Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 4, 1994 TAG: 9403040142
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Lev Berdichevsky was brought to the attention of Adirondack Red Wings coach Newell Brown by McSorley, according to reports out of Glen Falls, N.Y.
Brown said he keeps in constant contact with McSorley about ECHL talent. And when three Adirondack players were called up by the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 5, Brown followed up on McSorley's tip, calling Express coach Frank Anzalone and requesting Berdichevsky "for a weekend look" that eventually became a permanent stay.
"It's real nice of McSorley," Roanoke general manager Pierre Paiement said facetiously. "He tells them about our guy, and then he gets to keeps his three guys under contract [to the Red Wings]."
Brown said he couldn't believe Anzalone had been able to keep Berdichevsky "hidden" in the East Coast Hockey League.
"To be honest with you, I don't know how [Berdichevsky] slipped through the cracks this long," Brown said, "because he is an American Hockey League player. No doubt about it."
\ PLAYOFF CHASE: Despite losing 4-2 in Greensboro, N.C., on Wednesday, the Express (32-24-3) saw its magic number to clinch a playoff spot reduced to 14 points when Richmond (26-25-5) lost 8-0 at Erie. Any combination of Roanoke victories (two points) or overtime losses (one point) combined with Richmond losses (two points) and overtime losses (one point) totaling 14 will eliminate the Renegades.
With Richmond playing road games each of the next three days, the Express could take a huge step this weekend with home victories over Raleigh tonight and Wheeling on Saturday.
After this weekend, the Express has three regular-season home games left - all on Tuesdays.
\ NEW BROPHY BEEF: Gearing up for the stretch drive and playoffs, Hampton Roads coach John Brophy has added 6-foot-3, 250-pound Glenn Kulka to his roster. Kulka, a six-time All-Canadian Football League nose guard for the Ottawa Rough Riders, last played hockey 10 years ago in the Western League.
Brophy plans to position No. 68, which was Kulka's old football number, in front of the net on power plays. Kulka brings much-needed bulk to a club that recently lost big forwards Shawn Wheeler and Richie Walcott.
"[Kulka] is like the ninth wonder of the world," said Admirals forward Kelly Sorensen. "He's probably the biggest player in all of hockey."
After Kulka's debut, Hampton forward Brendan Curley said of him: "He scares the hell out of people."
\ RHEAUME REVENGE: It didn't take Manon Rheaume long to come back to haunt the Knoxville Cherokees. Rheaume, who recently was reassigned by Atlanta (International Hockey League) from Knoxville to Nashville, stopped 39 of 44 shots Tuesday in the Knights' 6-5 overtime victory over the Cherokees.
Rheaume had posted a 2-0-1 record with Knoxville but hadn't seen action since giving up two goals on two shots against Roanoke on Jan. 2. Atlanta decided to send her to Nashville to give her more playing time.
Knoxville coach Barry Smith, already stocked in net with All-Star Cory Cadden and former NHL player Scott Gordon, said it wasn't hard to let go of Rheaume.
"At this time, she couldn't beat out either of the two guys I have," Smith said. "We're in a battle for first place, and I'm going with the two who are playing better."
\ BOW WOW: The battle for the final playoff spot in the ECHL's West Division definitely qualifies as a dogfight.
Because of the ECHL's ultra-lenient playoff policy - all but three of 19 clubs qualify for postseason play - the Louisville IceHawks (12-39-7) and Huntington Blizzard (13-42-4) still can salvage their lost seasons.
Despite not recording a point in the standings since Jan. 29, Louisville maintains a one-point lead on Huntington. The IceHawks have lost 13 consecutive games, going for 0-for-February. Meanwhile, the Blizzard went on a 2-10-0 blitz to make up four points.
Since Jan. 16, Louisville and Huntington are a combined 5-33-1.
\ ICE CHIPS: The Richmond Renegades drew a franchise-record 11,088 on Sunday against Columbus. It was the seventh-largest crowd in ECHL history and shattered the previous Renegades mark of 9,587. . . . Wheeling, which makes its only visit to Roanoke on Saturday, is without leading scorer Vadim Slivchenko (85 points in 45 games), who broke his collarbone in a collision Feb. 12 in Charlotte. Slivchenko, by far the ECHL's fastest skater, is not expected back until playoff time. . . . Knoxville's league-record 14-game home winning streak ended Saturday in a 5-4 shootout loss to Birmingham. . . . The legend of Nashville goon Link Gaetz grows. His statistics through 22 games: one goal, zero assists and 214 penalty minutes.
by CNB