THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 5, 1996 TAG: 9605050218
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
The owners-to-be of the Hampton Roads Admirals briefly contemplated moving the team from Scope to the Hampton Coliseum, sources say.
Page Johnson, who along with Mark Garcea has agreed to purchase the Admirals from Blake Cullen, met with Hampton Coliseum director Joe Tsao last Thursday.
Tsao and Johnson declined comment on the meeting, but the Admirals have two years remaining on their lease at Scope, and sources say Johnson wanted to know if the Coliseum was an option when the lease expired.
Apparently it won't be an option, because Tsao says he's not interested in luring the Admirals from Scope, saying such a move ``just doesn't make sense for anyone.''
``They're doing fine in Scope,'' he said. ``I have 170 event days here. We as a building are doing fine. . . . We want to pursue a complementary role to Scope.''
One reason Tsao is reluctant to court the Admirals is that it would cost nearly $1 million to purchase and install boards and ice-making equipment for the Coliseum. Tsao has rejected four bids from American Hockey League teams over the last 12 months, in part because the teams wanted the Coliseum to pay for the improvements.
Johnson and Garcea apparently are attempting to renegotiate the Scope lease, one of the least generous in the ECHL, and may have wanted the Coliseum as a backup in case their negotiations fail.
Johnson and Garcea continue to decline comment on all aspects of their purchase of the team and likely will do so until the sale is complete in about three weeks.
BIG BOOST: Although the playoffs were a disaster for the Admirals, who were swept in three games by Richmond, they provided a well-needed boost to the two franchises in the finals.
Charlotte swept Jacksonville in the Riley Cup finals, beating the Lizard Kings 6-1 Thursday in Florida to clinch its first title.
The Checkers ended a string of playoff frustration after being beaten in the first round the last two years. They also enjoyed a high media profile for the last two weeks in a market in which they are generally swamped by the NBA's Hornets and the NFL's Panthers.
``It was a great step forward for this franchise,'' coach John Marks said.
Yet not nearly as great as the step taken by Jacksonville. The Lizard Kings were a bust during the regular season, their first in the ECHL. Their average attendance of 2,400 was the league's second-worst and only slightly better than that of a Southern Hockey League team in the city's suburbs.
Moreover, the Lizard Kings' media profile was nonexistent in a city enthralled with the NFL Jaguars, Florida State and Florida. In their second playoff game, they drew a paltry 1,047 to the Jacksonville Coliseum, and it was expected the Lizard Kings might move during the offseason.
But as they upset three ECHL division champions to get to the finals, their media profile exploded, as did attendance. Stories about the Lizard Kings led The Florida Times Union for five consecutive days last week, when they drew 7,519 and 6,474, respectively, against the Checkers.
``The playoff experience put us on the map in Jacksonville,'' Lizard Kings coach Jeff Brubaker said. ``We'll never kick the Jaguars off the front page, but I think we've developed our own following of loyal fans.''
FORMER ADMIRALS SHINE: Four former Admirals were on the bench during the Pittsburgh-Washington first-round NHL playoff series, which matched Hampton Roads' two NHL affiliates. Patrick Lalime was Pittsburgh's backup goalie, and forwards Steve Poapst and Andrew Brunette skated regular shifts for the Caps.
But most impressive was Caps goalie Ollie Kolzig. Twice he replaced Jim Carey, one of the NHL's best, and sparkled in goal. In the final game, a 3-2 Penguins victory, Kolzig allowed one goal in two periods after replacing Carey and kept Washington in the game with several dazzling saves.
Kolzig is now a free agent and says he likely will return to Washington next season. But given his fine playoff performance, he's likely to be tempted with offers from elsewhere. by CNB