article from the Boston Globe July 18, 2002

ROLLER HOCKEY PLAYERS IN IT FOR FUN

CHECKING, FIGHTS BANNED IN LEAGUE BASED IN SAUGUS
Author(s): Bob Reinert, Globe Staff Correspondent Date: July 18, 2002 Page: 10 Section: Globe North
SAUGUS - If your ideal recipe for hockey includes cold weather, ice, pucks, and sharp blades, you might not care much for the Eastern Massachusetts Roller Hockey League (EMRHL). But if you watch one of its games for just a while, you may become hooked on a sport that uses wheels and balls, allows no checking, and needs no Zamboni.

Others have fallen hard for roller hockey. Just look at the growth of the EMRHL, which began in spring 1999 with four teams of six players on old outdoor tennis courts in Beverly. Now about 100 players skate in leagues on Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings just about year-round indoors at Hockeytown USA. "It's funny how it just grew," said Dave Gardner of Beverly, the EMRHL's 35-year-old commissioner and founder. "I just wanted to play and have fun.

"We still try to maintain today why we started. We try not to drift too far from that. We try to play as close to the NHL as we can, because that's what everybody watches."

But if players start with the rough stuff, they will be told to take it elsewhere. "We're very strict about . . . fighting," Gardner said. "I think we've had one or two fights in four years. We're very strict as far as suspensions and physical play. Sometimes too strict."

That's fine with Bill Collins, a 38-year-old goaltender from Burlington. "You don't have to worry about getting killed," Collins said.

Substituting a plastic street hockey ball for a rubber puck also cuts down on injuries. "A lot of leagues have gone to the puck," Gardner said. "Shin pads, gloves, and helmets - that's all we require. If we went to a puck, you'd need a full cage, all the armor. If you go to a puck, it's more serious."

The EMRHL players are serious - about having fun. "It's a good league," said 33-year-old Dave Belisle of Beverly. "The camaraderie here is good. We have a real good time."

So good that players come from as far away as Cape Cod and Salem, N.H. According to Gardner, players pay about $10 a game. They play on an undersized rink with a plastic surface that is surrounded by boards and glass. It creates an authentic hockey atmosphere.

There are differences, however. Each team uses only four skaters at a time, instead of five, and the goalies wear athletic shoes rather than skates. The EMRHL plays 18-minute periods so that three games can be squeezed into about three hours.

"When one game ends, the next game starts," Gardner said. "There's no Zamboni."

But the action can be as fast and furious as it is in ice hockey. "Roller hockey is to ice hockey what softball is to baseball," Gardner said. "It's a version of the sport. It's not any better. It's not any worse.

"We've got some good skaters, but we've got some guys that just want to play hockey but not be so serious about it."

Jay Fraser, 34, of Danvers is one of those guys. He was there at the beginning with Gardner. "The reason I started playing is, I have two small children and I just wanted to get out of the house [for] stress release and a little bit of exercise," Fraser said.

The league is all about competition. In fact, it's set up to discourage dominant teams.

"You're not going to go 20-0," Gardner said. "You won't. We'll make sure of it. If you do, it's a fluke.

"We avoid that by having a draft. And if we have to after four or five weeks, we'll make a trade. So we have midseason trades to further create . . . parity [in] the league. We don't decimate a team, but we want to make every game fun and close."

The league is in playoffs this week. When they end, another season will begin. "We sit down. We see who's in for the season," Gardner said. "The captains get together at somebody's house. We have a draft."

With all the movement from team to team, players widen their circle of friends.

"Everybody plays season after season," Gardner said. "You get to know everybody.

"Sometimes they get together and go play in national tournaments. It's a great place to meet people and go do things outside the league, as well."

Bob Reinert can be reached at 978-646-3927 or by e-mail at reinert@globe.com.