Sonier Makes Commitment to Bullfrogs : Roller hockey: His decision to leave ice hockey and coach here full-time is boon to Anaheim franchise.

Most of the Bullfrogs won’t have time to dwell on their elimination from the Roller Hockey International playoffs.

With NHL and minor-league camps opening this weekend, it’s back to their primary careers as ice hockey players.

But Bullfrog Coach Grant Sonier will have all autumn, winter, and spring to ponder why Anaheim couldn’t win back-to-back championships. Coaching the Bullfrogs is now a full-time job for him.

Owners Maury Silver and his sons, Nelson and Stuart, hired Sonier to run the team’s hockey operations year-round. Sonier resigned last month from his job with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League, regarded as one of the world’s best junior developmental leagues.

Sonier’s hiring reflects the Bullfrogs’ continued commitment to the fledgling league, in only its second season.

More than 1.1 million fans attended 264 regular-season games, and increased parity, attendance and television exposure this season were all positive signs.

“I was ahead of the game in ice hockey, trying to climb the ladder in coaching, so I resigned with a degree of sadness,” Sonier said. “But I’ve closed that door because I really believe in roller hockey.”

Sonier, 29, received an “open-ended contract,” he said, and will also work with the league office.

The 1994 RHI season came to an unexpected and abrupt end for Sonier. Portland out-skated, outshot and outplayed the Bullfrogs, posting two consecutive victories this week. The Rage conclude the RHI Championship series against Buffalo tonight.

“I don’t know if Portland was that much more skilled than us,” Sonier said. “But they had better team speed.

“Maybe there was a part of our team that was emotionally drained, almost like we accomplished our championship by beating Los Angeles in the Pacific Division final. Then, there was a mental letdown on our part in the next round, and maybe we underestimated Portland. We had our hands full, and in a short series, anything can happen.”

Uncertainty was something lacking in RHI’s inaugural season, when the Bullfrogs won 17 of 18 games and cruised to the league championship.

The RHI’s expansion from 12 to 24 teams brought more parity, but the Bullfrog formula remained constant. They kept a championship coach--Sonier was an assistant to Anaheim Coach Chris McSorley last season--and 10 of 17 players returned from last season’s championship squad.

“We have the best fans in the league,” Sonier said. Anaheim proved it by leading the league in attendance for the second time, drawing an average of 9,885 in 14 games.

And although the Bullfrogs had a good season, they know a championship is the only thing that will truly appease their owners, players and fans.

“Next year, we will have to be bigger and faster,” Sonier said.

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Several current and former Bullfrogs have impressed ice-hockey officials and will probably play in the American or International Hockey leagues, the top minor leagues, this season.

Darren Langdon, a bruising, 6-foot-1, 205-pound forward, will attend the New York Rangers’ camp, but could start the season with Binghamton of the AHL. Langdon, 23, had only three regular-season goals for the Bullfrogs but had 10 points in the playoffs.

At 6-2, 210, Barry Potomski, a 21-year-old forward who played with Anaheim in 1993, will also go to NHL camp after signing as a free agent with the Kings.

Victor Gervais has a three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins’ IHL affiliate in Cleveland. Gervais, 25, led the Bullfrogs in scoring for the second consecutive season and scored 12 goals in six playoff games.

Forward Jim Brown, 21, has signed with Portland, the Washington Capitals’ AHL affiliate, and defenseman Yuri Krivokhija, 26, will probably play with Cincinnati, the Florida Panthers’ IHL affiliate, Sonier said.

The remainder of the Bullfrogs will return to the East Coast or Colonial Hockey leagues except Darren Perkins, Christian Lalonde, Ken Murchison and Joe Cook, who will stay with the Bullfrogs during the off-season.

“They might stay to work with our youth camps and do promotional stuff,” Sonier said. “They’ve played enough hockey to know they’re probably not going to make it to the next level.”

Bullfrog forward and assistant coach Brad McCaughey also will stay with Sonier in the off-season.

“Brad’s retired from ice hockey, and I think, for the most part, he’s hanging up the roller blades, too,” Sonier said. “He has a great future in coaching and management.”

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Fans looking for RHI stars with NHL potential, here are some of Sonier’s picks:

--Craig Charron, 26, Blades forward. Charron, who scored 34 goals in 19 RHI games, is still unsigned.

--Max Mikhailovsky, 25, Blades goalie. The RHI most valuable player has signed with Detroit of the IHL. The only Blades player to receive an NHL camp invitation was Mike Doers, who will try out with the San Jose Sharks.

--Vadim Slivchenko, 24, Portland forward. Slivchenko was a 1994 ECHL all star and had 61 points in 26 RHI games.

--Gervais and Krivokhija. “Victor’s shown he can play at the IHL level, and now he’s got a full season ahead of him to prove he can get to the next level,” Sonier said. “Last season, Yuri came on strong in the IHL, scoring 40-plus points in 40 games at Milwaukee.”