Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 15, 1993 TAG: 9306150359
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Already wagering a pile of his money that minor-league hockey will be successful in the Roanoke Civic Center, Gagnon rolled the dice again Monday, officially introducing Frank Anzalone as the new head coach of the 1993-94 East Coast Hockey League expansion franchise.
Anzalone has to be considered somewhat of a gamble based on his two-year pro coaching record of 46-75-13, compiled at Newmarket (1990-91) of the American Hockey League and Nashville ('91-92) of the ECHL.
"I know everybody is looking at Frank's record at those two places and wondering," said Gagnon, who came to terms with Anzalone on a two-year contract Sunday night. "Well, people just don't know the story behind it.
"He was in two places where he had no chance. In Newmarket, he had no players because [NHL affiliate] Toronto was in last place, always pulling players back and forth, leaving him with nothing.
"In Nashville, he was hired six weeks before the season started with no players. He had no ice to practice on. Considering that, what he did with those players and his record [20-30-4] was very good, comparatively.
"Pierre [Paiement, Express general manager] and I did a thorough background check. And we haven't heard one bad thing about Frank Anzalone.
"We've got to give him a chance. Well, it's not a chance . . . I think we have the right man."
Anzalone has been around winners before; they just haven't been at the pro level. From 1983-89 at Lake Superior (Mich.) State, he took the school's hockey program from the outhouse to the penthouse, winning the NCAA Division I championship in 1988. This past winter, he coached Toms River Worth High School's team to the New Jersey state championship.
Anzalone says he doesn't doubt his ability to become the right conductor of the expansion Express.
"I'm really looking forward to this challenge," Anzalone said. "Obviously, we've got a lot of work to do. I face the same problems that any other coach faces with an expansion team, and that is we don't have a roster of players. I've already begun to make some calls to players. I think the key thing now is getting the word out about the positive things going on in Roanoke when it comes to hockey - the local ownership, the pro-style building, a place to practice and so forth.
"I will try to recruit the best team I can. It's not going to be the easiest recruiting summer I've ever had, but it's workable. Recruiting is never easy when you have to stock an entire team, and quite frankly, you don't get a lot of help from the dispersal draft [which will be held today]."
Anzalone didn't attempt to shove what happened to him at his first two pro coaching spots under the carpet. Asked what he planned to do differently in Roanoke, Anzalone candidly replied: "Oh, nothing. That losing record . . . in pro sports, somebody has got to win and somebody has to lose. There were circumstances involved. Personally, I thought I did an excellent job at both places."
The word around the league two years ago was that Anzalone alienated some of his players in Nashville with his tough physical fitness regimen. Paiement heard the same charge from several ECHL insiders. Anzalone said the charge is merely a "perception."
"I think he has learned his lesson when it comes to communication," Paiement said. "College is different. If I'm the coach, you listen to what I say or lose your scholarship. It's not quite that way here.
"I talked to Pierre Dorion, the director of scouting for the Maple Leafs. He said, `The only thing I can tell you is that the man can coach.' He may be a little too tough sometimes on his players, but as a general manager I'd rather have a guy who is a little too tough than have a guy who goes drinking every night with their players."
Anzalone says his strength is developing players. Twenty-seven of his players at Lake Superior State eventually signed NHL contracts.
"I'm a builder," he said. "I love to teach. That's why the first thing I asked Pierre concerned a practice facility. The LancerLot gives me a classroom, and I'm a teacher. I'm absolutely useless without a classroom."
Anzalone said he will begin to raid the free-agent camps in July in search of players. His said he wants players "who want to have fun and come here to play." He wants young, hungry players, with possibly a veteran or two added for good measure.
"Then I'll just coach the heck out of 'em and hope we can be competitive as quickly as possible. I think that will happen," he said. "This is not a difficult league to be competitive in, but it is a difficult league to be in the top six in."
While his college system revolved around defense, Anzalone said he wants a "creative offense" also.
"Everything depends on what we're able to recruit," he said. "If I had Mario Lemieux here, I wouldn't worry too much about defense. We've got to see who's available and who wants to come here.
"I know it's an often-used term, but I'm asking the fans to remain patient."
\ ICE CHIPS: Stephane Roy, the other finalist for the coaching post, still may be coming to Roanoke. Gagnon said there's a chance the club may sign the younger brother of Montreal Canadiens star goalie Patrick Roy as a player-assistant coach. "We just couldn't go with Stephane as head coach. He's 25 with no experience. You guys [the media] would have had a field day with that," Gagnon said. . . . Anzalone said he hopes to reach an agreement for at least one NHL affiliation - possibly two - in the next week. . . . Former area hockey star Claude Piche has been brought on as the club's hockey consultant.
THE FRANK ANZALONE FILE\ ROANOKE EXPRESS COACH AT A GLANCE
Age: 37.
Born: New York City.
College: State University of New York-Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo); bachelor's degree in physical education and recreation.
Family: Wife ,Teresa; son, Francis Daniel, 5.
Playing experience: Played collegiately at SUNY-Buffalo; played professionally with Erie in Eastern Hockey League; player-assistant coach for DenBosch Red Eagles in the Netherlands.
Coaching experience: Assistant coach Netherlands; head coach at Lake Superior State for six years (won NCAA Division I title in 1988); head coach Newmarket (Ontario) Saints of American Hockey League (1990-91); head coach Nashville Knights of East Coast Hockey League (1991-92); head coach Toms River Worth (N.J.) High School (1992-93).
Hobbies: Reading, racquetball, tropical fish, son.
Coaching philosophy: "I teach defense pretty well. Like to have good goaltending. Like to have offense be creative. It's all going to depend on what we're able to recruit. If I could have Mario Lemieux here, I wouldn't worry too much about defense, though. I just want to coach the heck out of 'em and hope we're competitive as soon as possible."
by CNB