Major League Roller Hockey
Encyclopedia
Major League Roller Hockey (MLRH) is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a professional inline hockey
league
of 15 franchised member clubs, all of which are located in the United States
. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia
, MLRH is the only full contact professional inline hockey league in the world. The MLRH World Championship is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season
.
The league was organized in 1998
in Alexandria
, Virginia
, United States, after the suspension of operations of a predecessor organization, Roller Hockey International
(RHI), which had been founded in 1993
. It started with fourteen teams and, through a series of expansions, contractions, and relocations, the league is now composed of 15 active franchises.
MLRH draws many players with former college and pro ice hockey
experience, as well as "pure" inline hockey players. Although Americans have historically constituted the majority of the players in MLRH, the league also attracts Canadian and European trained players to the league.
After the suspension of Roller Hockey International
(RHI) for the 1998, Major League Roller Hockey was founded in 1998 in Alexandria, Virginia by entrepreneur Bill Raue. The inaugural season featured two franchises from the suspended RHI (the Anaheim Bullfrogs
and Buffalo Wings) and 18 new franchises, with 11 in the United States
, one in Canada
and six in the United Kingdom
. The first games were played during the summer of 1998. Hugo Belanger
of the Virginia Vultures, former Roller Hockey International Leading Scorer, finished the inaugural season leading the league in goals (79), assists (79) and points (158). The Anaheim Bullfrogs defeated the Orlando Surge to win the first Jason Cup title in front of 10,000 fans at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California
.
While MLRH operated successfully in its inaugural season, the league went on hiatus for the 1999 season. Roller Hockey International returned in 1999
for one last season before folding for good. MLRH however fell victim to the demise of RHI and was brought down as professional roller hockey flamed out in 1999. According to Bill Raue, "There were so many bad feelings when RHI folded with $40 million in losses that it was virtually impossible to play at the professional level."
Returning in 2000, MLRH operated throughout the Midwest and Eastern seaboard playing with primarily amateur players. Starting in 2005, MLRH expanded to a Super League
with the American champion facing the European champion in a world championship. In 2009, MLRH moved to a pro tour style league before returning to a traditional home-and-home style league in 2010.
. The team with the most goals during the five-round shootout wins the game. If the game is still tied after the five shootout rounds, the shootout becomes sudden death. Whichever team ultimately wins the shootout is awarded a goal in the game score and thus awarded two points in the standings. The losing team in overtime or shootout is awarded only one. Shootout goals and saves are not tracked in hockey statistics; shootout statistics are tracked separately.
Shootouts do not occur during the playoffs. In the playoffs, sudden-death 12-minute four-on-four periods are played until one team scores.
with rounded corners surrounded by walls and plexiglass. MLRH standards call for a rink measuring 85 feet by 200 feet. The center line divides the floor in half, and is used to judge illegal clearing violations. Near the end of both ends of the rink, there is a thin red goal line spanning the width of the floor, which is used to judge goals and illegal clearing calls.
, it differs slightly from those used in National Hockey League
games. Infractions of the rules can lead to either the stoppage of play in the case of offside
and illegal clearing
calls, or a penalty call for more serious infractions.
The league has different rules regarding being offside
. First, the league only has an "offside pass" rule, which requires a stoppage in play if a pass originating from inside a team's defending zone was completed on the offensive side of the center line, unless the puck crossed the line before the player. Furthermore, the league also does not have an a standard "offside" rule resulting from skate position.
Another rule difference between MLRH and the NHL rules concerns how illegal clearing
s are called. In MLRH, a linesman stops play due to illegal clearing the moment the puck crosses the goal line, in contrast to the NHL rules where play is stopped if a defending play (other than the goaltender) touches the puck before an attacking player is able to. It is similar in that, when a team is guilty of illegally clearing the puck they are not allowed to make a line change before the following faceoff
.
