Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 30, 1994 TAG: 9401300010
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"What they're drawing really has surprised me," Brabham said. "I never figured they'd average that many people [4,217 through 21 home dates]. They've done one hell of a marketing job. They're to be commended, and I wish them every success in the world."
Brabham, whose clubs in Vinton never averaged more than 2,500, was instrumental in Roanoke getting a second chance from the East Coast Hockey League. The ECHL owners were set to turn down the expansion franchise bid of Express majority owner John Gagnon in May before Brabham "twisted some arms," persuading the owners to give Roanoke a reprieve.
Nevertheless, later Brabham privately told some insiders that hockey wouldn't go at the Roanoke Civic Center.
"Yes, I didn't think it would work," Brabham said. "But I was wrong, and I admit it. It ain't the first time I've been wrong."
As 7,579 spectators - the second-largest hockey crowd in Roanoke history - rolled into the civic center Saturday, one longtime off-ice official said, , "Wonder what Henry's thinking now? I bet he's really steamed to see how the people are supporting this bunch."
Said Brabham, "I'm not mad at anybody. Hey, I'm happy for 'em. I still love the game, and I go every night. Do you think I'd still go if I were mad at everybody? Everybody knows me better than that."
\ LANCERLOT ICE OUT: Brabham said his idea of an open-air ice rink at the roofless LancerLot was a wash-out.
"I bought a removable cover for the ice, and I thought it would work," Brabham said. "But you can't do it. As soon as the sun comes out, no matter if the temperature is zero, the ice becomes mushy. The sun hits the Plexiglas surrounding the rink and acts like a magnifying glass."
Brabham held one public-ice skating session last weekend before deciding his plan wasn't going to be feasible.
"I spent about $15,000 to find out it wouldn't work," he said. "It takes about six men to remove the cover, and I don't have the manpower to put the cover up and down every day. I really wanted to do it and help some people out. I tried. That's all I can say."
\ MISSING LINK?: Link Gaetz's days in the ECHL may be numbered. During a discussion of on-ice violence during the week at the ECHL owners' meeting, a lot of fingers were pointed at the Nashville Knights' bully.
"We informed Nashville that Mr. Gaetz would have to be taken care of - and soon," said one owner, who requested anonymity. "Unless we get rid of him, everybody else is going to have to go out and pick up a goon to survive when they play Nashville."
Gaetz, who stands 6 feet 2 and weighs 250 pounds, long has been recognized as one of pro hockey's notorious villains. He has no goals, no assists, 84 penalty minutes and two suspensions during his seven-game stint in Nashville.
Gaetz was banished to Nashville from Cape Breton after getting into a locker-room fight with the American Hockey League's head coach. Gaetz's past includes such incidents as hurling a television set through a sixth-floor Atlanta hotel-room window and chucking a skate into the stands, cutting a fan, at another game.
\ ROOM OF PAIN: Talking penalty minutes, how about the rogue's gallery that was assembled in the same room at Norfolk's Scope after Tuesday's ECHL All-Star Game?
It certainly wasn't your church choir group as Dave "Tiger" Williams, Dave "The Hammer" Schultz, John Brophy, Chris McSorley and Jeff Brubaker stood within striking distance of one another.
"Think of the brawl we could have on our hands if that cast broke loose," said one onlooker. "Those guys' career penalty minutes equal some folks' expected life span."
\ ECHL SPEEDER: Who's the fastest skater in the ECHL? Wheeling's Vadim Slivchenko answered that question in resounding fashion during the All-Star Game's skills competition.
The rapid Russian blew away all comers in the individual speed-skating, then led his team - which included Hampton Roads' Shawn Wheeler and Victor Gervais - to victory in the speed-skating relays.
Jeff Whittle of Erie won the accuracy shooting contest, knocking down all four targets on seven shots. Toledo's Darren Perkins won the power-shooting competition with a slap shot clocked at 92 mph.
\ CHEROKEES ON WARPATH: Knoxville took an ECHL-record 14-game winning streak into Louisville on Saturday. Erie had owned the previous longest streak, winning 12 in a row in 1989-90. The Cherokees' streak is tainted somewhat by the fact they have played only two clubs with winning records - Roanoke and Hampton Roads - during the run. Knoxville has feasted on Western Division patsies, getting nine of the 14 victories against Louisville, Huntsville and Nashville.
\ SHORT-HANDED STORY: Entering Friday, Roanoke had given up 15 short-handed goals, three more than any club in the 19-team ECHL. It's a fact not lost on Frank Anzalone, the Express' coach.
"It's individual guys delaying on loose pucks, waiting for their guy to pick up speed," Anzalone said. "It's incredible how long we wait to get on that.
"The biggest thing we have wrong with our power play is that we lose all the draws. We break out three times on every power play. Therefore, we spend the first 45 seconds of our power play breaking out, then we're tired."
Roanoke hasn't scored a short-handed goal in its past 16 games, dating to Dec. 23.
\ EXPRESSIONS: If Roanoke newcomer Trevor Burgess needs Philadelphia Flyers tickets, he can get them. The 21-year-old defenseman, obtained from Greensboro in a trade Wednesday, was a teammate of Eric Lindros in 1990-91 and '91-92 with Oshawa of the Ontario Hockey League. . . . Maybe the Express should petition for reassignment to the ECHL's North Division. Roanoke is 6-2-0 against North opponents. . . . Heading into Saturday's game, Roanoke's sink-or-swim mark continued to be five goals. The Express was 19-2-1 in games in which it has scored five or more goals; 5-17-1 when it has scored fewer than five. . . . . . . Roanoke was 16-0-1 when leading after two periods. . . . Only two ECHL clubs - South Carolina and Raleigh - had drawn fewer major penalties than Roanoke (42).
\ ICE CHIPS: Victor Gervais is hoping Tuesday's All-Star Game was his ECHL swan song. The Hampton Roads center has been called up for a 25-game tryout with the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League. Gervais' 2.06 points-per-game average (285 points in 142 games) is tops in ECHL history for players who have played at least 100 games. . . . Huntington has become a refuge for masked men. The woeful Blizzard has employed nine goaltenders through the season's first 14 weeks. Jim Mill, traded by Roanoke on Jan. 13, is the latest to stray into Huntington's rubber firing line. . . . More than one source says the Colonial League is raiding the ECHL for talent. Several top ECHL performers, including at least one Roanoke headliner, have been contacted by the Colonial League. The Colonial's lure: $600 weekly paychecks, plus free living arrangements.
by CNB