1993 RHI season
Encyclopedia
The 1993 RHI season was the 1st season of operation of Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International was a professional inline hockey league that operated in North America from 1993 to 1999. It was the first major professional league for inline hockey....

 (RHI). The season started on July 1, 1993. The Anaheim Bullfrogs
Anaheim Bullfrogs
The Anaheim Bullfrogs were a professional inline hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Bullfrogs played in Roller Hockey International and Major League Roller Hockey before returning to Roller Hockey international . The Bullfrogs played their home games in the Arrowhead Pond of...

 defeated the Oakland Skates
Oakland Skates
The Oakland Skates were a professional roller hockey team and were a member team in Roller Hockey International from 1993 through 1996. In 1993 the Skates were a finalist for the RHI league championship, named the Murphy Cup, for one of the league founders, Dennis Murphy, losing to the Anaheim...

 in the 1993 Murphy Cup Final 2–0 to win the first Murphy Cup.

Teams and divisions

The league premiered with 12 teams, the Anaheim Bullfrogs
Anaheim Bullfrogs
The Anaheim Bullfrogs were a professional inline hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Bullfrogs played in Roller Hockey International and Major League Roller Hockey before returning to Roller Hockey international . The Bullfrogs played their home games in the Arrowhead Pond of...

, Calgary Rad'z
Calgary Rad'z
The Calgary Rad'z were a professional inline hockey team that played two seasons in the Roller Hockey International in 1993 and 1994. The Rad'z were a founding member of the RHI. The Rad'z began play in the Olympic Saddledome, but moved to the much smaller Max Bell Arena midway through their...

, Connecticut Coasters
Connecticut Coasters
The Connecticut Coasters were a Roller Hockey International franchise based in New Haven, Connecticut, that played only in the 1993 season.Their team colors were teal, purple, and silver. They played at New Haven Memorial Coliseum. The Coasters finished 3rd in their division and finished 7th in...

, Florida Hammerheads, Los Angeles Blades
Los Angeles Blades
The Los Angeles Blades were a professional inline hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. The Blades played in Roller Hockey International from 1993-1997 and played their home games at the Great Western Forum....

, Oakland Skates
Oakland Skates
The Oakland Skates were a professional roller hockey team and were a member team in Roller Hockey International from 1993 through 1996. In 1993 the Skates were a finalist for the RHI league championship, named the Murphy Cup, for one of the league founders, Dennis Murphy, losing to the Anaheim...

, Portland Rage, San Diego Barracudas
San Diego Barracudas
The San Diego Barracudas were a southern Californian professional inline hockey team which existed from 1993 through 1996. The Barracudas were a part of Roller Hockey International. The team's home games were played at the San Diego Sports Arena...

, St. Louis Vipers
St. Louis Vipers
The St. Louis Vipers were a team of professional roller hockey players based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was a part of the now-defunct Roller Hockey International League. They played their home games in the former St. Louis Arena but then moved to the Kiel Center in 1995...

, Toronto Planets
Toronto Planets
The Toronto Planets were a team in the Roller Hockey International league. The Planets played their home games at Varsity Arena during the league's first season in 1993, but folded at the conclusion of the season....

, Utah Rollerbees, and Vancouver Voodoo
Vancouver Voodoo
The Vancouver Voodoo were a roller hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada which played in the RHI league. The Voodoo were one of the original twelve teams to join the league in 1993. They played in the PNE Agrodome in 1993 and 1994, the Pacific Coliseum in 1994 and 1995, and in...

. The teams were broken up into three divisions each with four teams. The divisions, like the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 at the time, where named after key figures in the league. The Murphy and King Divisions were named after league co-founders Dennis Murphy and Larry King respectively. The Buss Division was named after Anaheim Bullfrogs owner Jerry Buss
Jerry Buss
Gerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss Ph.D., M.S. is an American businessman, real estate investor, and a former chemist. He is the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team along with other professional sports franchises in Southern California...

