Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, May 23, 1993                   TAG: 9305230138
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: D-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

HOCKEY GROUP HOPES FOR 3,000 SEASON TICKETS

Five months before the puck drops, an area group bringing a East Coast Hockey League expansion franchise to the Roanoke Civic Center for the 1993-94 season has received commitments for four times as many season tickets as ever sold in one season by the ECHL franchise that resided in Vinton.

The group has commitments for approximately 1,600 season tickets, Hockey-Roanoke Inc. president John Gagnon said.

"We're looking for 3,000 by the time the season begins in October," Gagnon said.

A three-day promotion at the 8,372-seat civic center that concluded Saturday produced more than 350 season-ticket sales, Gagnon said.

"It was a good turnout . . . especially, considering we still don't have a coach, we still don't have a name, we still don't have an NHL affiliation, and it's still May," Gagnon said.

Last season, the now-departed Roanoke Valley Rampage sold approximately 300 season tickets, including business luxury-box seats, at the 3,250-seat Vinton LancerLot. In five seasons in Vinton, the ECHL entry never sold more than 400 season passes in a season.

"I think sales will pick up even more when we announce our name, coach and affiliations," Gagnon said. "A lot of people are waiting to see what's going to happen, I think."

In a change from an earlier announcement, Gagnon said the club will not announce its head coach this week. He said the coach will be revealed at a news conference on June 7 or 8.

"We've got our man," he said. "But we can't tell you who it is until some things are cleared up contractually. We have two affiliations lined up and ready to go, but we can't release that until we get our coach."

Gagnon said the club will announce its nickname the first week of June. The club is running a contest to name the team through the newspaper and several radio stations.

\ ICE CHIPS: Shirley Woolwine, who worked with the Roanoke Valley Rebels and Rampage, has been hired as the club's sales manager. . . . Gagnon said he is negotiating with an area radio station about having the club's road games broadcast. . . . The club's temporary offices at the Professional Park Building at Route 419 and Starkey Road will open Monday. The office number is 989-GOAL. . . . Gagnon said the league schedule should be made final in the next two weeks. The Roanoke club has been guaranteed at least 18 Friday-Saturday dates, he said. . . . Roanoke will play in the seven-team Eastern Division with Richmond; Hampton Roads; Greensboro, N.C.; Raleigh, N.C.; Charlotte N.C.; and South Carolina (North Charleston). The six-team Northern Division is composed of Dayton, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Toledo, Ohio; Erie, Pa.; Johnstown, Pa.; and Wheeling, W.Va. The six-team Western Division is composed of Louisville, Ky.; Nashville, Tenn.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Huntsville, Ala.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Huntington, W.Va.