Many times in the past couple of weeks, I have described our current problem: interest in ball hockey and ro-hockey in general. Lately it's taken a steep decline, and now a big question awaits us: will we be able to fix it? The answer is not so clear as of now. I'm not sure if I will be continuing the RHL after this season for that reason. If I do, it's likely for one last hurrah before the end of the summer, and then it's done. Just knowing that this league lasted 17, maybe 18 seasons if we decide to risk one more season out of the league, is astounding. Every season has its own story, and while it sounds somewhat awkward to never forget something you have done online, the last five and a half years I have invested into this league has been just that: unforgettable.
If there is an eighteenth season, we will likely see just six teams. This will bring the roster max up, and if there is a salary cap (which there likely will be), it will be higher to accommodate that.
As for the RHL-DL, I'm not sure what to do with it, because having a 6-team major league with a 4-team minor league, it's hard to find who will affiliate who, and that is the main reason that the RHL-DL is in place. Whether we move two more teams down to RHL-DL to make it where each team has one affiliate, or step it down to a bare minimum of just 3 teams, which sounds unreasonably small, is still up in the air.
The season will likely be short, as I know how teams who don't do well early on are more likely to just stop showing and not waste their time on a game that is meaningless to them. Unfortunately, things like that are a major negative for online leagues, especially ones that are ran on this site.
I just wanted to keep you all updated with what I plan on doing with this league in the next few months and let everyone know that the league is on a decline, and we all have to accept the fact that there isn't much we can do about it other than try to get the best team owners possible and motivate everyone to hype its final days. Changing too much will make the league not feel like the RHL anymore, so I don't believe it will be worth it at this point. As always, if you find anything you think will be beneficial to the league's future, don't hesitate to let me know.
I'm thinking, for the league's final season, that we can play in some historic locations, such as Huntington Center, Epic ROR, maybe even Epic Cola Arena just to take one last stroll through everything the RHL has been through and re-visit everything we, as a community, have put together as a team. Of course, these places will have to be modified to have the current rinks in them in order for them to become playable. During the final games, I was thinking playing at Slapshot Center, where it all began in December of 2010.
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