The Xtreme Hockey League (XHL) was formed in January of 2001 to provide a forum for organized roller hockey in the local area. The league was approved by the Brockway Recreation Board to play on the former tennis courts in Taylor Memorial Park down on Ninth Avenue by the Little League Field, in Brockway, Pennsylvania. The first season consisted of 7 teams, with six (6) members on a team. The Marvel Knights defeated the Rogue to claim the first ever XHL championship, which capped off a 15-1-2 season.
Season one was a learning experience for the League, so in 2002, major changes were made. Rules were set in place to avoid the problems that arose the first year, a scoreboard was purchased by the Recreation Board for the League to use, and most importantly, the entire board system was re-vamped to improve the flow of the game. The 2002 season saw the number of teams increase to 9, with seven (7) members on a team. The Punishers went undefeated, defeating the Rogue in the finals, to get their names engraved on the newly renamed "Taylor Memorial Cup."
The 3rd season again drew 9 teams, and was the most competitive season to that point. The Contenders beat the Rogue 5-4 in the first game of the finals to take the series to Game 2. With the score tied at 6 after regulation, Ryan Drayer scored the winning goal for the Contenders with 47 seconds left in overtime to earn their place on the Taylor Memorial Cup.
In 2004, the league hit a high water mark in membership with 10 teams and 70 participants. That year, the League made some minor changes, which included improving the lighting system by adding two small halogen lights at the far side of the court. The League also attempted to create more of a hockey feel that year by painting sponsors' logos on the boards. The Colonials were the 4th different team in 4 years to win the XHL Championship.
With the onset of the 5th season, the league initiated a “5-Year Plan” for expansion. As a way to raise funds, the league sold raffle tickets and XHL apparel. In 2005 the XHL formally started the process of applying for tax exemption status under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c) 3 in order to apply for grant monies. Season 5 also saw the introduction of the “Featured Game of the Night” with music and announcements replicating the feel of being at a professional hockey game. The Contenders accomplished the feat of being the first team to win two titles.
In 2006 major changes were made primary due to the fact that the XHL had new neighbors move in on the spot of the old Ninth Avenue School. The old storage shed was torn down and a new one was built and placed inside the park near the entrance to the basketball courts. The players’ entrance gates also had to be moved inside the basketball courts to get the benches off of Ninth Avenue. All of the framing behind the boards was replaced with new lumber on the bottom because four years of being exposed to pooling water had started to rot the frames. The highlight of the sixth season was the Rogue finally winning the championship after making it to the finals in each of the first 5 XHL seasons.
At the start of the 2007 season, the XHL had been officially incorporated with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a non-profit corporation and it had received tax-exempt status under Section 501(c) 4 of the Internal Revenue Code. For the first time, the sponsor logos on the boards were done professionally in vinyl graphics instead of being painted by hand. Enrollment dropped to 9 teams; however, the XHL was able to draw new members from the Junior XHL program in Brockway as well as from other surrounding communities. During the 2007 season the League continued the raffle ticket sales, as well as XHL apparel sales as a way of generating more revenue for court expansion. 2007 saw the addition of Adam McKinley as Vice-President and Brian Anderson as Treasurer. The Rogue repeated as champions.
The 2008 season featured nine teams, and was arguably one of the most competitive seasons on record. In the end, the Rogue won their third straight title in two games against the Maniax. Off the court, the league's fundraising efforts began to pay off. The league members voted to make the practical choice of using the league's funds to buy a professional boards system.
The league finally put some of its' hard earned money to work by purchasing a professional board system from Athletica, Inc. The final price tag on the boards eclipsed $15,000, but the investment was a major hit. On the court, the Maniax, Rogue, and Griffins distanced themselves from the competition, but the real race came for the 4th and final playoff seed. The Phantoms came out of nowhere to beat the Sharks and then defeat the Colonials in the first ever play-in game to earn their first playoff berth. In the post-season, the Maniax avenged their disappointing 2008 finish to beat the Rogue in two games in the finals.
The 2010 season marked the 10th anniversary of the XHL and was one of the most interesting seasons on record. A new record of 11 teams and 77 players participated. For the first time, six teams were allowed to enter the post-season rather than the four team maxium that was allowed in the first nine seasons. The Colonials, Maniax, Rogue, Hot Shots, Sting, and Cyclones all qualified for the playoffs. The Colonials and Maniax received byes as the top seeds. The Hot Shots and Rogue advanced to set up two interesting semi-final match-ups. The Maniax needed to overtime games to sweep the Rogue while the Hot Shots ousted the Colonials in three games to set up the Maniax/Hot Shots finale. The Maniax took game one 9-5 but the Hot Shots answered with a 5-4 victory in game two to set the stage for an exciting finish to the 10th season. In the end, the Maniax held off the Hot Shots 6-5 to claim their third straight title.
As the league ushers in a new decade of hockey, several changes have been put in place for the 2011 campaign. The league announced it would be moving to the Rollerdrome in Reynoldsville; roster sizes were expanded to eight players; the mercy rule has been lowered to 12; and off-sides has been eliminated. All of this sets the stage for what will hopefully be another exciting season and another enjoyable era of XHL hockey in the community.
HISTORY