MLRH and the NHL differ also in penalty rules. In MLRH, a minor penalties called have a duration of one and one half minutes, while in the NHL, they have a duration of two minutes. Double minor penalties in MLRH have a duration of three minutes, as opposed to four minutes in the NHL. Major penalites in MLRH have a duration of four minutes, as opposed to five minutes in the NHL. Players who receive a second fighting major in MLRH games are ejected from the game, in contrast to the NHL rule. Usually a penalized team cannot replace a player that is penalized on the floor and is thus shorthanded for the duration of the penalty, but if the penalties are coincidental, for example when two players fight, both teams remain at full strength. Also, unlike minor penalties, major penalties must be served to their full completion, regardless of number of goals scored during the power play.
are the most successful franchise with two World Championships. The most successful active franchises are the Buffalo Wings and Mission Axiom, each with one World Championship. The longest streak of winning the World Championship in consecutive years is two, held by the Marple Gladiators from 2002–03 to 2003–04.
The current league organization divides the teams into four divisions: the Atlantic Division, Midwest Division, Southwest Division, and Pacific Division.
In the regular season, each team plays 14 games; 7 games at home and 7 on the road. Points are awarded for each game, where two points are awarded for a win, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and zero points for a loss in regulation.
Points are awarded for each game, where two points are awarded for a win, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and zero points for a loss in regulation. Among major professional sports leagues, the NHL is the only one to award a team points for losing in overtime.
At the end of the regular season, the team that finishes with the most points in each division is crowned the division champion. The three division champions along with the five other teams in the league with the next highest number of points, for a total of 8 teams, qualify for the playoff
s. The division winners are seeded one through three (even if a non-division winner has a higher point total), and the next five teams with the best records in the conference are seeded four through eight. The MLRH playoffs is an elimination tournament
, where two teams battle to win a single elimination game in order to advance to the next round. The first round of the playoffs, or quarterfinals, consists of the first seed playing the eighth seed, the second playing the seventh, third playing the sixth, and the fourth playing the fifth. In the second round, or semifinals, MLRH re-seeds the teams, with the top remaining seed playing the lowest remaining seed, and the other two remaining teams pairing off. In the third round, MLRH Finals, the two remaining teams play each other for the world championship.
In each round the higher-ranked team is said to be the team with the home-floor advantage
. The game is played at this team's home venue. In the MLRH Finals, the game is played at a neutral-site regardless of where each team ranks.
) were Mike Urbano (2.12), Troy Redman (2.29), Troy Strong (2.48), Lucas Pagliassotti (3.33), and Nevin Iwamatsu (3.49).
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...
league
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
of 15 franchised member clubs, all of which are located in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, MLRH is the only full contact professional inline hockey league in the world. The MLRH World Championship is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
.
The league was organized in 1998
1998 MLRH season
The 1998 MLRH season was the inaugural season of Major League Roller Hockey . The 1998 Jason Cup Playoffs began on August 15, 1998 and concluded on August 26 with the Anaheim Bullfrogs defeating the Orlando Surge to win their first Jason Cup....
in Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States, after the suspension of operations of a predecessor organization, 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), which had been founded in 1993
1993 RHI season
The 1993 RHI season was the 1st season of operation of Roller Hockey International . The season started on July 1, 1993. The Anaheim Bullfrogs defeated the Oakland Skates in the 1993 Murphy Cup Final 2–0 to win the first Murphy Cup.-Teams and divisions:...
. It started with fourteen teams and, through a series of expansions, contractions, and relocations, the league is now composed of 15 active franchises.
MLRH draws many players with former college and pro ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
experience, as well as "pure" inline hockey players. Although Americans have historically constituted the majority of the players in MLRH, the league also attracts Canadian and European trained players to the league.
