Roller Hockey Officials Discuss Possible Pact With NHL
Two Roller Hockey International officials were invited to National Hockey League headquarters in New York last week to discuss a possible operating agreement between the leagues, RHI President Jerry Diamond said Monday.
Diamond and RHI Chief Executive Officer Larry King asked the NHL to run RHI operations that include, but are not limited to, marketing and merchandising, Diamond said.
It’s believed that an agreement with the NHL would lead to better nationwide exposure for RHI and provide experienced personnel to handle day-to-day front-office duties. The NHL would benefit by getting a greater toehold in the booming in-line skating business.
NHL spokesman Andy McGowan characterized last week’s discussions as “informal.”
“Nothing has been specifically agreed to at this time,” he said.
A high-ranking RHI executive who asked not to be identified, said the NHL initiated the meeting.
Three RHI teams--St. Louis, Vancouver and Philadelphia--are run by owners of NHL franchises. Calgary, a team that played in the league in 1994, might come back to play in 1997 under ownership of the NHL’s Flames.
The NHL is the prime sponsor of the first in-line World Championships, Aug. 4-10 in St. Paul, Minn.
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