.

Season schedule

Each team played a 14 game home-and-away schedule that ended with a championship game on September 7, 1993. Teams in the Buss and King Divisions played every team in their own division four times (twice at home, and twice on the road), and played two teams from the other division once (one team at home, one team on the road).

Due to the extended travel needed, teams in the Murphy Division only played games within their division. They played two teams four times (twice at home, and twice on the road), and one team six times (three times at home, and three times on the road).

Players' salaries

After extended research, the league officials decided that guaranteed contracts did not work. Each player earned $314 per week, with $672,000 in prize pool money to be divided between each team based on overall finish.

Inaugural Draft

The Inaugural RHI Draft took place on April 25, 1993, at the Sheraton Los Angeles Airport Hotel in Los Angeles, California
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

. Vitally Makarkin was selected first overall in the draft by the Oakland Skates
Oakland Skates
The Oakland Skates were a professional roller hockey team and were a member team in Roller Hockey International from 1993 through 1996. In 1993 the Skates were a finalist for the RHI league championship, named the Murphy Cup, for one of the league founders, Dennis Murphy, losing to the Anaheim...

. John Redinger was picked second by the Los Angeles Blades
Los Angeles Blades
The Los Angeles Blades were a professional inline hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. The Blades played in Roller Hockey International from 1993-1997 and played their home games at the Great Western Forum....

.

Rule differences from the NHL

Though the basic rules of Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International was a professional inline hockey league that operated in North America from 1993 to 1999. It was the first major professional league for inline hockey....

 (RHI) were the same as the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 (NHL) at the time, RHI brought in a number of rule changes aimed at increasing offense. First RHI did not play on ice as in the NHL, but a plastic tile surface known as Sport Court
Game court
Gamecourt is one of the names for a multisport gamecourt more commonly referred to by the generic term "sport court." Gamecourts, or game-courts, typically incorporate basketball, paddle tennis, volleyball, and up to a dozen more court sports and activities within the same playing area and are...

. A regulation ice hockey puck
Puck (sports)
A puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major international sport.- Etymology :The origin of the word "puck" is obscure...

, is 5½ to 6 ounces and made of black rubber, the RHI puck was 3½ ounces and made of red plastic.

The game time was reduced from three 20–minute periods in ice hockey, to four 12–minute quarters in roller hockey
Inline hockey
Inline hockey, often referred to as roller hockey in the United States, is a sport similar to ice hockey but played with inline skates. Like its parent sport, skaters on two teams use hockey sticks to direct a disk-shaped puck into the opponent's goal; however, various details of the game, such as...

. The overtime
Overtime (ice hockey)
Overtime is a method of determining the winner and loser of an ice hockey match when the scores are tied after regulation. The two main methods are the overtime period and the shootout.-Overtime periods:...

 format was changed. The NHL's format saw a maximum 5–minute sudden death overtime in the regular season, and unlimited 20–minute sudden death periods in the playoffs. RHI had a four-on-four shootout in the regular season.

The playoffs followed a best of three series format however the third game was not a full 48 minute game. Rather it was just a regular 12 minute quarter called "the mini game". If the teams were tied at the end of the quarter a sudden death quarter would follow.

RHI decreased the number of players on the surface at full strength from six (five skaters and one goaltender) in the NHL, to five (four skaters and one goaltender). Thus they also reduced the minimum number of players after penalties from four to three. With fewer players on the playing surface, RHI reduced the number of players dressed for a game from 20 players (18 skaters and two goaltenders) in the NHL, to 14 players (12 skaters and two goaltenders).

The RHI's penalty times were also decreased by about 25%. Minor penalties were decreased from two minutes to 1 and 1/2 minutes. Major penalties were decreased from five minutes to four minutes. Misconduct penalties remained the same at ten minutes, but major game misconducts, which was a game ejection in the NHL, was increased to a game ejection, a suspension from the next game, and a penalty shot to the non-offending team. Fighting penalties were also increased from just a major penalty, to a major penalty, and a suspension for the remainder of the game plus a suspension from the next game.

