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

DATE: MONDAY, August 9, 1993                   TAG: 9308090018
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

EXPRESS SET TO FLOAT WITH SHARKS

The announcement is expected at an 11 a.m. news conference at the Roanoke Civic Center.

Express officials have refused to confirm an agreement with San Jose, but a source close to the ECHL club said Sunday "it's a done deal."

Tim Burke, a scout for the Sharks, is expected to represent San Jose at the news conference.

Since joining the NHL as an expansion team in 1991-92, the Sharks have been a bigger hit off the ice than on. While San Jose has finished last in the Smythe Division in its two seasons, the team's popular logo (a shark chewing on a hockey stick) and colors (predominantly black and teal, like the Express) have made the franchise one of professional sports' top souvenir merchandisers.

The Express also plans to unveil its logo and jersey design at the news conference.

\ ICE CHIPS: The Express plans to release its 68-game schedule later this week. Roanoke will open the season on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at the Roanoke Civic Center against another '92-93 expansion entry, the South Carolina Stingrays. . . . The expansion Huntington Blizzard has hired Bob Kelly as head coach and director of hockey operations. . . . Phil Roberto has succeeded Bruce Garber as coach of the Birmingham Bulls. Garber was fired after the Bulls went 30-29-5 and finished sixth in the ECHL West last season. . . . Dayton is the only club in the 19-team ECHL without a coach. The Bombers are looking to replace Claude Noel, who resigned to take an assistant's post at Kalamazoo of the International Hockey League.