I've been seeing some posting about rinks and roller hockey. Just recently, I've decided to start looking into starting my own roller hockey league. I moved up to Washington a year ago from San Jose, CA where I played roller hockey for 10 years. To say the least, I was very disappointed to find no roller hockey leagues in the Greater Seattle area. It looks like some others have tried, and some are looking into it. I'm not as worried about funding and time as I am about interest. I feel there will always be investors to find, and of course this kind of thing takes time to get off the ground. What I'd like to figure out is if there are enough hockey players out there that are interested in playing roller hockey as well as ice.

I like the idea of the outdoor court with boards...it definitely looks cool and is fun in the summer. I've actually played on outdoor rinks in San Jose, but it's just not feasible during the winter, which, in this state, is most of the year. An indoor facility, I think, is the way to go. I just don't see how I can approach an investor and tell him that I can only provide revenue from this business during three months of the year. I have a lot of ideas about the league. I too have thought about some of the logistics in regard to facility and league operations. I'm fortunate to have experience playing in roller hockey leagues while surrounded by ice hockey, but I'm not unrealistic about the extent of my knowledge. I fully understand that my knowledge is limited and that honestly, I really have no idea how to run my own business or even get the ball rolling. So that's the purpose of this post.

I'm really impressed by the following I see here. It looks like everybody's out for the Vancouver tournament coming up. I'm happy to come out on the weekend when everybody's back to playing to meet with any of you and talk about this. Otherwise, my email address is joelsmith04@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading and hopefully responding.

*If you're interested, I've included the email I sent to Andy Cole with GSHL. Pretty much says the same stuff here, but in case I've left anything out, there might be something of interest there.

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$155 a season, plus $30 for USA hockey registration. Games will be Mondays from 5:30-11:15, I think I posted the address somewhere in the previous page of the comments as well.

I just finished my registration, getting pretty excited to play again.

-C
Yeah, $155 for skaters, $85 for goalies. The $30 USA Hockey fee is a yearly insurance due.

For more information contact james@rollcagearena.com or call 206-724-9869. He's been good about responding to emails, and happy to talk about the nuances of the league as it is for the first season.
Also, if anybody's looking for gear specific to roller hockey...good luck. I've been told by a number of people to go to Lynnwood Play It Again Sports. Luckily, the only gear I've needed to pick up is stuff you can get at the ice rinks. But I would like a new pair of pants and maybe spruce up my skates a bit. James said they'll have a pro shop, but they won't have gear and stuff in time for the start of the season. So we can't rely on them for now.
I think the only thing I'm going to need is sticks. Everything else I'm getting shipped from home. I used to buy stuff all the time from www.hockeymonkey.com, they always had decent prices. Something tells me I'm going to need new wheels as well. Any idea what the surface is like? Also, where is a good place for sticks in the area? I've had a hard time finding any place that stocks hockey equipment.

Thanks for the Lynnwood tip!

-C
Chris -

I just picked up some stuff yesterday at Olympic View Arena (olympicviewarena.com) in Mountlake Terrace. That's where the UW team plays. They're running a Spring sale right now, and the prices are pretty good, but they don't have a ton of stuff left in the way of sticks. Still might be worth checking out though. Lynnwood ice isn't far from there, I'm sure they have a pro shop too.

There's also a rink in Renton that I believe has a pro shop.

I also went to First Line Hockey Shop in Kirkland yesterday. They're actually going out of business, so only accepting cash now, and pretty picked over.

As for the flooring, they've layed down an epoxy coat...not my ideal floor. In fact, I'm a little worried about how soft my wheels are for that. I was talking to James about the rink, and it sounds like they're not putting up the new dasher boards they got until the league proves sustainable (after a season or two). And they haven't gotten plexiglass...they're just putting up netting around the rink. I can't complain though...it's just nice to have roller hockey again.
HAHA, Chris, it looks like James has you on Gold Team 3 with two other Chris's. He might change that when he notices it...unless you guys all know each other and requested it. Just thought that was funny.
visit www.rollcagearena.com
We have a league starting in April
I keep replying to the wrong thread, ugh. Anyway, made my way to the Play It Again in Lynnwood, they have a great selection, though not as much used stuff as I'd like. Either way, stuff has been purchased.

Anyone going to the drop in Monday or Tuesday? I'll be there Tuesday, but curious if anyone made it out for first impressions. Not that it really matters, I'm waaaaaaaaaaaay ready for this.

-C
Yeah, I was there last night. I just about died because I'm so out of shape. It was kind of funny, but not really. It'll take me a little while to get back into the swing of things after 3 years off.

Aside from that, the rink is good. Puck moves well, skating is good. The nets are nice. I'm looking forward to dasher boards in the future as opposed to cement walls...I'm pretty apprehensive around the walls. All in all, I think we're all gonna have some fun with this. Thanks to James and the rest of the guys at RCA for getting this all set up.
That sounds great! What was the surface made of, just wondering as far as what kind of wheels to use.
They laid down a new epoxy coat. It's actually not bad. I'm used to playing on a sport court, so not my favorite surface, but it was still good. The puck moved well, and the skating was actually good. The softness on my current wheels is 80, which is pretty hard, but they got the job done. I'm still getting used to it again...sometimes the grip is good, and sometimes it's too much. I tend to prefer a little slide in my stop, rather than an abrupt one. I wouldn't go any softer than 80.

I think I'm going to head to for a new helmet and visor. Anybody have any recommendations? It sounds like I'm limited to heading up to Lynnwood. Not that big of a deal, but I am housesitting in Federal Way and not really looking forward to heading that far the opposite way.
Thanks man!
Iv'e lived out here for about 15 years now, coming from NY. My kids both played in the ice hockey leagues out here and we would pick up stuff when we went to BC. "The Hockey Shop" was our fav. But as far as down here, that's tough. Yeah the place in Lynnwood is good. Castle Ice in Renton is where my boys played and they have a shop, but not great selection. I probably would go on-line if you have time. Cheaper for sure. The place in Lynnwood will get more used stuff near the end of Summer, when the hockey season is around the corner, lots of peeps trade stuff in then.
I'll probably play in the next roller season, I think I'm to late for this one, besides I work late this Monday :(
Good luck anyway,
thanks for the info on the rink

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