Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, August 1, 1994 TAG: 9408010062
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Express officials have refused comment on the announcement that will be made at an 11 a.m. news conference at the Roanoke Civic Center.
However, an ECHL source said Sunday the Minnesota-Roanoke ``deal is pretty common knowledge within the hockey circles.''
Minnesota is one of four new franchises beginning play in the IHL this season. The Moose's NHL affiliate is expected to be the Winnipeg Jets.
Express coach Frank Anzalone, who couldn't be reached for comment Sunday, revealed in mid-June he was conducting ``lengthy disscussions'' with Minnesota coach Frank Serratore.
``It would be a nice situation for us,'' Anzalone said of a prospective player agreement with Minnesota.
``I think IHL affiliation is the wave of the future for clubs in this league. Unlike an NHL tie, they hopefully will see us as their No. 1 priority when it comes to player development. I think we could expect to get right many players from their camp.''
Serratore couldn't be reached for comment Sunday, but either he or another Moose official is expected to represent the IHL club at the news conference.
It's unclear whether the Express will remain a second-tier affiliate of the NHL's San Jose Sharks for '94-95.
A Sharks official, when reached Sunday, said he didn't ``think Roanoke's deal with Minnesota would greatly affect its relationship with San Jose.''
Roanoke got only three players from San Jose last season. Of the trio, only goaltender Dan Ryder made a major contribution.
Also, the Express also will reveal its 68-game regular-season schedule today.
An ECHL source said Friday that the Express has been granted games on 19 of the 24 available weekend home dates it submitted to the league office. Roanoke had only 15 Friday-Saturday home dates - Friday and Saturday - last season.
RICHMOND REVIVAL: The new ownership group in Richmond has hit the ice running, promising Renegade fans ``a more physical, more exciting'' team than past versions.
Ex-NHL player Craig Laughlin, part owner and general manager, guaranteed Renegades fans they won't be seeing European-style hockey.
``It's going to be a physical, hard-hitting club ... a team that will pay the price on all accounts, one that will be involved every night,'' Laughlin told The Richmond Times-Dispatch.
``I want them to play as a team and finish every check. You've got to do that to be successful.
``I don't think you necessarily have to fight at every drop of the puck. [But] hockey is a fast-moving game and you still have to have the fighters.''
McLaughlin, who plans to continue as the Washington Capitals analyst on Home Team Sports, is part of a Washington-based organization that purchased the Renegades from California businessman David Elmore last month.
Elmore, who reportedly lost $250,000 last season, had to move the Renegades after buying the ECHL's Huntsville (Ala.) franchise and moving it to Tallahasee, Fla. League bylaws restrict an owner from having majority interest in more than one franchise.
Washington and Lee University graduate Harry Feuerstein, director of a investment banking firm in Washington, D.C., heads the new ownership group.
The sale hasn't been approved yet, but that's expected to be a mere formality when club owners vote later this month in a league meeting in Columbus, Ohio.
Former Roanoke Valley Rebels coach Roy Sommer has been retained as Richmond coach. Sommer reportedly was offered the Tallahassee opening by Elmore.
Laughlin said the club is close to finalizing a working agreement for 1994-95 with an NHL club. The New York Islanders, the Renegades' NHL tie the past several seasons, decided to go with Elmore to Tallahassee.
COACHING MOVES: All 18 ECHL head coaching posts for '94-95 have been filled with the Nashville Knights' announcement Friday that they have hired Mark Kumpel.
Kumpel, an assistant with the American Hockey League's Providence (R.I.) Bruins last season, succeeds Nick Fotiu, who was fired at the conclusion of last season.
Kumpel, 33, played five seasons in the NHL from 1984-89. He was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team that played in Sarejevo.
Earlier, the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks appointed Terry Christensen as their bench leader. Christensen spent the past three seasons coaching the Detroit Falcons of the Colonial Hockey League.
Christensen guided Detroit to the CHL's regular-season title in 1992. Detroit was the CHL runner-up in 1993.
Previously, Christensen spent 13 years as an college assistant at Michigan State and Northern Michigan. He was selected to coach the U.S. Natinoal Junior team in 1988.
Christensen replaces Vic Posa, whose services weren't retained after Elmore bought the club.
ICE CHIPS: Express captain Dave ``Moose'' Morissette's youth hockey camp is set for Aug. 8-13 at the civic center. Express players Roger Larche and Reggie Brezeault will assist Morissette as camp teachers. ... The ECHL has canceled its first free-agent tryout camp, scheduled for Aug. 21-27 in Columbus because of lack of response. The camp's fee of $500 was considered excessive by many. ... The Greensboro Monarchs are facing a major overhaul for '94-95. Coach Jeff Brubaker recently lost high-scoring Phil Berger and Sebastian LaPlante. Berger, the ECHL's all-time leading scorer, has signed to play in Germany, while LaPlante will play in France. The Monarchs earlier lost Dan Gravelle and John Young to International Hockey League contract.
by CNB