History
| Team | Titles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marple Gladiators Marple Gladiators The Marple Gladiators are a professional inline hockey team based in Broomall, Pennsylvania, and competing in the Professional Inline Hockey Association.... |
2 | ||||
| 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... |
1 | ||||
| Boston Storm Boston Storm (inline hockey) The Boston Storm were a professional inline hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They were members of Major League Roller Hockey. The Boston Storm played their first season in 2003-2004 after owner/General Manager, Marty Marcinczyk, moved the team from Virginia after two seasons. The team... |
1 | ||||
| Buffalo Wings | 1 | ||||
| Colorado Crush | 1 | ||||
| Detroit Revolution | 1 | ||||
| Dynamo Pardubice | 1 | ||||
| IHC Tunechoddy | 1 | ||||
| New York/New Jersey Rockers | 1 | ||||
| Rocky Mountain Wolverines | 1 | ||||
| Williamsburg Warriors | 1 | ||||
After the suspension 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) for the 1998, Major League Roller Hockey was founded in 1998 in Alexandria, Virginia by entrepreneur Bill Raue. The inaugural season featured two franchises from the suspended RHI (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...
and Buffalo Wings) and 18 new franchises, with 11 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, one in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and six in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The first games were played during the summer of 1998. Hugo Belanger
Hugo Belanger
Hugo P. Belanger is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left wing. Belanger was selected in the 8th round in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks and went on to play 15 seasons in hockey’s minor leagues....
of the Virginia Vultures, former Roller Hockey International Leading Scorer, finished the inaugural season leading the league in goals (79), assists (79) and points (158). The Anaheim Bullfrogs defeated the Orlando Surge to win the first Jason Cup title in front of 10,000 fans at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
.
While MLRH operated successfully in its inaugural season, the league went on hiatus for the 1999 season. Roller Hockey International returned in 1999
1999 RHI season
The 1999 RHI season was the 6th season of Roller Hockey International. This was the season after the non-existent 1998 season which was canceled. The 1999 Murphy Cup playoffs concluded with the St...
for one last season before folding for good. MLRH however fell victim to the demise of RHI and was brought down as professional roller hockey flamed out in 1999. According to Bill Raue, "There were so many bad feelings when RHI folded with $40 million in losses that it was virtually impossible to play at the professional level."
Returning in 2000, MLRH operated throughout the Midwest and Eastern seaboard playing with primarily amateur players. Starting in 2005, MLRH expanded to a Super League
Super League (disambiguation)
Super League or Superleague may refer to the following various sports competitions:-Association Football:* Chinese Super League* European Super League* Indonesia Super League* Iraq Super League* Kazakhstan Super League* Malaysian Super League...
with the American champion facing the European champion in a world championship. In 2009, MLRH moved to a pro tour style league before returning to a traditional home-and-home style league in 2010.
Game
Each Major League Roller Hockey regulation game is played between two teams and is 48 minutes long. The game is composed of four 12-minute quarters with an intermission of either one minute between first and second, and third and fourth quarters, and a halftime of five minutes between the second and third quarters. At the end of the 48-minute regulation time, the team with the most goals wins the game. If a game is tied after regulation time, a shootout ensues. Five players for each team in turn take a penalty shotPenalty shot (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a penalty shot is a type of penalty awarded when a team loses a clear scoring opportunity on a breakaway because of a foul committed by an opposing player. A player from the non-offending team is given an attempt to score a goal without opposition from any defending players except...
. The team with the most goals during the five-round shootout wins the game. If the game is still tied after the five shootout rounds, the shootout becomes sudden death. Whichever team ultimately wins the shootout is awarded a goal in the game score and thus awarded two points in the standings. The losing team in overtime or shootout is awarded only one. Shootout goals and saves are not tracked in hockey statistics; shootout statistics are tracked separately.
Shootouts do not occur during the playoffs. In the playoffs, sudden-death 12-minute four-on-four periods are played until one team scores.
Inline hockey rink
Major League Roller Hockey games are played on a rectangular inline hockey rinkHockey rink
An ice hockey rink is an ice rink that is specifically designed for ice hockey, a team sport. It is rectangular with rounded corners and surrounded by a wall approximately 40 inches high called the boards.- Name origins :...
with rounded corners surrounded by walls and plexiglass. MLRH standards call for a rink measuring 85 feet by 200 feet. The center line divides the floor in half, and is used to judge illegal clearing violations. Near the end of both ends of the rink, there is a thin red goal line spanning the width of the floor, which is used to judge goals and illegal clearing calls.
