THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 9, 1996 TAG: 9602090612
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
The Hampton Roads Admirals are pressing the ECHL to levy sanctions against Alexander Savchenkov, the Tallahassee forward who broke the jaw of Admirals defenseman Chris Phelps in two places last week.
Savchenkov was assessed a two-minute minor for elbowing. The Admirals said the elbowing was so flagrant that he should be suspended.
The Admirals requested a copy of the game film to review the incident, and team president Blake Cullen said it showed only the overtime shootout. The rest of the tape was blank.
But ECHL commissioner Pat Kelly got a copy of the film Thursday and agreed with Cullen that the incident may warrant sanction.
``He said there's no question there was an elbow,'' Cullen said. ``He's asking for further input from the NHL, which had a supervisor at the game. He sent the supervisor the film. I think he will do something.''
Phelps' teammates say they saw enough in person to convince them it deserved a more serious penalty.
``Yeah, it was a cheap shot. He skated halfway across the ice and came off his feet when he hit'' Phelps, defenseman Bob Woods said.
Phelps' jaw is wired shut and he is on a liquid diet. Whether he can return when the wire comes off in early March depends on how much weight he loses.
``He could be skating again before the regular-season is over and might be ready by the playoffs,'' trainer Rick Burrill said.
``My guess - and it's only a guess at this point - is that he'll be back.''
Admirals coach John Brophy isn't quite as optimistic: ``He might weigh 100 pounds by the time he gets back.''
Phelps vows to be return.
``I'm not going to lose weight,'' said Phelps, shortly after ingesting a pulverized chicken breast through a straw. ``Hey, the chicken tasted great. I'm going to eat plenty.
``I'll be back.''
COULD BE WORSE: Phelps' broken jaw is trifling compared to the injury Roanoke's Brian Gallentine sustained when he took a stick to the head from Wheeling's Brock Woods on Oct. 29 in Wheeling.
Gallentine lost 90 percent of the vision in one eye and has had to retire from hockey.
Woods was originally assessed a two-minute minor for high-sticking, but was suspended for three games after Kelly reviewed the film.
Gallentine has returned to Western Michigan University to complete work on his degree. The Express held a special night for him last month and raised $1,745 for program sales which he will use at Western Michigan. The Express booster club chipped in an additional $567.50.
SURFIN' THE COAST: Got something you'd like to say to ECHL president Rick Adams or Kelly? If you have a home computer and access to the Internet, the ECHL has a web page that will allow you to contact them.
The web page - the address is http://www.echl.org - provides ECHL fans access to schedules, standings and statistics. Fans can also purchase league merchandise by credit card or leave messages for Adams, Kelly or any other league official.
The league had an unofficial web site last year which had 10,000 visitors per week. The new web page will give fans access to the six teams that also have web pages. The Admirals are in the process of setting up their own web page. by CNB