Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 25, 1993 TAG: 9303250016
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
REVO'S SEARCH REMAINS IN LIMBO
Larry Revo and the Roanoke Valley Rampage remain on the East Coast Hockey League's list of homeless.Revo, who officially announced Friday that the Rampage would not return to Roanoke next season, still is searching for a place to put his team for 1993-94.
There was no change this week in the prospects of landing the team in Huntsville, Ala., as Knoxville Cherokees owner John Staley intensified negotiations to move his club into Huntsville's Von Braun Civic Center.
A league source said Wednesday that Staley was close to striking a deal with the Huntsville building. The source said Staley has declined an offer to sell the club to Baltimore's Tom Ebright, fueling speculation that Staley is close to a deal with Huntsville.
Staley did not return telephone calls for comment Thursday.
If Staley takes Knoxville to Huntsville, Revo's three remaining options, none of which he cherishes, are:
Find another city.
Sell the franchise.
Suspend operations for '93-94.
\ ROANOKE HOCKEY FUTURE UPDATE: The Roanoke group hoping to land an expansion franchise in the Roanoke Civic Center for next season continues to lay the foundation.
"Everything is going great," group spokesman Pierre Paiement said Wednesday. "We've had a lot of calls from people interested in helping us, people interested in buying season tickets. The interest so far has been just spectacular.
"Everything seems to be falling into place at the right time," Paiement added, noting Monday's announcement that beer sales have been approved at the civic center for professional events.
Paiement said the group is making contacts with NHL teams concerning possible affiliations for '93-94. Paiement talked with former Roanoke Valley Rebels teammate and former NHL coach Mike Keenan on Tuesday.
"Mike gave me some names who can help us," Paiement said.
"Maybe I should have asked him to be our coach. He's looking for a job. On second thought, we might not pay quite enough for Mike."
Paiement said he and partner John Gagnon want to bring in a veteran coach with wide-ranging contacts.
"NHL affiliation, a coach and a commitment from the Roanoke Civic Center are the big things for us right now," Paiement said.
\ NO HAT TRICK FOR ADMIRALS: Hampton Roads' attempt to win an unprecedented third consecutive ECHL championship is over.
The Raleigh IceCaps ended the reign of the two-time defending Jack Riley Cup champions Tuesday night, winning the two clubs' best-of-five Eastern Division semifinal series 3-1.
How close was the Hampton Roads-Raleigh series? All four games were decided in overtime.
Raleigh will play Wheeling in the Eastern final. The Thunderbirds eliminated Johnstown 3-1 in the other Eastern semifinal.
In the West, Nashville, which upset Dayton 3-0 in the semifinals, is waiting to play the Erie-Toledo winner. The Storm carried a 2-0 lead in that series heading into Wednesday's Game 3 in Erie.
\ ICE CHIPS: Richmond Renegades owner Allan Harvie is denying rumors that he has sold or may sell the club to former Greensboro Monarchs owner Bill Coffey. Last week's demise of the St. Petersburg Renegades, Harvie's entry in the Sunshine Hockey league, is sparking speculation that Harvie is ready to put the Richmond club on the block.
Ebright told The Baltimore Sun this week that he has decided to apply for an ECHL expansion franchise in Baltimore for '93-94. Ebright, in the process of moving his Baltimore-based American Hockey League franchise to Portland, Maine, says he wants to keep minor-league hockey in Baltimore.
Nashville's Trevor Jobe, who reportedly will sign an NHL contract with Ottawa for next season, finished with ECHL regular-season records of 85 goals and 161 points. Jobe, who played 61 games, obliterated the old marks of 80 goals and 148 points by Erie's Bill McDougall in 1989-90. Jobe took the scoring crown by 43 points over runner-up Victor Gervais of Hampton Roads.
Fort Wayne's Paul Willett, who played 29 games for Roanoke Valley in 1990-91, is tied for sixth in scoring in the International Hockey League with 76 points.