Rules
While Major League Roller Hockey follows the general rules of inline hockeyInline 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...
, it differs slightly from those used in 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...
games. Infractions of the rules can lead to either the stoppage of play in the case of offside
Offside (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, the current play is offside if a player on the attacking team enters the attacking zone before the puck itself enters the zone, either carried by a teammate or sent into the attacking zone by an attacking player. If a defending player carries, passes, or otherwise intentionally sends...
and illegal clearing
Icing (ice hockey)
Icing in ice hockey occurs when a player shoots the puck across at least two red lines, the opposing team's goal line being the last, and the puck remains untouched. It is, however, not icing if the puck is shot from behind the halfway line into the goal, or when the shot must be played by the...
calls, or a penalty call for more serious infractions.
The league has different rules regarding being offside
Offside (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, the current play is offside if a player on the attacking team enters the attacking zone before the puck itself enters the zone, either carried by a teammate or sent into the attacking zone by an attacking player. If a defending player carries, passes, or otherwise intentionally sends...
. First, the league only has an "offside pass" rule, which requires a stoppage in play if a pass originating from inside a team's defending zone was completed on the offensive side of the center line, unless the puck crossed the line before the player. Furthermore, the league also does not have an a standard "offside" rule resulting from skate position.
Another rule difference between MLRH and the NHL rules concerns how illegal clearing
Icing (ice hockey)
Icing in ice hockey occurs when a player shoots the puck across at least two red lines, the opposing team's goal line being the last, and the puck remains untouched. It is, however, not icing if the puck is shot from behind the halfway line into the goal, or when the shot must be played by the...
s are called. In MLRH, a linesman stops play due to illegal clearing the moment the puck crosses the goal line, in contrast to the NHL rules where play is stopped if a defending play (other than the goaltender) touches the puck before an attacking player is able to. It is similar in that, when a team is guilty of illegally clearing the puck they are not allowed to make a line change before the following faceoff
Faceoff
A face-off is the method used to begin play in ice hockey and some other sports. The two teams line up in opposition to each other, and the opposing centres attempt to gain control of the puck after it is dropped between their sticks by an official. One of the referees drops the puck at centre ice...
.
MLRH and the NHL differ also in penalty rules. In MLRH, a minor penalties called have a duration of one and one half minutes, while in the NHL, they have a duration of two minutes. Double minor penalties in MLRH have a duration of three minutes, as opposed to four minutes in the NHL. Major penalites in MLRH have a duration of four minutes, as opposed to five minutes in the NHL. Players who receive a second fighting major in MLRH games are ejected from the game, in contrast to the NHL rule. Usually a penalized team cannot replace a player that is penalized on the floor and is thus shorthanded for the duration of the penalty, but if the penalties are coincidental, for example when two players fight, both teams remain at full strength. Also, unlike minor penalties, major penalties must be served to their full completion, regardless of number of goals scored during the power play.
Teams
Major League Roller Hockey originated in 2008 with fourteen American teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions, and relocations, MLRH currently consists of 15 teams, all of which are based in the United States. The Marple GladiatorsMarple Gladiators
The Marple Gladiators are a professional inline hockey team based in Broomall, Pennsylvania, and competing in the Professional Inline Hockey Association....
are the most successful franchise with two World Championships. The most successful active franchises are the Buffalo Wings and Mission Axiom, each with one World Championship. The longest streak of winning the World Championship in consecutive years is two, held by the Marple Gladiators from 2002–03 to 2003–04.
The current league organization divides the teams into four divisions: the Atlantic Division, Midwest Division, Southwest Division, and Pacific Division.
