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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 26, 1994                   TAG: 9401260162
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK                                LENGTH: Medium

ECHL HOLDS AT 19 TEAMS

"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."

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 a best-of-five series. The Riley Cup finals will be a best-of-seven series.

The playoffs will begin March 23and 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.

\ 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.