The league also removed the blue lines which eliminated two line pass calls. However the RHI still had a different version of off-sides. A player could skate over the red line before the puck however a player couldn't receive a pass over the line. Also, where as in the NHL, icing was called when a defensive player touches the puck, in RHI, illegal clearing was automatic as the puck crosses the goal line. RHI also increased the distance from the boards to the goal line from 11 feet to 15 feet.

Standings

The Anaheim Bullfrogs placed first overall, having the best record and home advantage throughout the playoffs.

Note: Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.

By Division

By League

Note: Bold – clinched playoff spot, y – clinched division title, z – clinched best overall record

Tiebreaking procedures

If two or more clubs are tied in points during the regular season, the ranking
Ranking
A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that, for any two items, the first is either 'ranked higher than', 'ranked lower than' or 'ranked equal to' the second....

 of the clubs is determined in the following order:
  1. The fewer number of games played.
  2. The greater number of games won.
  3. The greater number of points earned in games between the tied clubs. If two clubs are tied, and have not played an equal number of home games against each other, points earned in the first game played in the city that had the extra game shall not be included. If more than two clubs are tied, the higher percentage of available points earned in games among those clubs, and not including any "odd" games, shall be used to determine the standing.
  4. The greater differential between goals for and against for the entire regular season.

Playoffs

The 1993 playoffs started on Saturday, August 21, 1993 and ended with the second game of the Murphy Cup Final on Tuesday, September 7, 1993.

RHI awards

1993 RHI awards
Award Recipient(s)
Murphy Cup  Anaheim Bullfrogs
Anaheim Bullfrogs
The Anaheim Bullfrogs were a professional inline hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Bullfrogs played in Roller Hockey International and Major League Roller Hockey before returning to Roller Hockey international . The Bullfrogs played their home games in the Arrowhead Pond of...

Coach of the Year 
Defenseman of the Year  Joe Cook (Anaheim Bullfrogs
Anaheim Bullfrogs
The Anaheim Bullfrogs were a professional inline hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Bullfrogs played in Roller Hockey International and Major League Roller Hockey before returning to Roller Hockey international . The Bullfrogs played their home games in the Arrowhead Pond of...

)
Executive of the Year 
Goalie of the Year  Manny Legace
Manny Legacé
Emmanuel Legace, is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League. He most recently played in the National Hockey League for the Carolina Hurricanes. He has also played in the National Hockey League for the Los...

 (Toronto Planets
Toronto Planets
The Toronto Planets were a team in the Roller Hockey International league. The Planets played their home games at Varsity Arena during the league's first season in 1993, but folded at the conclusion of the season....

)
Leading Scorer  Jose Charbonneau
José Charbonneau
Jose Charbonneau is a retired professional ice hockey player who spent parts of 4 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1987 and 1995.-Playing career:...

 (Vancouver Voodoo
Vancouver Voodoo
The Vancouver Voodoo were a roller hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada which played in the RHI league. The Voodoo were one of the original twelve teams to join the league in 1993. They played in the PNE Agrodome in 1993 and 1994, the Pacific Coliseum in 1994 and 1995, and in...

)
Most Valuable Player  Jose Charbonneau
José Charbonneau
Jose Charbonneau is a retired professional ice hockey player who spent parts of 4 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1987 and 1995.-Playing career:...

 (Vancouver Voodoo
Vancouver Voodoo
The Vancouver Voodoo were a roller hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada which played in the RHI league. The Voodoo were one of the original twelve teams to join the league in 1993. They played in the PNE Agrodome in 1993 and 1994, the Pacific Coliseum in 1994 and 1995, and in...

)
Playoff MVP  Rob Laurie (Anaheim Bullfrogs
Anaheim Bullfrogs
The Anaheim Bullfrogs were a professional inline hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Bullfrogs played in Roller Hockey International and Major League Roller Hockey before returning to Roller Hockey international . The Bullfrogs played their home games in the Arrowhead Pond of...

