Roller Hockey
What do the terms Field, Street, Ice, Floor, Roller, Floor and Dek all have in common?
As most astute readers well know, they're all distinctly different variations of the peerless sport, hockey!
CATCH THIS: Did you know that your favorite game evolved from "field" hockey -- a game played with crooked sticks whose origins can be traced back more than four thousand years ago?! If you believe the Guinness Book of World Records (1988 Edition), it states that "a representation of two players with curved snagging sticks apparently in an orthodox `bully' position was found in Tomb Number 17 at Beni Hasan, Egypt and has been dated to 2050 BC".
I'm not quite sure what's meant by "an orthodox bully position" but it certainly sounds like hockey to me.
The book goes on to point out that the first pictorial reference of hockey played on ice can be pinpointed to the Netherlands. Apparently the Dutch, in the early 1700's, played a game called "kalv" that was very similar to what transplanted Brits devised on frozen lakes in the vicinity of Kingston, Ontario in the mid- 1800s. The game really took shape and gained a much higher profile in 1893 when a sports-minded Governor-General of Canada, Lord Stanley, shelled out $48.67 for the purchase of a "Cup" which, he proclaimed, would be awarded annually to the best ice hockey team on the continent. The rest, as they say, is history...
With regard to hockey played off the ice, I can unabashedly say that I used to be an expert. Growing up in the hockey hotbed of Toronto, Ontario in the mid 1960s -- when my beloved Leafs were riding high in the NHL saddle, treating hockey proud locals with four Stanley Cup victory parades in the span of 7 years -- my childhood pals and I played what we called "ball hockey." The game had simple rules -- put on your boots, grab your gloves and hockey stick, find a stretch of road that didn't have a lot of traffic, put up a couple of nets (or anything that could substitute for goal posts -- like garbage cans), split up the teams, throw out a tennis ball...and away we went for hours on end.
And of course, everyone was a personal hero. Me, I'd be Davey Keon -- number 14 in your program, No. 1 in your heart! After Keon got unceremoniously dumped by the Leafs' misguided brain trust of the '70s, I switched numbers and became Mike "Shakey" Walton -- number 16 in your program, No. 1 in your heart!
Ideal "game" conditions always came right after a huge snow storm. Snow removal machines, after clearing the roads of the heavy snow, would leave a slick surface that aficionados could truly appreciate. The icy track was nothing less than perfect for our game as we'd run and, as often as we could, slide to win possession of the frozen ball. Body checking was allowed but only if the snowbanked "boards" were high enough to cushion whatever course of destruction your assailant had in mind.
We always had a ball playing "ball" hockey and it really didn't matter if it was in the middle of a hot summer or in the dead cold of winter. When we weren't on the ice playing our favorite sport, we'd simply take it to the streets.
In 1970, the management of a West End Toronto arena that used to shut down its ice-making operation during the summer decided to convert its rink into a ball hockey facility for the months of June, July and August. Word quickly spread that an official league was forming and it wasn't long before my buddies decided to put a "real" team together and enter the organization as a charter member.
Unfortunately, I was not on that team called the "Toronto Canadians." I recall choosing instead to play baseball that summer.
And while my Legion 31 squad won the city championship that year, it didn't quite measure up to the athletic achievement accomplished later in the decade by my buds. After staying and playing together for several years, The Canadians -- led by ex-Toronto Argonaut halfback Cor Doret, Gerry "Beans" Binsfield and Fast Eddie Pordage -- went on to become the inaugural national champions of the Canadian Ball Hockey Association.
That was in 1978 when the championships were held in the nation's capital, Ottawa. At the time, about 2,000 players played the game. Fourteen years later, the Canadian Ball Hockey Association now boasts 20,000 members.
While researching this article, which will now focus on three of the more popular forms of off-ice hockey -- Ball, Roller and Dek, I had the opportunity to talk with some very informed people who each spoke about their game with a passion that was heart warming. Regrettably I didn't connect with all the people I wanted but I did speak with -- Judy Ilcio, the 31 year old president of the Canadian Ball Hockey League as well as the founder of the Canadian Woman's Ball Hockey Association; Paul Chapey, a 48 year old Brooklyn transplant now living in San Diego who's been playing roller hockey since he was 10; and Paul Dolan who works for Mylec - - the Dek Hockey innovators -- and tirelessly travels thousands of miles every year in the name of the sport. All were more than happy to generously share their time to talk "hockey"!
Now before discussing the different brands of hockey, I'd like you to be aware that different definitions in different parts of the world apply for the same terms. For example, what I grew calling ball hockey, i.e. a game played in sneakers, is also a popular European roller game that's to get a preview as a demonstration sport in the 1992 Olympics. Also, in many parts of the country, ball hockey is better known as "street hockey" -- which will be discussed in detail in a later issue. With those disclaimers out of the way, let's now begin with my interpretation of Ball Hockey.
