FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not put every team in one city?

That model has been tried many times, since it's a natural extension of the existing tournament system that exists in roller hockey today. The problem is it's not viable, and it has failed time and time again; even with some extreme gimmicks to try and get fans in the door. In order for one market to sustain multiple teams, that market needs to draw several thousand more fans per game than it takes to sustain just one. Without a "home team" for the fans to latch onto, what inevitably happens is that they actually draw fewer fans than an amateur product like junior or college hockey. People want to feel connected to their team, it's what makes sports appealing in the first place. Having teams travel between cities means more travel costs, more planning, and more logistical overhead, but it's the best way for a sports league to work.

What about insurance?

Insurance is more than taken care of. We have liability insurance, which is required to host events at major venues, we have worker's comp, and we even have gap coverage to cover accidents and injuries for our players, coaches, and referees.

Has there ever been a professional roller hockey league in the US?

There was a professional roller hockey league that spanned across the US and Canada in the 1990s called Roller Hockey International. It drew thousands of fans per game, and was by any measure a huge success, something that we hope to emulate. It eventually failed because of overzealous expansions and some internal politics that hurt the business. We consulted extensively Steve Pona, who was a major executive in the RHI, to help us plan our our league. He helped us plan for pitfalls and avoid mistakes that that league made, and brought a wealth of knowledge about what made that league successful as well.

Is it possible to make money investing in the THL?

The Tropical Hockey League Fan Owner's Association is a nonprofit, meaning that it can't pay dividends. What it can do is buy back shares. We can't make any promises about when that will be or how much it can buy shares back for, but the plan is to buy them back for $300 apiece once our teams are stable enough to be in a position to buy back shares.
There is also a provision in the bylaws to allow fan-owners to vote to leave the THLFOA and transition into a for-profit model after 5 or more years. Again, that's not something we can promise, and there would be several logistical and financial barriers that might keep you from earning profit in that situation, if you can even convince your fellow fan-owners to vote for the change.
Short answer: Yes, but we can't promise anything.

What happens if one of your venues falls through?

In case something changes and we're not able to go through with our current venues, we have plans for backup venues in every market. In some markets, we even have third and fourth backups. Since our flooring and boards can be picked up and moved somewhere else in just a few hours, we can be flexible in a way that other sports can't.

Where do you see the THL in 5 years?

We'd like to have at least 8 teams, each with a large and fully professional staff, a top-quality training facility, and well-paid players.

Report abuse

Page details

Page updated

Report abuse