ods. The first and second periods are separated by only a five minute break, the second and third by a fifteen minute intermission, and finally the third and fourth by another five minute break. Overtime periods are also different. Overtime in ice hockey is five minutes long. If neither team scores a goal in these five minutes, the game is declared a tie. Roller hockey has a similar five minute overtime period, but if the tie still remains unresolved, the teams participate in a shoot out to determine a winner.With all these apparent differences between the two versions of hockey, new fans tend to miss one of the most subtle, but important, differences. Equipment is a major part in every sport, roller and ice hockey are no exceptions. Roller hockey players skate with roller blades while ice hockey players skate on lightweight steel or aluminum blades. Roller hockey "blades" consist of an aluminum chassis and four light weight plastic and rubber wheels while ice skates are a sharpened blade designed to temporarily melt the ice in order for them to glide smoothly over the ice surface. Ice and roller hockey are different in these few ways, but many fans seem to shy away from roller hockey because they don't understand that even with all the differences, the game and most of its rules still remain intact. Some fans, like myself, feel that roller hockey lacks the true strategy of ice hockey. Fans shouldn't be put out by this because any lack of "strategy" is equally made up by the greater speed and scoring seen in roller hockey. Fans that love high scoring games seem to be very attracted to roller hockey while more traditional "old time" hockey fans prefer the standard five on five hockey versus the four on four antics presented in roller hockey. I personally play roller hockey because of the speed but prefer to watch ice because of the talent. Fans looking for a nice change of pace from just ice hockey should invest some time and...
