Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 12, 1993 TAG: 9302120026
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
HOW 'BOUT THE `HUNTSVILLE RAMPAGE'?
Shunned by his No. 1 choice of Syracuse, N.Y., Roanoke Valley Rampage owner Larry Revo has turned his sights to Huntsville, Ala., as a possible relocation site for the East Coast Hockey League franchise in 1993-94.Although Revo said Thursday that there "was nothing to report" regarding Huntsville, a league source confirmed that Ron Evans, director of Huntsville's 7,200-seat Von Brunn Civic Center, sent Revo a building rental proposal Wednesday.
Evans didn't return phone calls seeking comment Thursday.
Huntsville, which had a 1990 metropolitan-area population of 238,912, has been seeking a minor-league hockey franchise for the past several years. The ECHL staged an exhibition game in the northern Alabama city in 1989-90, and current Tennessee entries Nashville and Knoxville are scheduled to play an exhibition game there Tuesday.
ECHL commissioner Pat Kelly said Thursday that a franchise in Huntsville, as opposed to Syracuse, would fit into the league's geographical dimensions.
"It would tie in nicely with Birmingham, Nashville and Knoxville," Kelly said. "It's a nice city; it has a great building. I certainly can't see any reason why the owners wouldn't want Huntsville in the league, but remember, I don't have a vote . . . that's not up to me."
Inside the ECHL, Knoxville was considered to have the first shot at relocating to Huntsville. But the word out of Knoxville is that the team owner, Dr. John Staley, likely will choose not to move the Cherokees for the '93-94 season.
Nashville also was reported to be interested in moving to Huntsville, but the consensus among league owners appears to be that the ECHL can't pull out of the Music City with the Knights drawing 5,000-plus fans a game.
The only other city still being linked publicly with the Rampage is Winston-Salem, N.C. Spokesman Bucky Dame said the city would like to have minor-league hockey back in the 3,516-seat Coliseum Annex, where the Rampage drew 3,334 for a game on Jan. 21.
"[Revo] has honestly not talked to me at all," Dame said. "And we have not been actively pursuing anybody as far as hockey for next year is concerned. Now if somebody wanted to bring a team here, we'd work with them and make it worthwhile to come here."
Meanwhile, Revo met with Roanoke Civic Center officials Tuesday but said "there was nothing reportable."
In other ECHL news:
\ ONLY ANOTHER MONTH TO GO: That appears to be the relieving theme in Roanoke Valley these days. The woeful Rampage, which has rewritten virtually every futility mark in ECHL history, has only 15 games left.
Heading into tonight's home game against Western Division-leading Toledo, Roanoke Valley has lost 22 of its past 23 games. The Rampage, 1-15 in 1993, has won five games since mid November and is likely to set another league record - fewest wins in a season. Knoxville (1991-92) and Winston-Salem ('90-91) share the current record of 20.
The trade of defenseman Trevor Smith to Greensboro highlighted this week's moves. Smith, who was voted a starter for the Eastern Division in the ECHL All-Star Game despite his minus-53 plus-minus quotient, did post some decent offensive numbers, registering 13 goals and 34 assists in 49 games with the Rampage. In exchange for Smith, the Rampage received center Roger Larche.
The Rampage also has picked up center Pete Speranza, who started the season with Fort Worth (Texas) of the Central Hockey League. Mark Marentette, who had one goal and three points in five games, was waived to make room for Speranza.
\ HUNT OVER IN HUNTINGTON: Sources indicate the league's approval of a third franchise in West Virginia - the Huntington Blizzard - for 1993-94 will come May 5-9 at the ECHL's annual meeting in Freeport, Bahamas. The addition of Huntington will expand the ECHL to 18 clubs, counting Roanoke Valley.
The Huntington ownership group, led by ex-referees Bob Henry and Jim Burlew, has posted a six-figure down payment on the $500,000 ECHL expansion fee with the league.
The ECHL already has accepted bids from Charlotte, N.C., and North Charleston, S.C., for '93-94.
\ MORE DIVISIONS, MORE GAMES: With 18 clubs for '93-94, the ECHL is talking about splitting from its current two-division setup to three six-team divisions. The league already has decided to expand its regular-season schedule from 64 to 68 games next season.
The Roanoke Valley franchise tentatively has been placed in a group including Birmingham, Nashville, Knoxville, Louisville and one of the Ohio clubs, making a nice fit for a possible Huntsville entry.