)

Scoring leaders

Player Team
Jose Charbonneau
José Charbonneau
Jose Charbonneau is a retired professional ice hockey player who spent parts of 4 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1987 and 1995.-Playing career:...

 
Vancouver Voodoo
Vancouver Voodoo
The Vancouver Voodoo were a roller hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada which played in the RHI league. The Voodoo were one of the original twelve teams to join the league in 1993. They played in the PNE Agrodome in 1993 and 1994, the Pacific Coliseum in 1994 and 1995, and in...

 
14 25 43 68 +26 10
Doug Lawrence  Oakland Skates
Oakland Skates
The Oakland Skates were a professional roller hockey team and were a member team in Roller Hockey International from 1993 through 1996. In 1993 the Skates were a finalist for the RHI league championship, named the Murphy Cup, for one of the league founders, Dennis Murphy, losing to the Anaheim...

 
14 12 48 60 +2 50
Daniel Shank
Daniel Shank
Daniel Shank is a retired National Hockey League right wing.After playing four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Shank made his professional debut with the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League in the 1988–89 season...

 
San Diego Barracudas
San Diego Barracudas
The San Diego Barracudas were a southern Californian professional inline hockey team which existed from 1993 through 1996. The Barracudas were a part of Roller Hockey International. The team's home games were played at the San Diego Sports Arena...

 
14 28 31 59 +7 107
Ryan Harrison  Vancouver Voodoo
Vancouver Voodoo
The Vancouver Voodoo were a roller hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada which played in the RHI league. The Voodoo were one of the original twelve teams to join the league in 1993. They played in the PNE Agrodome in 1993 and 1994, the Pacific Coliseum in 1994 and 1995, and in...

 
14 27 32 59 +29 37
Todd Esselmont
Todd Esselmont
Todd Esselmont is a professional hockey player, who played both ice and roller hockey professionally...

 
Vancouver Voodoo
Vancouver Voodoo
The Vancouver Voodoo were a roller hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada which played in the RHI league. The Voodoo were one of the original twelve teams to join the league in 1993. They played in the PNE Agrodome in 1993 and 1994, the Pacific Coliseum in 1994 and 1995, and in...

 
14 26 31 57 +21 18
Sylvain Naud  Oakland Skates
Oakland Skates
The Oakland Skates were a professional roller hockey team and were a member team in Roller Hockey International from 1993 through 1996. In 1993 the Skates were a finalist for the RHI league championship, named the Murphy Cup, for one of the league founders, Dennis Murphy, losing to the Anaheim...

 
14 31 20 51 +5 38
Don Martin  Florida Hammerheads  14 27 23 50 –8 80
Steve Ross  Los Angeles Blades
Los Angeles Blades
The Los Angeles Blades were a professional inline hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. The Blades played in Roller Hockey International from 1993-1997 and played their home games at the Great Western Forum....

 
14 11 38 49 –5 18
Max Middendorf
Max Middendorf
Max Middendorf is a retired American ice hockey player,The 6ft 4in center was drafted by the Sudbury Wolves in 1984....

 
San Diego Barracudas
San Diego Barracudas
The San Diego Barracudas were a southern Californian professional inline hockey team which existed from 1993 through 1996. The Barracudas were a part of Roller Hockey International. The team's home games were played at the San Diego Sports Arena...

 
14 29 18 47 –1 60
Ralph Barahona
Ralph Barahona
Ralph J. Barahona is a retired American professional ice hockey center who played six games in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins. He scored two goals and two assists for four points in his brief NHL career.-External links:...

 
Los Angeles Blades
Los Angeles Blades
The Los Angeles Blades were a professional inline hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. The Blades played in Roller Hockey International from 1993-1997 and played their home games at the Great Western Forum....