List of teams
| Division | Team | City/Area | Arena | Founded | Joined | Head Coach | Captain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | Connecticut Whalers | ||||||
| Raleigh Dragons | |||||||
| Virginia Wings | |||||||
| Midwest | Buffalo Excitement | ||||||
| Buffalo Wings | |||||||
| Chicago Carnage | Chicago, Illinois | Salt Creek Sports Center (Hat Trick Hockey) | 2009 | 2011 | Kenny Van Sky | Adam Van Deusen | |
| Detroit Revolution | |||||||
| Grand Rapids Grim Reapers | |||||||
| Tour Bordercats | |||||||
| Southwest | Arizona Arsenal | ||||||
| Pacific | 949 Anarchy | ||||||
| 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... |
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| Hollywood Dream Hollywood Dream Hollywood Dream was a 1970 album by Thunderclap Newman, their first and only album release.-Overview:The album was produced by The Who's guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend, who was also responsible for the band's initial formation... |
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| Kallusive Tapout | |||||||
| 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.... |
|||||||
| Mission Axiom | |||||||
| Pama Cyclones |
Season structure
Major League Roller Hockey season is divided into an exhibition season (October), a regular season (from the first week in November through early to mid March) and a postseason (the MLRH playoffs). During the regular season, clubs play each other in a predefined schedule. The MLRH playoffs, which goes from March to the end of May, is an elimination tournament where two teams play against each other to win a single elimination game in order to advance to the next round. The final remaining team is crowned the MLRH World Champion.In the regular season, each team plays 14 games; 7 games at home and 7 on the road. Points are awarded for each game, where two points are awarded for a win, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and zero points for a loss in regulation.
Points are awarded for each game, where two points are awarded for a win, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and zero points for a loss in regulation. Among major professional sports leagues, the NHL is the only one to award a team points for losing in overtime.
At the end of the regular season, the team that finishes with the most points in each division is crowned the division champion. The three division champions along with the five other teams in the league with the next highest number of points, for a total of 8 teams, qualify for the playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
s. The division winners are seeded one through three (even if a non-division winner has a higher point total), and the next five teams with the best records in the conference are seeded four through eight. The MLRH playoffs is an elimination tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
, where two teams battle to win a single elimination game in order to advance to the next round. The first round of the playoffs, or quarterfinals, consists of the first seed playing the eighth seed, the second playing the seventh, third playing the sixth, and the fourth playing the fifth. In the second round, or semifinals, MLRH re-seeds the teams, with the top remaining seed playing the lowest remaining seed, and the other two remaining teams pairing off. In the third round, MLRH Finals, the two remaining teams play each other for the world championship.
In each round the higher-ranked team is said to be the team with the home-floor advantage
Home team
In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans...
. The game is played at this team's home venue. In the MLRH Finals, the game is played at a neutral-site regardless of where each team ranks.
Notable active players
The top five point scorers in the 2010–11 season were Juaquin Chavira (58), KC Groon (39), Chris Connole (33), Chris Fraterrigo (25), and Josh Larrichia (24). The top goaltenders (by goals against averageGoals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
) were Mike Urbano (2.12), Troy Redman (2.29), Troy Strong (2.48), Lucas Pagliassotti (3.33), and Nevin Iwamatsu (3.49).
See also
- List of American and Canadian cities by number of major professional sports franchises
- List of defunct MLRH teams
- List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada
- List of TV markets and major sports teams
- Major League Roller Hockey 2Major League Roller Hockey 2Major League Roller Hockey 2 is a semi-professional inline hockey league composed of nine franchised member clubs, all of which are located in the United States.- Teams :Major League Roller Hockey 2 originated in 2009 with nine teams...
- Major League Roller Hockey AAMajor League Roller Hockey AAThe 2009-10 MLRH AA current has 5 teams in the league split up into 2 divisions. The north division consists of the Detroit Revolution, DC Filibusters and the Chicago RollerSnakes. While the south division consists of the Virginia Wings and the Raleigh Dragons...
- MLRH AAA season