Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 20, 1993 TAG: 9303200156
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
ECHL GROUP FACES HURDLES
Obtaining an East Coast Hockey League expansion franchise figures to be the simplest chore for a group interested in keeping the sport in the Roanoke Valley.The remainder of the task might not be so easy, group spokesman Pierre Paiement said Friday.
"Getting in the league is the least of our concern," Paiement said. "Our biggest concerns are elsewhere."
Such as:
Attractive dates at the Roanoke Civic Center. Civic center manager Bob Chapman said the schedule from mid-October 1993 through March 1994 includes only six available Saturdays. Four other prospective Saturday openings, offered in the building's proposal submitted to Roanoke Valley Rampage owner Larry Revo three months ago, have been tentatively booked for other events.
Practice time. This issue rides on what LancerLot owner Henry Brabham decides to do in repairing the Vinton building, the roof of which collapsed under last weekend's snow. If he chooses to keep the rink intact for youth hockey, adult hockey and public ice skating, the local group's team likely would have a convenient practice spot. If Brabham doesn't keep the rink in operation, the team likely would find available practice time short at the Roanoke Civic Center.
Securing a National Hockey League affiliation. Paiement said the group must find a big-league working agreement before Covington businessman John Gagnon, the group's primary investor, will make any kind of financial commitment.
"We've got a lot of work to do in a short period of time in those regards," Paiement said. "As far as the dates go at the civic center, Vern Danielsen [Civic Center Commission chairman] told us he could possibly make some changes.
"Also, the civic center is looking into buying a new portable floor, which would keep the ice from having to come up and down so much. It's a 30-hour process to make ice, and if they could get away with simply covering the floor instead, it would open up some more decent dates for us. The way it is now, if there's an event on Friday, we can't play on Saturday.
"If they do that, plus change some dates around, it might lead to a number of decent dates."
Chapman confirmed the civic center is considering purchasing an insulated floor like those used in numerous big arenas around the country.
"Then maybe we could put some of the trade shows in over the ice," Chapman said. "The way it stands now, we'd be taking the ice up and down an awful lot. You're looking at a lot of time and money [approximately $3,400 each time the ice is removed]."
No Friday-Saturday dates are available in March 1994, which could pose a problem if the team made the ECHL playoffs.
"Yes, we are very concerned about that," Paiement said. "Because during the week people are kind of funny around here. They just don't seem to come out for some reason. When you're aware of that, you don't fight the flow."
Paiement said he hasn't talked to Brabham about practice time.
"I've been told he's going to leave the rink with no seats for youth hockey and so forth," Paiement said. "As you well know, we need a place to practice."
As far as an affiliation goes, Gagnon told one source that he already "has two hot prospects."
Meanwhile, ECHL president E.A. "Bud" Gingher said Friday that the league "would be tickled to death" to add an expansion club in the Roanoke Civic Center.
Gingher predicted the Rampage's debacle in Vinton this past season would have no bearing on an owners' vote on the new group's bid.
"The view of one won't necessarily affect the view of the other," Gingher said. "It's a new building, a new location, a totally different market from what they had there this season. I think a franchise in the Roanoke Civic Center would be very attractive to the league."
But will it be attractive enough to Roanoke? The best guess is that the local group would need to average a minimum of 3,000 spectators per game to break even. The Rampage averaged less than half that this season.
"John and I see this as a community project," Paiement said. "It's not all a one-man show. If it's a one-man show, I think we'd end up like Revo did this year.
"If the city helps, the business community helps, and the people support it, this thing is going to fly. If they want a hockey team, we'll put it together."