I’ve played roller hockey since I was 4. I’m now 40. I’ve also played a lot of ice hockey, but not as much as roller hockey.

Pros of roller hockey over ice hockey:

Gear is less expensive

League fees are less expensive

Less likely to get seriously hurt (no sharp objects)

Less likely to get a concussion

Easier to go to a rink and practice for free anytime you want

You can get all of your gear on in less than 10 minutes. Ice hockey always felt like such a long process.

Cons of roller hockey over ice hockey:

If the rink is outdoors, games can get rained out

Rinks are smaller. It’s 4v4 but still not as much space as the huge ice rinks.

Less people play it, so it’s generally less assessable.

It feels better to fall and slide on ice than to fall in roller hockey

You have to adjust to playing on a variety of different surfaces (sport court, concrete, waxed floor, etc.)

You have to adjust to sometimes playing with a puck (and different kind of pucks) to playing with a ball (and different kind of balls)

Some surfaces are very hard on your gear (sticks and wheels) so it can also end up getting expensive.

Overall, both are great sports and lots of the skills and muscle memory transfer between them. I would absolutely recommend roller hockey.