Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 26, 1993 TAG: 9302260067
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
RENEGADES' OWNER SUES LEAGUE
The Richmond Renegades are the East Coast Hockey League's hottest club, but most of the puck news coming out of Virginia's capital city recently has been generated off the ice.It all started Feb. 12 when the league fined Renegades owner Allan Harvie $10,000 for violating the ECHL's "veteran rule" limiting clubs to two players with three or more years professional experience. ECHL Commissioner Pat Kelly said the Renegades played four games this month with three "veteran" players.
In response to the fine, Harvie has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the ECHL. The suit alleges "a series of hostile, vindictive, discriminatory, arbitrary, capricious, anticompetitive and bad faith actions" directed at the Renegades by Kelly.
According to the suit, Harvie is under financial strain because of his recent acquisition of a Sunshine Hockey League franchise in St. Petersburg, Fla., and cannot pay the fine. The suit also alleges that Kelly has refused to delay or allow an appeal of the fine to the league's board of governors, even though he has permitted such a procedure when other teams violated the same rule.
Earlier this week, a Richmond Circuit Court judge blocked the ECHL, at least temporarily, from requiring the Renegades to pay the fine.
Harvie and Kelly have refused to comment on the suit.
\ RAMPAGE UPDATE: Roanoke Valley Rampage owner Larry Revo still doesn't know what city he'll be in next season, but he does know who will be his coach. Rampage coach Steve Gatzos confirmed Thursday he will return for 1993-94.
"I'm certainly appreciative that Larry has hung with me," Gatzos said. "A lot of guys with this record [12-41-1] would have been fired a long time ago. But Larry understands what's gone on here, and it's nice to know he still has confidence that I can do the job."
Starting with tonight's contest with Johnstown at the Vinton LancerLot, the Rampage has 10 games left. The end can't come soon enough for Gatzos, whose club resembles a M*A*S*H unit. The Rampage is down to 12 skaters with the loss of Scott Burfoot (torn right knee ligaments), Jack Williams (broken bone in left wrist) and Dennis Skapski (separated left shoulder) for the rest of the season. Defenseman Darryl Mitchell quit the club this week.
"It's not pretty," Gatzos said. "We're down to three defensemen, all of whom are hurt.
"It has gotten to the point where I've even thought about suiting up. On second thought, though, I don't think we'll see that happen."
\ PLAYOFF PUZZLE: With only 17 days left in the regular season, five clubs - Columbus, Richmond, Birmingham, Louisville and Greensboro - are locked in a neck-and-neck battle for the final two playoff spots.
Surprisingly, Greensboro is the long shot of the five. The Monarchs, who have never missed making the playoffs since joining the league in 1989-90, have lost six straight games and will need some help to qualify as a wild-card entry.
Despited his club's predicament, Greensboro coach Jeff Brubaker predicted, "If we make the playoffs, we will win it all."
The top four finishers in each division and two wild-card entries - the two clubs not making the top four with the most points - qualify for postseason.
\ HIP, HIP, HENRY: LancerLot owner Henry Brabham was honored in a recent pregame ceremony in Johnstown, Pa. Brabham, majority owner of the Johnstown Chiefs, was presented a No. 1 Chiefs jersey and was hailed as the founding father of the ECHL.
"Your visions have materialized into a reality," said Dayton Bombers owner Bud Gingher in one of three letters commending Brabham read to the War Memorial Arena crowd.
"Without you, none of our 17 members would exist today. For this, we all thank you. And if you weren't so ugly, we'd kiss you."
\ JOBE WATCH: After sitting out Nashville's 9-7 win over Richmond on Wednesday because of a one-game suspension, Knights center Trevor Jobe will be gunning for a pair of ECHL scoring records tonight against Hampton Roads. Jobe needs only one goal and three points to tie Bill McDougall's single-season league marks of 80 goals and 148 points, set in 1989-90.
\ ICE CHIPS: There is nothing new on Revo's effort to move the Rampage. Huntsville, Ala., and Winston-Salem, N.C., remain the top two candidates. Revo's third alternative, the Roanoke Civic Center, wants some kind of final answer by early next week, a source said. . . . Richmond's 10-6 win at Hampton Roads last Friday was its third straight in Norfolk, marking the first time in Admirals history a visiting team had won three consecutive times at Scope. The 10 goals were the most ever allowed at home by the two-time defending league champions. . . . When Greensboro and Hampton Roads met last Saturday, the ECHL's two most penalized teams got rowdy. Admiral Dave Morissette and Monarch Jason Prosofsky jumped each other during first-intermission warmups. Both players were slapped with six-game suspensions and each club was fined $1,000 by the league.