, Craig Coxe and Dan- Hockey Inter- ’s trade to the “What the hell is roller hockey?” ing the 1993 season. To stock the back from a vacation in Jamaica iel Berthiaume. Future NHLers national played Kings in 1988 causes participa- rosters, players are drafted or when I heard about the tryouts. who play in RHI include Darren its last game tion in hockey in the U.S. to surge. LARRY KING signed as free agents. The league Morris Lukowich was the coach, Langdon, Manny Legace, Steve when the St. Louis Vipers de- As a result, the interest in inline RHI Co-Founder and CEO; Owner, Sacramento also holds open tryouts in vari- and I knew him. I was the oldest Poapst, Mike Kennedy, Harry feated the Anaheim Bullfrogs skates also booms. The time is River Rats ous cities – with a $50 registra- guy on the team that year at 29. York and Glen Metropolit. to win the 1999 RHI champi- right to combine the two into Dennis got all enthusiastic tion fee. The tryouts are held Most of the guys were in their The league needs a puck that onship. Just like Reggie Dun- the newest major-league sport. about the idea, and away we more to raise startup funds than early 20s. can withstand being shot at 100 lop from Slap Shot knew his Unlike the WHA, which was a went. to find players. miles per hour. A ball won’t cut team was going to fold at the direct competitor of the NHL in CHRISTIAN SKORYNA it because it’s too bouncy – and end of the season, Christian the 1970s, Murphy’s new league JEANIE BUSS VICTOR GERVAIS Forward, Toronto Planets (1993), Florida because the founders want to will be played in the summer on Owner, Los Angeles Blades, 1993-97 Forward, Anaheim Bullfrogs (1993-98) Hammerheads (1994), St. Louis Vipers (1995- use a puck. But a durable puck end of the road for his Vipers. concrete, with players wearing Hockey was really having Bullfrogs coach Chris McSor- 97, 1999) for inline hockey doesn’t yet ex- “ISkoryna had heard figured the rumors it was that the inline skates instead of the tradi- this huge movement in South- ley called me and sold me on My dad saw an advertise- ist. Just like Murphy’s ABA used this could be our last season,” tional “quad” roller skates. ern California after Gretzky coming to play in Anaheim. I ment in the back of The Hockey a special red, white and blue DANIEL SHANK said Skoryna, the RHI’s all- Murphy collaborates with came to Los Angeles in 1988, thought to myself, is this going News about tryouts for the that became sym- time leading scorer. “I felt in real-estate developer Alex Belle- and inline skating was a part of to be like ? Was it Toronto Planets. It looked like bolic of the league, RHI needs my gut that this could be it for humeur and lawyer Larry King, all of that. You saw a lot of rinks going to be a joke? I didn’t know a decent summer job. I was its own iconic puck, one that the league, so that added to who previously worked with being built, ice rinks that had anything about roller hockey at playing junior in the OHL for can take a beating and generate the satisfaction of going out as Murphy in 1973 to start World an adjacent roller rink as well. the time. the Belleville Bulls and asked revenue for the league. Bellehu- champions.” Team Tennis. Former Montreal our Bauer rep to get me a pair meur is tasked with designing Eight years prior to the Vi- Canadiens star Ralph Back- MURPHY DANIEL SHANK of rollerblades. I practised for what will eventually be known pers’ championship, RHI was strom, who played in Murphy’s I blame myself for some Forward, San Diego Barracudas (1993), a month before the tryouts. It as the Jofa SpeedPuck, a blaze- founded by Dennis Murphy, WHA for several seasons and things, but I’ve got to take cred- Phoenix Cobras (1994), Anaheim Bullfrogs was an open cattle call and, in orange disk that becomes the who knew a thing or two about was an early adopter of inline it for this. I got a lot of people (1995), Orlando Jackals (1996, 1997) retrospect, they probably had pre-eminent puck for roller starting professional sports skates for off-ice training, is involved in sports. Most of them I played for the San Diego no intention of taking anyone hockey. leagues. Murphy was the driv- named RHI commissioner. have done really well. When I Gulls (of the IHL), which was from that particular tryout. ing force behind the American called my connections about owned by Fred Comrie. Mr. But I was young and naive, and MURPHY Basketball Association, World DENNIS MURPHY roller hockey, they pretty much Comrie purchased the San Di- thought I’d go out and give it a The ABA didn’t patent the Team Tennis and the World RHI Co-Founder and League President went along with me. ego Barracudas franchise and whirl. There were a lot of great red, white and blue basketball. Hockey Association. One day, I saw kids play- signed me. We decided to have players, but everyone was new Wilson Sporting Goods went And just like the WHA before ing roller hockey on the street To build hype for the forthcom- a mascot and promote the to rollerblades. I probably ahead and sold millions of the it, RHI had its share of bold, col- and thought, my goodness, this ing league, a five-game inline team. I was the Barracuda! I put stood out because of the month red, white and blue would go over pretty well. hockey exhibition tour is held in on the costume and skated on of practice, and I made the teams while also making its August 1992. Team USA defeats the boardwalk along the beach Planets as a 19-year old. markorful on jerseys the NHL. and fly-by-night ALEX BELLEHUMEUR Team