Anaheim Bullfrogs Roller Hockey Team

After every Roller Hockey International game, hundreds of kids are allowed to lug hockey sticks, roller pucks and caps into the locker room in search of their favorite players' autographs. No one can say RHI, Ltd., doesn't know its fan base. Those little-known signatures may not be worth a lot at a sports memorabilia show, but they mean something to the youngsters who seek them. And their value is even more apparent to RHI, which stages its third annual all-star game at the Pond at 7 tonight.

The Bullfrogs roller hockey team will not play this summer because its league, Roller Hockey International, will not operate this summer, club President Rob Montague said Monday. "We're ready and willing to play, but it's the same old thing," Montague said. "[Roller Hockey International] waited too long to get going and we can't get other owners involved in making a decision as to whether to play."

From their third-floor luxury box at the Pond, Stuart and Nelson Silver will gaze down upon Monday night's opening-round Roller Hockey International playoff game between their Bullfrogs and archrival Blades with two vastly different viewpoints. It's no secret the brothers have been squabbling over the future of the club, which RHI officials, industry publications and product manufacturers generally agree has become the linchpin of the four-year-old league.

After an emotionless summer season of Roller Hockey International play in which checking was often an afterthought, the Bullfrogs tried to establish a physical presence in a hurry Sunday night. And while few players wanted to talk about it, the Bullfrogs' 8-6 loss to the St. Louis Vipers in the league championship game at the Arrowhead Pond was a result of a brutal start that backfired, costing Anaheim a third consecutive in-line title in front of an announced crowd of 6,143.

The Arrowhead Pond hasn't completely closed the door on the Anaheim Bullfrogs playing their seventh season of professional roller hockey there this summer, but it is soliciting proposals from at least two other clubs to put a team in the arena. Pond General Manager Tim Ryan said Thursday he expects to make a decision by Feb. 1. "We are waiting to get all those applications back," Ryan said. "We will review each of them internally and discuss the issues with each potential owner.

On the same night that Mark McGwire said he no longer uses the controversial dietary supplement Androstenedione, Kevin Kerr and Hugo Belanger sat outside the locker room of the Anaheim Bullfrogs of the Roller Hockey International league to make passionate defenses of their sport and to furiously denounce the actions of one of their countrymen. It hasn't caused a big stir here, but last weekend the Canadian roller hockey team won the Pan American Games gold medal, beating the U.S. in the final.

Apologies, Los Angeles Blades. You are no longer the Bullfrogs' archrival. Just head south on Interstate 5. Simply put, the second-round Roller Hockey International playoff series between the San Diego Barracudas (14-12-1, including playoffs) and the top-seeded Bullfrogs (21-5-1, including playoffs), which begins at 7:30 tonight at the San Diego Sports Arena, could be the new series from Hell.

Bullfrog owner Maury Silver says there is a good chance the financially struggling Roller Hockey International will fold. The league's fall meeting was postponed Monday for the second consecutive month. Originally scheduled to be held in September, the annual meeting was reset for Nov. 24 because league CEO Larry King hasn't come up with funds to pay postseason bonuses due players. Each Bullfrog is owed about $3,800 for winning the Murphy Cup.

They are Generation X cutting edge in signature clothing, and both have had short, but successful coaching careers. Yet, Bobby Hull Jr. of the Blades and Grant Sonier of the Bullfrogs, whose teams face off in Game 2 of their first-round Roller Hockey International playoff series at 7:35 tonight at The Pond, are anything but bookends. Rivals, yes. Intense rivals. You bet. Similar. No way.

No one has been more disturbed by the way the Bullfrogs have been playing lately than their usually quiet right winger, Sean Whyte. The Bullfrogs are out of sync but have been finding ways to win. They still figure to be heavy favorites to take their third consecutive in-line title when the Roller Hockey International playoffs begin this afternoon at the Arrowhead Pond. But Anaheim will likely be without its second-leading scorer, Kevin St.

