Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 31, 1994 TAG: 9403310058
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Some will come back to Roanoke next October. Most will not.
"That's the bad thing about the season ending," forward Tony Szabo said. "It's been a great bunch of guys, especially the guys who have been here all year. We battled through thick and thin together.
"Now, just like that, it's over. Some of these guys I'll never see again, much less play with again. People go on with their lives . . . some come back, some go on."
Szabo is one of several Express players entertaining offers of playing professional roller hockey this summer. Szabo, who wants to find a job in Roanoke for the next 30 days, indicated he likely will play for Minnesota or Tampa Bay in one of several pro roller hockey leagues being formed.
Keith Cyr has received an offer to play the roller game in Pittsburgh, and Jeff Jestadt has been courted by a Philadelphia franchise being headed by former Roanoke minor-leaguer Dave "Hammer" Schultz.
Center Pat Ferschweiler also considered the roller game but decided to take the summer off in order to give his severely bruised right index finger a chance to heal. Ferschweiler is one of the small group who could end up back in Roanoke next season.
"If I can't move up to the next level, I plan on being back in Roanoke and being much better," Ferschweiler said.
Goaltender Paul Cohen, the club's elder statesman at 28, said that if he doesn't catch a break next season, he'd love to come back south.
"Personally, I really needed to win the [Raleigh] series to go anywhere next season," he said. "I would like to play another year. If I don't get a job somewhere else, I'd be honored to come back and play in Roanoke.
"I felt the fans were great here. I really liked playing for Frank [Anzalone, coach]. I think this has all the makings to be one of the ECHL's great franchises."
\ EARLY WORK: Anzalone already has started his recruiting efforts for next season. Early speculation is that he may invite less than half of the season-ending 18-man roster back for next season.
"I like some of our core," Anzalone said. "I just have to reevaluate and see what direction we want to go in. We're trying to build and get better. That's all we can do."
Anzalone finished fourth behind Knoxville's Barry Smith, Columbus' Terry Ruskowski and Charlotte's John Marks in balloting for the ECHL's coach-of-the-year award.
\ RICHMOND RUMBLINGS: After losing more than six figures financially this season, first-year Richmond Renegades owner Dave Elmore is dropping hints he may move the club.
Elmore, who purchased the Renegades from Allan Harvie Jr. last July, is unhappy with the corporate support from the community and the lack of practice time available at the Richmond Coliseum.
Elmore, who estimated he spent from $60,000 to $70,000 sending the team on the road for practice, also is trying to renegotiate the franchise's lease with the coliseum. The Renegades' lease is the most expensive in the ECHL, Elmore said.
\ SLOWING TURNSTILES: After a glance at other first-round playoff attendance figures, Roanoke's 3,624 draw for last Wednesday's Game 1 against Raleigh doesn't look nearly as bad.
The ECHL's average attendance for 21 first-round playoff games was 4,065, down from the regular-season average of 4,939. Only three - South Carolina, Columbus and Huntsville - of the 16 clubs qualifying for the playoffs topped their regular-season average.
The biggest gate flops were in Louisville, which drew 1,115 for its only home game; Nashville, which moved Game 1 of its series with Wheeling to Atlanta because of the lack of home ice and had 1,139 at the Omni; and regular-season champion Knoxville, which attracted 2,318 and 1,523 for two home games against Louisville.
\ IMPROBABLE ICEHAWKS: Try and figure Louisville. After barely qualifying for the playoffs three of the past four seasons, the IceHawks have proceeded to knock off the regular-season champion in the opening round of the playoffs each time.
After winning 16 of 68 regular-season games, Louisville sent heavily favored Knoxville packing early, winning last week's best-of-three series 2-1, including a 6-4 win on the road in Game 3.
In 1991-92 in the first round, Louisville dumped Toledo, which had won the Brabham Cup with a 46-15-3 record. In '90-91, the IceHawks bounced Knoxville, which had strutted into the playoffs with a 46-13-5 record.
\ ICE CHIPS: Cohen was called up by Portland on Monday, but before he could pack his bags and catch a plane the American Hockey League club said don't bother. Portland didn't need Cohen after Olaf Kolzig was shipped down from the NHL's Washington Capitals. . . . Oleg Yashin and Ilja Dubkov left Roanoke for their native Russia on Tuesday. . . . Former Express goalie Bryan Schoen started all three games for Louisville against Knoxville, stopping 109 of 120 shots.
by CNB