RHI SUSPENDS OPERATIONS, BUT IS ROLLING STONES FOR NEXT YEAR

          Roller Hockey Int'l (RHI) "will not field teams this
     summer as it attempts to pay off" $1.5M in debts and secure
     $12M in "financing" for the '99 season, according to Sheldon
     Spencer of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS.  San Jose Rhinos
     President Rich Shillington, whose team hopes to "be a part
     of" a reformed eight- to 10-team RHI in '99, said that the
     league "collapsed beneath the weight of mismanagement."  RHI,
     which began in '93, "once boasted as many as" 24 teams, but
     "most" turned out to be underfinanced.  Rhinos GM Jon
     Gustafson said league officials lacked a "central focus," and
     were "more worried about bringing in (expansion-team) money
     as opposed to the strength of the (existing) teams." 
     Shillington said that NY-based BlueStone Capital "has loaned
     the league" $1.5M to settle debts and has "investors ready"
     to make a $12M IPO this summer (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 5/13).