The Bullfrogs' locker room at the Arrowhead Pond was a cliche-riddled and confident place Thursday night, filled with speeches about stepping up, coming to play and putting it all on the line. Well, maybe, according to Brad McCaughey, because the Bullfrog coach said he hadn't felt that kind of electricity in the air for a long time.

No one has been more disturbed by the way the Bullfrogs have been playing lately than their usually quiet right winger, Sean Whyte. The Bullfrogs are out of sync but have been finding ways to win. They still figure to be heavy favorites to take their third consecutive in-line title when the Roller Hockey International playoffs begin this afternoon at the Arrowhead Pond. But Anaheim will likely be without its second-leading scorer, Kevin St.

The under-motivated Bullfrogs continued to stumble toward the playoffs as the Roller Hockey International regular season came to a sluggish close Monday against last-place Dallas. For the second consecutive night, the Bullfrogs put on a sub-par performance, but pulled out a 5-4 shootout victory in front of an announced crowd of 2,422 at the Arrowhead Pond. The victory raised the Bullfrogs' record to 21-3-2.

The Bullfrogs completed a sweep of their regular-season series with the Las Vegas Coyotes on Sunday night at the Arrowhead Pond, but may have lost something more important in the process. Kevin St. Jacques, the team's second-leading scorer and the fourth-leading scorer in Roller Hockey International, broke his hand in the first half of the 6-4 come-from-behind victory. He'll sit out tonight's final regular-season game at 7 against the visiting Dallas Stallions.

If it was just speculation before, the Bullfrogs proved Thursday night that they do have the Las Vegas Coyotes' number. The Bullfrogs defeated the Coyotes, 7-5, at the Arrowhead Pond, moving four points ahead of Las Vegas in the race for first place in the Western Conference. It was the Bullfrogs' fourth victory of the year over Las Vegas, one coming in an overtime shootout. Las Vegas is 15-2-1 against the rest of the league.

On the same night that Mark McGwire said he no longer uses the controversial dietary supplement Androstenedione, Kevin Kerr and Hugo Belanger sat outside the locker room of the Anaheim Bullfrogs of the Roller Hockey International league to make passionate defenses of their sport and to furiously denounce the actions of one of their countrymen. It hasn't caused a big stir here, but last weekend the Canadian roller hockey team won the Pan American Games gold medal, beating the U.S. in the final.

The under-motivated Bullfrogs continued to stumble toward the playoffs as the Roller Hockey International regular season came to a sluggish close Monday against last-place Dallas. For the second consecutive night, the Bullfrogs put on a sub-par performance, but pulled out a 5-4 shootout victory in front of an announced crowd of 2,422 at the Arrowhead Pond. The victory raised the Bullfrogs' record to 21-3-2.

The Bullfrogs completed a sweep of their regular-season series with the Las Vegas Coyotes on Sunday night at the Arrowhead Pond, but may have lost something more important in the process. Kevin St. Jacques, the team's second-leading scorer and the fourth-leading scorer in Roller Hockey International, broke his hand in the first half of the 6-4 come-from-behind victory. He'll sit out tonight's final regular-season game at 7 against the visiting Dallas Stallions.

If there was anyone in the Bullfrogs' locker room who did not know how the team played while falling behind San Jose by two goals in the first half Wednesday night, Bullfrog Coach Brad McCaughey set the record straight. "I told them I thought the first half was pathetic," he said. "To show up and play like that, especially in our rink to a team we've lost three times to, was unacceptable."

The Bullfrogs remained in a tie for first place in the Western Conference of Roller Hockey International after losing to the San Jose Rhinos, 7-3, in front of 3,929 Sunday at the San Jose Arena. Kevin St. Jacques scored two of his three goals in the second quarter to pull the Bullfrogs (15-3-2) within 3-2, but Anaheim went scoreless for the next 18 minutes and San Jose (11-7-3) took control.