Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 20, 1994 TAG: 9409220028
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Defenseman Michael Smith and forwards Jeff Jestadt, Lev Berdichevsky and Oleg Yashin all were handed pink slips during the IHL club's second wave of cuts over the weekend.
Meanwhile, center Pat Ferschweiler, is still with the Moose, which opened its preseason schedule Monday night in Denver.
Forward Dave ``Moose'' Morissette, who signed a one-year IHL contract with Minnesota last month, didn't travel with the club to Denver. Morissette reinjured his left knee only two days into preseason camp last week and hasn't been on skates since.
Berdichevsky, who was loaned by Roanoke to Adirondack of the American Hockey League last February and never returned, remains unsigned and could end up in the Express' preseason camp that begins Oct.9. So could his Russian linemate Yashin.
Jestadt and Smith are both expected to show for Roanoke's camp.
Whatever happens, Express general manager Pierre Paiement promised that the second-year ECHL franchise will remain competitive. The Express was 37-28-3 in its first season.
``A lot of fans are concerned because we've lost quite a few players,'' Paiement said. ``I know Frank [Anzalone, head coach] has been singing the blues about losing some guys. But that's coaches for you.
``Right now, we are far ahead of what we were at this point last year. We've got a load of good recruits ready to come in. I think we'll be better than last season.''
Anzalone, unavailable for comment Monday, is searching for an accomplished veteran goaltender. The Express lost veteran netminder Paul Cohen, who has opted to play in Europe.
Dan Ryder, who was 22-13-0 with a 3.98 goals-against average last season, could end up back in Roanoke. The San Jose Sharks' farmhand is currently battling for a roster spot with the IHL's Kansas City Blades.
JOBE RETURNS: In what translates as bad news for ECHL goaltenders, veteran Trevor Jobe is back with the Nashville Knights after a year's sabbatical in Europe.
In 1992-93, Jobe torched ECHL defenses for a league-record 85 goals and 161 points in 61 games en route to league MVP honors. Entering his fifth ECHL season, the 29-year-old center ranks No.1 all-time in goals (236), second in assists (208) and second in points (444).
Nashville, expected to be greatly improved under rookie head coach Mark Kumpel, also has signed Doug Lawrence. The veteran center led the Central Hockey League in assists (94) last season at Tulsa.
RENEGADES SIGN IHL ICON: The Richmond Renegades have signed Scott Gruhl, the all-time leading goal scorer in the history of the IHL. Gruhl, 35, will serve as a player-assistant coach for Roy Sommer.
``Scott eventually wants to get into coaching, that's why he's coming down here,'' Sommer said. ``But as far as I'm concerned, he's here as a player first. I'm looking for 40 to 50 goals out of him this season.''
Gruhl enters the ECHL with 655 goals and 1,443 points in a professional career that began in 1979. He had 21 goals and 42 points last season in 58 games split between Milwaukee and Kalamazoo of the IHL. The left wing was the IHL's most valuable player in '84-85 at Muskegon, scoring a career-high 62 goals and 126 points.
In another personnel move, the Renegades have obtained defensemen Shawn Snesar and Daniel Chaput from Hampton Roads in a swap for left wing Colin Gregor and forward-defenseman Rob MacInnis.
ROLLER REPORT: When Buffalo recently beat Portland for Roller Hockey International's Murphy Cup, it marked coach Chris McSorley's fourth championship in a span of two years. McSorley's Anaheim Bullfrogs won the RHI in 1993, and his Toledo teams captured back-to-back ECHL Riley Cup titles in '92-93 and '93-94. McSorley resigned at Toledo in June to take an assistant's post with Las Vegas of the IHL. ... Forward Tony Szabo, who led Roanoke with 96 points last season, had a club-high 55 points (31 goals, 24 assists) for the RHI's Atlanta Fire Ants. ... Other Express players and their final RHI stats: Will Averill (19g, 44p) with New England and Philadelphia; Lev Berdichevsky (17g, 35p) and Oleg Yashin (10g, 25p) for Buffalo and San Diego. ... The RHI averaged 4,292 fans per game in its second season, ranging from a high of 0,155 in Anaheim to a low of 1,505 in Calgary.
ICE CHIPS: Mark Woolf, who scored a Roanoke ECHL-franchise record 50 goals and 101 points for the Roanoke Valley Rebels in '91-92, has signed an American Hockey League contract with Worcester. ... In a change from the original schedule announced in early August, the Express has added a Feb.15 road game at Hampton Roads in place of a March 21 date at Greensboro. ... Szabo scored seven goals in his first two games with the Fife Flyers, the Scotland-based club that lured him away from Roanoke with a contract estimated in the $30,000 range. ... Express' season-ticket sales have topped 1,500. The club will conduct its second ticket open house Sunday at the Roanoke Civic Center from noon to 6 p.m. ... The cancellation of the major-league baseball season has helped the Express on radio. Instead of having five of its first six regular-season games, including the Oct.18 season-opener, carried tape-delayed due to the playoffs and World Series, all five games now will be aired live by new affiliate WFIR (960 AM). ... The Express is looking for a public-address announcer. Auditions will be held next Monday from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the civic center. Anyone interested should call Tim Woodburn at (703) 989-4625.
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