Women's In-Line Hockey

Women's In-Line Hockey

Women's Roller Hockey

Yes, that's right WOMEN'S ROLLER HOCKEY! Did you ever want to try roller hockey but didn't want to put up with the smell of sweaty guys? Well, finally we are seeing the emergence of roller hockey leagues that are exclusively for women!

In the Toronto area, the Metro Toronto Roller Hockey League (MTRHL) is now offering a women's only division, that is sanctioned by CIRSA. Furthermore, CIRSA will help to coordinate women's programs in any other area of the country where demand exists.

Perhaps you've even heard a few rumours about roller hockey. To clear up any confusion that you might have, there are two different kinds of roller hockey. We will refer to them as the "short" stick and "long" stick games. Here is an explanation of each of these games:

"Short" Stick Game (Traditional Roller Hockey)

Please see the above link for information about traditional women's roller hockey.

smaller net than ice hockey.
played with a hard ball and a stick like field hockey.
other than Canada, most countries use box roller skates (4 wheels, 2 side by side), instead of in-line skates.
four players and one goalkeeper on the floor per team.
maximum of 10 players per team.
wear shin guards, knee pads, elbow pads - no helmets.
a slightly smaller playing surface than ice hockey.
Canadian women won the first World Championship in Germany, 1992.
Canadian women won a silver medal at the second World Championship in Portugal, 1994.

The next Women's World Roller Hockey Championship will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina in the fall of 1998. The location is yet to be confirmed.

"Long" Stick Game (In-Line Roller Hockey)

The remainder of this web page will focus on the long-stick in-line roller hockey game.

played with a roller hockey puck and ice hockey stick.
nets could be slightly smaller than ice hockey, depending on where you play.
in-line skates are used.
four players and one goalkeeper on the floor per team.
maximum of 14 players per team.
wear helmet with face protection, wear shin guards, knee pads, elbow pads.
same size of playing surface as ice hockey. May be played on cement or plastic (roll-on or sport court) floors.
The Toronto Tornado select team won the silver medal for women at the North American Roller Hockey Championship (NARCh) in St. Louis, Missouri in August, 1995.
In 1996, CIRSA sent two teams to NARCh in Chicago. The Toronto Tornado team won the gold medal, while the Toronto Tigers won the siver!

Women's in-line hockey has been growing in Canada at an astounding rate. There are various league play opportunities across Canada. Please contact CIRSA at 1-800-958-0000 for further information.

The Metro Toronto Roller Hockey League (MTRHL) is hosting a six team women's league in the summer of 1997. Playing opportunites are also available on men's teams - especially for goaltenders. Some co-ed playing opportunities are also available. Please fill out this application form if you would like to register to for the 1997 women's summer league. The women's league takes place every Sunday night throughout the summer (with the exception of long weekends). Game times are 6:00 pm, 7:00 pm, or 8:00 pm at the North York Centennial arena. The cost for the league is $150.

The North American Roller Hockey Championship will take place from August 15-18, 1998 in Atlanta this summer. MTRHL plans to send three representative women's teams to this tournament. These teams are called the Toronto Franklin Typhoon, the Toronto Mission Hurricane, and the Toronto Nike Cyclone.

In-Line Hockey Resources

Images

Women's In-Line Hockey Pictures