LATEST NEWS
NIHA - Leading the Way in Canada
National Inline Hockey Association – Canada (NIHA‐Canada) has a long history of growing the
sport of inline hockey in Canada and throughout the past seasons they have put programs and
partnerships in place to continue the development of the sport in Canada.
NIHA‐Canada as an organization has grown along with the sport as inline hockey continues to
catch on throughout this hockey crazy nation. For three years straight, NIHA‐Canada has added
a new provincial branch to the nationwide membership. Ontario Minor Roller Hockey
Association (OMRHA), Roller Sports Manitoba (RSM) and the Association Roller Hockey Quebec
(ARHQ) have gained full membership under NIHA‐Canada to assist in providing safe, fun and
organized opportunities for inline hockey players.
“The addition of these organizations to our already solid membership of British Columbia Inline
Hockey Association (BCIHA), Hockey Alberta Inline (HAIL) and the amalgamation of RSM and
Manitoba Inline Hockey Association (MIHA) has been fantastic for our sport and allows NIHACanada
to reach more players and provide the opportunities for these players to develop their
skills, abilities and character,” states Kevin Sharp, President, NIHA‐Canada. “ We are proud to
say that more and more players are registering through NIHA‐Canada member leagues.”
NIHA‐Canada has added new partnerships with State Wars starting in 2009 as well as the newly
formed Roller Hockey Alliance. The 2009 State Wars event will include Canadian teams for the
first time ever as NIHA‐Canada Provincial Branches will be sending their provincial High
Performance teams.
“This partnership provides the Provincial Branches of NIHA‐Canada the opportunity to attend
one of the top High Performance events in North America and showcase the best players that
Canada has in the sport of inline hockey,” says Nathan Fleck, Executive Director, NIHA‐Canada.
NIHA‐Canada has also added a new partnership south of the border through their support of
the newly formed Roller Hockey Alliance.
“We are proud to align ourselves with groups outside of Canada that put the sport ahead of
individual agendas and work towards growing the sport of inline hockey in their own backyard,”
says Fleck, “RHA has tried to simplify things in the US for inline players and we are proud to
support their events and their growing membership.”
NIHA‐Canada is recognized as the National Governing Organization for the sport of inline
hockey in Canada by both Hockey Canada and IIHF and continue to strengthen their
international partnerships with other National Governing Organizations.
The return of the Men’s National Team Program that attended the 2008 IIHF Men’s World
Inline Championships in Slovakia is proof of this commitment.
“We felt that as we continue to develop our presence in Canada and North America, NIHACanada
also needed to be involved on the international scene,” says Scott Hill, VP Player
Development NIHA‐Canada. “By reviving the National Team Program and attending the IIHF
event, we placed Canada back at the table for international conversations around our sport. We
need to be aware of the development of our sport in our backyard with our neighbours as well
as with other organizations internationally, it’s the only way we can discuss the trends and
needs of our players and leagues so that we can provide the benefits to our members that they
are looking for.”
The 2009 inline hockey season is coming up quickly and NIHA‐Canada has already aligned with
some quality events and organizations to make the 2009 season the best experience possible
for their members.
For more information contact:
Nathan Fleck
Executive Director, NIHA‐Canada
403‐342‐4162
nfleck@niha.ca
[back to top]