1993 RHI season

The 1993 RHI season was the inaugural season of Roller Hockey International. It began in June, 1993, with the regular season ending in August. The Murphy Cup playoffs ended on September 7, with the Anaheim Bullfrogs defeating the Oakland Skates to win the first Murphy Cup.
==League business==
===Rule differences from the NHL===
Though the basic rules of Roller Hockey International (RHI) were the same as the National Hockey League (NHL) at the time, RHI brought in a number of rule changes aimed at increasing offense. First RHI did not play on ice as in the NHL, but a plastic tile surface known as Sport Court. A regulation ice hockey puck, is 5½ to 6 ounces and made of black rubber, the RHI puck was 3½ ounces and made of red plastic.
The game time was reduced from three 20–minute periods in ice hockey, to four 12–minute quarters in roller hockey. The overtime format was changed. The NHL's format saw a maximum 5–minute sudden death overtime in the regular season, and unlimited 20–minute sudden death periods in the playoffs. RHI had a four-on-four shootout in the regular season.
The playoffs followed a best of three series format however the third game was not a full 48 minute game. Rather it was just a regular 12 minute quarter called "the mini game". If the teams were tied at the end of the quarter a sudden death quarter would follow.
RHI decreased the number of players on the surface at full strength from six (five skaters and one goaltender) in the NHL, to five (four skaters and one goaltender). Thus they also reduced the minimum number of players after penalties from four to three. With fewer players on the playing surface, RHI reduced the number of players dressed for a game from 20 players (18 skaters and two goaltenders) in the NHL, to 14 players (12 skaters and two goaltenders).
The RHI's penalty times were also decreased by about 25%. Minor penalties were decreased from two minutes to 1 and 1/2 minutes. Major penalties were decreased from five minutes to four minutes. Misconduct penalties remained the same at ten minutes, but major game misconducts, which was a game ejection in the NHL, was increased to a game ejection, a suspension from the next game, and a penalty shot to the non-offending team. Fighting penalties were also increased from just a major penalty, to a major penalty, and a suspension for the remainder of the game plus a suspension from the next game.
The league also removed the blue lines which eliminated two line pass calls. However the RHI still had a different version of off-sides. A player could skate over the red line before the puck however a player couldn't receive a pass over the line. Also, where as in the NHL, icing was called when a defensive player touches the puck, in RHI, illegal clearing was automatic as the puck crosses the goal line. RHI also increased the distance from the boards to the goal line from 11 feet to 15 feet.
===Teams and divisions===
The league premiered with 12 teams, the Anaheim Bullfrogs, Calgary Rad'z, Connecticut Coasters, Florida Hammerheads, Los Angeles Blades, Oakland Skates, Portland Rage, San Diego Barracudas, St. Louis Vipers, Toronto Planets, Utah Rollerbees, and Vancouver Voodoo. The teams were broken up into three divisions each with four teams. The divisions, like the National Hockey League at the time, where named after key figures in the league. The Murphy and King Divisions were named after league co-founders Dennis Murphy and Larry King respectively. The Buss Division was named after Anaheim Bullfrogs owner Jerry Buss.
===Season schedule===
Each team played a 14 game home-and-away schedule that ended with a championship game on September 7, 1993. Teams in the Buss and King Divisions played every team in their own division four times (twice at home, and twice on the road), and played two teams from the other division once (one team at home, one team on the road).
Due to the extended travel needed, teams in the Murphy Division only played games within their division. They played two teams four times (twice at home, and twice on the road), and one team six times (three times at home, and three times on the road).
===Players' salaries===
After extended research, the league officials decided that guaranteed contracts did not work. So each team played their players with prize money earned from their overall finish.