BALL HOCKEY
"Ball Hockey", the off-ice equivalent of "shinny", is easily the simplest manner in which to play the game. Here's what you need to know about it:
Equipment: Stick (any kind), non-bouncy fluorescent orange "street" ball (a tennis ball is an OK substitute).
Surface: Flat concrete preferred (an ice-less hockey rink is ideal but vacated parking lots work well in a pinch).
Goal: All that's needed are two markers for goal posts so whatever's handy will usually suffice -- school books, rocks, crates, etc. Playing with a regulation 4 feet by 6 feet net is, of course, sweet.
Rules: Divide the teams, with or without a "maximum-on" at one time rule, and play using the rules of professional ice hockey. No referees are needed if you can play with a civilized attitude.
Official League Nuances: While ball hockey leagues pretty much follow the NHL rule book, there is one significant amendment that many leagues employ -- the "floating blueline". Once a team gains possession of the offensive zone, the team does not have to retreat until the ball is cleared beyond the center line.
As Judy Ilcio explains, "Considering the tremendous amount of running involved in the game, the floating blueline concept was a practical innovation that's been greeted with widespread acceptance in the Canadian Ball Hockey League."
ROLLER HOCKEY
The origins of "Roller Hockey" can be traced to the schoolyards of New York City where Ranger fans have been playing their city version of the game for decades with few changes.
Puck. After years of experimentation with all types of balls and saucer-shaped objects, East Coast roller players finally found the perfect puck -- a roll of tape. Not just any kind of tape mind you but Scotch brand 3M Tape -- Type #35 or Super #88.
"Their the best outdoor pucks money can buy," confirms roller hockey expert Paul Chapey. "They shoot true and stay flat...a player can't ask for much more than that."
However, in official league play, the U.S. Roller Hockey Association endorses a plastic hollow puck filled with miniature BB's. And that's the puck Mr. Chapey, as Meet Director of the 28th Annual Roller Hockey Championships, will be dropping to begin this year's national tournament from July 11-17 in San Diego.
"Last year we had 22 teams from places like Philadelphia, Baltimore, Detroit, St. Louis, Minnesota and of course California," said Chapey. "This year we expect even more!"
With Easton Sports now sponsoring the event, the national Roller Hockey Championships have grown in stature as well as size. And considering that there are four divisions of competition -- junior, bronze (novice), silver (intermediate) and gold (advanced) -- there's no reason why your team shouldn't be competing. For an "all-you-need-to-know" packet about the tournament, call Paul Chapey at 619-436-2901. He'll be happy to give you the lowdown.
Here are some other bits of information you might need to know about roller hockey:
Equipment. While players sport the usual protective gear of helmet, elbow and knee pads, the most interesting trend developing in this area is with regard to the footwear. Slowly but surely the "in-line" skate is taking over the sport. It's estimated that at least 50% of the players in this year's tournament will wear in- line skates -- a far cry from just a couple of years ago when nearly all players wore the conventional "roller" skate.
"There's no questioning the advantages of in-line," explains Mr. Chapey. "While it might be a bit easier to execute a stop with the old roller skate, they're no match to the in-line when it comes to speed and overall performance."
Regular ice hockey and plastic sticks are used in roller hockey.
Rules. Roller hockey features 5-on-5 play plus a goalie. Goals are regulation size -- 6 feet by 4 feet. No deliberate checking is allowed and there are no "line" calls to halt play -- a cherry- picker's delight! Surface. While there's no official surface, the flatter and smoother the better. Those going to San Diego can expect playing dimensions of 175 feet by 80 feet.
DEK HOCKEY
"Dek Hockey" is a variation of ball (or street) hockey that's played on a plastic surface called "Mylec". Invented in 1974 by Ray LeClerc, Mylec is an injected molded interlocking plastic surface that allows players a true, smooth surface in which to play the game.
As Paul Dolan explains, "Dek hockey rinks are springing up all over the continent. Right now there are 17 Mylec rinks in the U.S. and 2 in Canada with plenty more on the way. As street and ball hockey players soon find out, the Mylec surface is much less abusive on the body then playing on concrete or asphalt."
Equipment. Dek Hockey features plastic sticks, a plastic no-bounce ball as well as the usual array of protective gear. But perhaps the most important piece of equipment is a pair of high cut running shoes which provide strong ankle and arch support.
Rules. Six aside is the standard fare and, as with the other off- ice versions, no body checking is allowed. There is one single center line that players have to respect. Goals are standard 6' x 4'.
This first appeared in the April/1992 issue of Hockey
Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2003, Hockey Player® LLC and Hockey
Player Magazine®
Posted: Aug 31, 2008, 00:00
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