RHL LEAGUE HISTORY

     1991-92: RHL is formed as a six-team league with a 20-game regular season schedule. Teams and team owners are Atlantic City NJ Assassins (Denise Mann), Denver CO Snow Caps (Eva Johnson), Hamilton ON Mounties (Steve Peterson), Indianapolis IN Icers (Brian Wellwood), Moose Jaw SK Breakers (Jack Bean) and Portland OR Grizzlies (Rob-Roy Nelson). Brian Wellwood is named league commissioner.
     1992-93: Hugh Leach takes over Denver Snow Caps three games into the season.
     1993-94: RHL expands to an eight-team league and splits into two conferences with teams playing a 40-game regular season schedule. New teams and owners are the Halifax NS Frozen Cardinals (Brad Walker) and the Saskatoon SK Three Dog Knights (Tony Scotta). Teams in the Howe (east) Conference are Atlantic City, Halifax, Hamilton and Indianapolis. Teams in the Lindsay (west) Conference are Denver, Moose Jaw, Portland and Saskatoon.
     1994-95: Season shortened to 20 games because of NHL lockout. Atlantic City Assassins relocate, become the Azusa CA Assassins and move to the Lindsay Conference, but Denise Mann tires of waiting for the NHL to resume play and turns the team over to John Nieboer before play begins. The Denver Snow Caps relocate to Nashville TN, become the Music City Marauders and move to the Howe Conference.
     1995-96: The Azusa Assassins relocate and become the San Diego CA Sun Devils. Jennifer Nieboer becomes owner of the Moose Jaw Breakers.
     1996-97: Aaron Barish and Will Rollin become joint owners of the Saskatoon Three Dog Knights and relocate the team to Waipahu HI, where it is renamed the Island Surf Riders.
     1998-99: Jay Daniels becomes owner of the Hamilton Mounties and relocates the team to Greenwich CT and the team becomes the Greenwich Goonz. Former Hamilton Owner Steve Peterson becomes co-owner with Rob-Roy Nelson of the Portland Grizzlies, which is renamed the Portland Ice Penguins. 
     2002-03: Dann Williams acquires the Portland Ice Penguins and relocates the team to Saskatoon SK where it is renamed the Saskatchewan Sasquatch.
     2004-05: NHL lockout, RHL season is canceled.
     2005-06: NHL lockout ends, RHL plays full season.
     2006-07: Richard Pease acquires the Saskatchewan Sasquatch and moves the team to Vancouver BC, where it becomes the Vancouver Dragoons. The San Diego Sun Devils are relocated to Victoria BC and become the Victoria Vigilantes. Island co-owner Will Rollin retires because of ill health and Aaron Barish assumes sole control of the team.
     2008-09: Mark Howell acquires the Vancouver Dragoons and relocates the team to Canton NY where it becomes the Canton Northmen.
     2009-10: The RHL undergoes its second expansion. New teams and owners are the Marquette MI Spartans (Bobb Beauchamp), which joins the Howe Conference and the El Paso TX Bobcats (Bob Gaynor), which becomes part of the Lindsay Conference. The Canton Northmen relocate to San Diego CA and become the Ocean Beach Cliff Bangers. RHL adopts a 39-game regular season schedule. League establishes rhlupdate.com Website.

SAN DIEGO SUN DEVILS

JOHN NIEBOER 1942-2010

VICTORIA VIGILANTES

     2010-11: Victoria Vigilantes owner John Nieboer, in his 16th year as an RHL team owner, dies of pancreatic cancer on Christmas Eve. His daughter Jennifer, owner of the Moose Jaw Breakers, takes over team management for the remainder of the season with an assist from Music City Marauders owner Hugh Leach. By unanimous vote at the suggestion of Commissioner Brian Wellwood, the Lindsay Conference is immediately renamed the Nieboer Conference.
     2011-12: Dave Williams becomes owner of the Victoria Vigilantes.
     2012-13: Regular season reduced to 18 games and conference finals reduced to best-of-three series because of NHL lockout.
     2014-15: Ocean Beach forfeits final six games of the regular season. League votes to find new owner for team.
     
2015-16: Ryan Walker acquires Ocean Beach and relocates it to San Antonio, where it becomes the San Antonio Diablos.
     
2016-17: The Victoria Vigilantes are renamed the Victoria Warriors. The Moose Jaw Breakers move to the Portland OR/Vancouver WA area and become the Cascadia Ice Crushers.
     2019-20: Playoffs canceled during conference finals because of COVID-19 pandemic. RHL Cup not awarded.
     2020-21: Season start delayed to January because of COVID-19 pandemic. Teams play shortened 18-game regular season. League Website redesigned and rebuilt.
     2021-22: Bob Gaynor resigns from RHL. Corey Peterson acquires the El Paso Bobcats and relocates the team to Albuquerque, NM, where it becomes the Albuquerque Ice Pack.
     2022-23: Dave Williams resigns from RHL. Eric Steglat acquires the Victoria Warriors and moves the team to Washington state, where it becomes the Washington Snow Tigers.
      2023-24: Bobb Beauchamp resigns from RHL. Tina Lonski acquires the Marquette Spartans.