 
12 20 25 45 +7 8

Leading goaltenders

Player Team
Randy Jaycock  Calgary Rad'z
Calgary Rad'z
The Calgary Rad'z were a professional inline hockey team that played two seasons in the Roller Hockey International in 1993 and 1994. The Rad'z were a founding member of the RHI. The Rad'z began play in the Olympic Saddledome, but moved to the much smaller Max Bell Arena midway through their...

 
7 206 3 1 0 22 0 .880 5.13
Manny Legace
Manny Legacé
Emmanuel Legace, is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League. He most recently played in the National Hockey League for the Carolina Hurricanes. He has also played in the National Hockey League for the Los...

 
Toronto Planets
Toronto Planets
The Toronto Planets were a team in the Roller Hockey International league. The Planets played their home games at Varsity Arena during the league's first season in 1993, but folded at the conclusion of the season....

 
13 611 10 3 0 67 0 .881 5.26
Rob Laurie  Anaheim Bullfrogs
Anaheim Bullfrogs
The Anaheim Bullfrogs were a professional inline hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Bullfrogs played in Roller Hockey International and Major League Roller Hockey before returning to Roller Hockey international . The Bullfrogs played their home games in the Arrowhead Pond of...

 
7 312 7 0 0 35 0 .856 5.38
Ken Kinney  Vancouver Voodoo
Vancouver Voodoo
The Vancouver Voodoo were a roller hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada which played in the RHI league. The Voodoo were one of the original twelve teams to join the league in 1993. They played in the PNE Agrodome in 1993 and 1994, the Pacific Coliseum in 1994 and 1995, and in...

 
9 391 8 0 0 45 0 .863 5.52
Bill Horn  Anaheim Bullfrogs
Anaheim Bullfrogs
The Anaheim Bullfrogs were a professional inline hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Bullfrogs played in Roller Hockey International and Major League Roller Hockey before returning to Roller Hockey international . The Bullfrogs played their home games in the Arrowhead Pond of...

 
8 352 6 0 1 47 0 .853 6.41
Scott Humphrey  St. Louis Vipers
St. Louis Vipers
The St. Louis Vipers were a team of professional roller hockey players based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was a part of the now-defunct Roller Hockey International League. They played their home games in the former St. Louis Arena but then moved to the Kiel Center in 1995...

 
6 285 4 1 1 40 0 .829 6.74
Mike O'Hara  Los Angeles Blades
Los Angeles Blades
The Los Angeles Blades were a professional inline hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. The Blades played in Roller Hockey International from 1993-1997 and played their home games at the Great Western Forum....

 
13 621 8 5 0 96 0 .822 7.42
Frankie Ouellette  San Diego Barracudas
San Diego Barracudas
The San Diego Barracudas were a southern Californian professional inline hockey team which existed from 1993 through 1996. The Barracudas were a part of Roller Hockey International. The team's home games were played at the San Diego Sports Arena...

 
9 406 4 4 0 64 0 .835 7.57
Neil Walsh  Connecticut Coasters
Connecticut Coasters
The Connecticut Coasters were a Roller Hockey International franchise based in New Haven, Connecticut, that played only in the 1993 season.Their team colors were teal, purple, and silver. They played at New Haven Memorial Coliseum. The Coasters finished 3rd in their division and finished 7th in...

 
10 374 6 2 0 59 0 .827 7.57
Lance Carlson  Vancouver Voodoo
Vancouver Voodoo
The Vancouver Voodoo were a roller hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada which played in the RHI league. The Voodoo were one of the original twelve teams to join the league in 1993. They played in the PNE Agrodome in 1993 and 1994, the Pacific Coliseum in 1994 and 1995, and in...

 
7 280 3 2 1 45 0 .807 7.71

See also

  • 1993 RHI transactions
  • 1993 RHI suspensions and fines
  • 1993 RHI Draft
  • 1993 in sports
    1993 in sports
    1993 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg** Women's overall season champion: Anita Wachter, Austria-American football:...

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