Tropical Hockey League Looking for Investors

The Tropical Hockey League (THL) is a new hockey league which is hoping to attract some fan owner investors in Florida.  The league is an in-line hockey league with plans to place franchises in five cities in the Sunshine State.  The following teams are planned to be in the new league:

• Bradenton Brawlers
• Daytona Beach Anglers
• Gainesville Gargoyles
• Tallahassee Tiger Sharks
• Tampa Bay Tritons

So why "in-line" hockey instead of "ice hockey"?

A derivative of ice hockey, inline hockey is mostly similar but different in a few ways. The most glaring difference is instead of ice skates, players wear inline roller skates. This means that arenas that don't have ice capabilities can host an inline hockey team, and it makes the game cheaper for investors, arena managers, fans, and for people who want to try the game out. The other big difference is that inline hockey is no-checking. Players can battle for position, push and shove, and bump players away from the puck, but they can't headhunt or go out of their way to make contact. This, combined with only having four skaters on the floor, opens up the game, leads to lots more scoring, and keeps players from getting injured. For fans who enjoy the physicality of other sports, have no fear, as THL players will not be ejected if they drop the gloves.

The league hopes to use a fan ownership model.  Instead of a single investor or a small group operating a team, a large group of "fan-owners" elect representatives who make sure that their team operates in a way that supports their interests as fans. The Green Bay Packers operate this way, and so do many soccer teams around the country, but never before has an entire league committed to the concept as much as the Tropical Hockey League. 

Teams will play a 50-game season from October to April. At the end of the season, the bottom teams play each other to earn the first overall pick, earn exemption from an expansion draft, test new rules for the league, and test potential markets. The top teams will battle for the championship in a playoff tournament where teams that perform better in the regular season get a bye to the second round.

On paper, this league looks like a great idea for the sport where teams do not have to have expensive ice making equipment.  There aren't a lot of opportunities for ice hockey in the South even with the growth of the sport.  Some areas and players are shut out from the experience.  This could be a rebirth of a viable roller/inline hockey league.   The most notable league was Roller Hockey International (RHI) which played during the summers from 1993-1999 throughout the United States.  Former RHI Executive Steve Pona is helping the THL to form their league.

For more information on the THL: Home (tropicalhockeyleague.com)