Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 26, 1994 TAG: 9401260076
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium
"We've got a lot of cities inquiring about getting in the league, but buildings to play in seem to be the problem," said ECHL Commissioner Pat Kelly after Tuesday's league board of governors meeting.
The ECHL has received a franchise deposit from a Columbia, S.C., group, but that group's efforts to land a team for next season hinge on the construction of a new arena.
"Columbia is building a building," Kelly said. "Whether they can get it done in time for next season is questionable, though. I'd say 1995-96 would be more likely for Columbia."
Kelly said the ECHL has received inquiries from Scranton-Wilkes Barre, Pa.; Macon, Ga.; Mobile, Ala.; and Tallahassee, Fla.
"Scranton really looks good on the map," said Bud Gingher, ECHL president. "It would fit in well geographically with some of our northern clubs.
But Scranton-Wilkes Barre has no building, Gingher said.
"I'd like to think we could add one more city for next season just so we could get to 20 teams," Gingher said. "If you're talking a city that already has a building, you've got Baltimore. We'd talk with them."
Gingher said he didn't buy the theory that the sixth-year league has grown too big too fast.
"I don't think we should put a cap on the numbers of teams," he said. "I think that's a negative-thought process. If a market comes in and everything fits with our league, we should not be in a situation where we have to say no to that."
Kelly said any group wishing to obtain a franchise for next season will have to submit an application by May 16, when the ECHL spring meetings start in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
\ PLAYOFF FORMAT SET: For the first time in three years, the ECHL decided not to change its postseason format at its mid-season meeting.
The top five clubs in each of the three divisions, plus a wild-card entry (the team with the most points that doesn't finish in the top five), qualify for the playoffs.
The wild-card entry, which would be the Roanoke Express if the playoffs started today, will face the No. 1 team in the East in the best two-of-three first-round series.
The second and third rounds each will be best-of-five series. The Riley Cup finals will be a best-of-seven series.
The playoffs will begin March 23 and conclude no later than May 1.
For the first time, players will be paid a bonus by the league, how much depending on how far their teams advance in the playoffs. Players for teams that make the finals are guaranteed a minimum of $1,300 each, with $2,100 going to the champions.
Each playoff participant also will get a share of a league playoff pool built from $1 extra added to all playoff-game ticket prices.
\ INSURANCE: The league owners addressed a proposal to provide health-care insurance for all players. "The kids here have no off-ice hospitalization, so we're looking for a way to provide off-ice insurance for people," Gingher said. The plan would cost each club from $60 to $80 per player per month.
\ MISSING LINK?: Link Gaetz's days in the ECHL may be numbered. During a discussion of on-ice violence at Tuesday's meeting, a lot of fingers were pointed at the Nashville Knights' bully, long recognized as one of professional hockey's most notorious goons.
"We informed Nashville that Mr. Gaetz would have to be taken care of - and soon," said one owner, requesting anonymity. "Unless we get rid of him, everybody else is going to have go pick up a goon to survive when they play Nashville."
\ ECHL ON TV: The ECHL is working on putting together a deal to televise 11 Friday regular-season games, the 1995 All-Star Game and two playoff games next season. The television feed would go to all 19 league markets, picked up at each market's discretion.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.