ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 15, 1997 TAG: 9701150047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
Slam Duncan almost became the first public-address announcer in East Coast Hockey League history to get tossed into the penalty box this week.
The burly, boisterous voice for the Roanoke Express was threatened by a Hampton Roads Admirals coach Saturday and got a stern lecture from a high-ranking ECHL official after a sarcastic, off-the-cuff remark following Saturday's Express-Admirals game at the Roanoke Civic Center.
Seconds after the Admirals' hard-earned 4-3 victory, players from both teams were still mixing it up on the ice when Duncan announced over the P.A. system: ``Another class act by the Hampton Roads Admirals.''
That comment irked Hampton Roads assistant coach Al MacIsaac, who ran up the civic center steps to confront Duncan in the crow's nest high above the ice. MacIsaac and Duncan exchanged words and engaged in some pushing and shoving before being separated by bystanders.
ECHL senior vice president of hockey operations Andy Van Hellemond spoke with Duncan on Tuesday and issued a reprimand to both teams for Saturday's incident.
``The first thing I told Andy was that I was wrong to have said what I said over the P.A.,'' Duncan said. ``It's sports. I'm a fan like any other. I got excited and I only said something after [Admirals' coach John] Brophy started taking his coat off looking like he was going to fight one of our players.
``I apologized and told him not to expect that kind of behavior from me in the future. At the same time, it was wrong for that guy to confront me. I shoved him after he spun me around and asked me what the hell I was doing. I asked him who he was, then shoved him across the press box. He said, `I'll have your job Monday.'''
MacIsaac, who is also the Admirals' general manager, had little to say about the incident.
``Nothing happened,'' he said. ``I thought [Duncan] crossed the line, but I have nothing else to say about it. The league will take care of it.''
Van Hellemond, an NHL referee for 25 years, said he told representatives of both teams that they were ``on notice'' that another incident like this would not be tolerated.
``I explained [to Duncan] I was not very happy with his comments,'' Van Hellemond said. ``He said he wasn't happy, himself, about doing it. I told him of the ramifications and reminded him we can't have that kind of conduct.''
No other disciplinary action is expected.
``At first I thought it could be kind of cool to be the first P.A. guy to get suspended,'' said Duncan, a morning D.J. at a local radio station.
``Do you know how much mileage I could get out of that on the air? Then, he started talking about fines and money and I thought... `Whoa. OK, I get it.'''
LENGTH: Medium: 54 linesby CNB