==Regular season==
===Divisional standings===
Buss Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
b–Anaheim Bullfrogs 	14	13	0	1	130	83 	27
x–Los Angeles Blades 	14	8 	6	0	110	107	16
x–Oakland Skates 	14	5 	9	0	112	122	10
e–San Diego Barracudas	14	5 	9	0	109	130	10
King Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
y–Vancouver Voodoo	14	11	2 	1	160	91 	23
x–Calgary Rad'z 	14	8 	6 	0	125	104	16
e–Portland Rage 	14	4 	10	0	92 	149	8
e–Utah Rollerbees 	14	2 	11	1	90 	142	5
Murphy Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
y–Toronto Planets 	14	10	4 	0	136	83 	20
x–St. Louis Vipers 	14	9 	4 	1	104	115	19
x–Connecticut Coasters	14	7 	5 	2	124	112	16
e–Florida Hammerheads 	14	2 	11	1	100	154	5
===League standings===
Roller Hockey International	 	 	 	 	 	 	
b–Anaheim Bullfrogs * 	14	13	0 	1	130	83 	27
y–Vancouver Voodoo * 	14	11	2 	1	160	91 	23
y–Toronto Planets * 	14	10	4 	0	136	83 	20
x–St. Louis Vipers 	14	9 	4 	1	104	115	19
x–Calgary Rad'z 	14	8 	6 	0	125	104	16
x–Los Angeles Blades 	14	8 	6 	0	110	107	16
x–Connecticut Coasters 	14	7 	5 	2	124	112	16
x–Oakland Skates 	14	5 	9 	0	112	122	10
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
e–San Diego Barracudas 	14	5 	9 	0	109	130	10
e–Portland Rage 	14	4 	10	0	92 	149	8
e–Florida Hammerheads 	14	2 	11	1	100	154	5
e–Utah Rollerbees 	14	2 	11	1	90 	142	5
Note: x – clinched playoff spot, y – clinched division title, z – clinched regular season conference title, b – clinched best overall record, e – eliminated from playoff contention
===Statistical leaders===
====Scoring leaders====
Player 	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	
Jose Charbonneau	Vancouver Voodoo 	14	25	43	68	+26	10
Doug Lawrence 	Oakland Skates 	14	12	48	60	+2 	50
Daniel Shank 	San Diego Barracudas	14	28	31	59	+7 	107
Ryan Harrison 	Vancouver Voodoo 	14	27	32	59	+29	37
Todd Esselmont 	Vancouver Voodoo 	14	26	31	57	+21	18
Sylvain Naud 	Oakland Skates 	14	31	20	51	+5 	38
Don Martin 	Florida Hammerheads 	14	27	23	50	–8 	80
Steve Ross 	Los Angeles Blades 	14	11	38	49	–5 	18
Max Middendorf 	San Diego Barracudas	14	29	18	47	–1 	60
Ralph Barahona 	Los Angeles Blades 	12	20	25	45	+7 	8
====Leading goaltenders====
Player 	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Randy Jaycock 	Calgary Rad'z 	7 	206	3 	1	0	22	0	.880	5.13
Manny Legace 	Toronto Planets 	13	611	10	3	0	67	0	.881	5.26
Rob Laurie 	Anaheim Bullfrogs 	7 	312	7 	0	0	35	0	.856	5.38
Ken Kinney 	Vancouver Voodoo 	9 	391	8 	0	0	45	0	.863	5.52
Bill Horn 	Anaheim Bullfrogs 	8 	352	6 	0	1	47	0	.853	6.41
Scott Humphrey 	St. Louis Vipers 	6 	285	4 	1	1	40	0	.829	6.74
Mike O'Hara 	Los Angeles Blades 	13	621	8 	5	0	96	0	.822	7.42
Frankie Ouellette	San Diego Barracudas	9 	406	4 	4	0	64	0	.835	7.57
Neil Walsh 	Connecticut Coasters	10	374	6 	2	0	59	0	.827	7.57
Lance Carlson 	Vancouver Voodoo 	7 	280	3 	2	1	45	0	.807	7.71
==Quarterfinals==
===Anaheim Bullfrogs vs. Connecticut Coasters===
===Vancouver Voodoo vs. Calgary Rad'z===
===Toronto Planets vs. Los Angeles Blades===
===St. Louis Vipers vs. Oakland Skates===
==Semifinals==
===Anaheim Bullfrogs vs. Los Angeles Blades===
===Calgary Rad'z vs. Oakland Skates===
==Murphy Cup Finals==
Category:Roller Hockey International