ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 1, 1997 TAG: 9702030100
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
When the opportunity came for Ilya Dubkov to skate off to the highest echelon of minor-league hockey, the Roanoke Express did not attempt to body-check him.
Dubkov, the all-time leading goal-scorer and point-scorer in Express history, joined the American Hockey League's Hamilton (Ontario) Bulldogs on Friday for an assignment that will last for four games, if not longer.
Also Friday, the Express traded rookie forward Bobby Brown to the East Coast Hockey League's Baton Rouge Kingfish. The deal was worked out after Brown, a contract player with the NHL's Calgary Flames, left the squad following a practice this week.
Express officials hope Dubkov will return. Dubkov's agent, Eric Kuperman, had been attempting for weeks to get his client a tryout with either an AHL or International Hockey League team. The Express had explored the possibility of getting Dubkov an assignment with one of its two affiliates - the IHL's Manitoba Moose and the AHL's Saint John Flames - but neither club was in need of a center.
Kuperman arranged the week-long tryout with Hamilton, the AHL's lowest-scoring team. The Express, which has accommodated players who wish to advance to higher leagues, allowed him to leave.
``It wouldn't be fair to Ilya to tell him he couldn't go,'' said Express general manager Pierre Paiement, who added that Roanoke's affiliates ``probably felt like they didn't need anybody for that position. A team like Hamilton needed scoring. We'd like for our affiliations to take a look at our people, because you have more control. At the same time, we do not want to be known as an organization that does not allow players to move up.''
Paiement said Hamilton may consider keeping Dubkov longer once the week-long stint ends.
``If they like him, they could sign him,'' he said.
That would resurrect memories of a similar story involving another popular Russian player. In 1993-94, Express wing Lev Berdichevsky was called up for a ``tryout'' with the AHL's Adirondack Red Wings that essentially lasted the rest of the season.
Dubkov, 24, will be playing for a North American team other than the Express for the first time since he came to the United States in 1993. In 31/2 seasons, he has a franchise-record 91 goals. Since returning to the Express from a brief stint in the Russia Red Army hockey program, Dubkov was Roanoke's second-leading scorer with 51 points in 27 games.
Brown, 21, who scored a hat trick in his first game with the Express, had been a center, right wing and defenseman for the Express and scored 23 points in 39 games. Roanoke coach Frank Anzalone, however, had grown unhappy with Brown's play in recent weeks.
While never mentioning any player by name, Anzalone nevertheless was critical of some players during a three-game losing streak two weeks ago and had noted that ``we've got guys on this team who are minus-15'' on the plus-minus rating. Brown's rating at the time of the trade was minus-15.
``Every game, Frank has to make a decision about who's playing and who's not playing,'' Paiement said. ``Bobby felt that, being a contract player, he needed to play. With Frank, no matter who you are, you have to earn your playing time. Every game, you need to put forth your best effort. If he feels you're not doing that, then he puts the best guys out there.
``Bobby wasn't happy under these conditions, so we found him another home.''
LENGTH: Medium: 66 linesby CNB