Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 14, 1994 TAG: 9406160046
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Anzalone guided the East Coast Hockey League club to a 37-28-3 record and a playoff berth in 1993-94, the franchise's inaugural season.
Anzalone, 38, had signed a two-year contract through the 1994-95 season when he accepted the job during the summer of 1993.
``It's always nice to know that people have confidence in you,'' Anzalone said Monday. ``I think Pierre Paiement [the Express' general manager] has a good feel for what I'm doing here, and it's nice that that has been relayed to the rest of the organization.
``The extra year means a lot, not only to me, but for the players and media. You never like to have that last-year-on-the-contract thing hanging over your head. This takes some pressure off. But then again, you have to continue to produce. Hey, contracts don't mean a lot; they're broken all the time.''
Anzalone's solid effort in the Express' first season didn't go unnoticed in the ECHL. He finished fourth in balloting for coach of the year.
In other developments at a news conference today at the Roanoke Civic Center, the Express will announce a new radio deal with WFIR (960 AM) and plans for a new souvenir shop. The Express will also introduce Dan Marshall as the club's new assistant marketing director.
SUMMER RECRUITING: Since Roanoke was eliminated from the ECHL playoffs in late March, Anzalone has spent most of his time contacting players for 1994-95.
``To this point, recruiting has gone real well,'' he said. ``I haven't talked with any player who is not a high-profile player as far as college or junior hockey goes.
``I've made contact with about 40 players, talked to most two or three times so far. Still, that doesn't mean they're coming to Roanoke's camp. Now it's just a waiting game to see what agents line up for their respective players as to where they're going to play hockey next season.''
Anzalone said every player from last season's roster still has a spot.
``Hey, all the recruits could go elsewhere, so you can't rule anybody out,'' he said.
``I'm sure some guys won't be back. [Defenseman] Will Averill has said he wouldn't play another year in this league without an International Hockey League contract. And [left wing] Oleg Yashin has stated to some he wouldn't play in the ECHL again and told others he wasn't sure. He's playing roller hockey in Buffalo [N.Y.] under [Toledo Storm coach] Chris McSorley right now, so you never know what might happen with him.''
Anzalone said popular Express captain Dave ``Moose'' Morissette has received overtures from the Edmonton Oilers' organization. Also, defenseman Claude Barthe has been the target of interest from the new Houston IHL entry.
Because of the ECHL's limit of three third-year veterans on a roster, at least three members of last season's club will have to exit. Six players on the current roster will be classified as third-year vets this season.
AFFILIATION TALKS: Paiement is expected to meet with San Jose Sharks officials soon to discuss affiliation for '94-95.
A source said Paiement also hopes to meet with officials from at least two other NHL clubs about a possible tie.
Paiement and Anzalone also have have held lengthy discussions with the new Minnesota IHL entry about a second affiliation.
``That kind of tie seems to be the wave of the future,'' Anzalone said. ``We'd be Minnesota's No. 1 priority, unlike a tie with an NHL club.''
COACH CHECK: Player-assistant coach Rick Barkovich is among the candidates to replace Kurt Kleinendorst as head coach of the Raleigh IceCaps. Kleinendorst resigned in May to take an assistant's post with the San Diego Gulls of the IHL. Kleinendorst, 33, one of the ECHL's most innovative coaches, had been the only head coach in IceCaps history. Raleigh was 103-75-8 under Kleinendorst, making the playoffs in each of his three seasons. Raleigh made it to the Riley Cup finals last season, losing to Toledo. ... Besides Raleigh, three clubs - Columbus, Nashville and Tallahassee - are without head coaches. Dave Allison, who coached Roanoke and Richmond in the ECHL, has resigned at Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League and is reported to be among the top candidates for all four ECHL openings. ... Head coach Bill Goldsworthy has left the Louisville IceHawks for a similar post with the San Antonio Iguanas of the Central Hockey League. Louisville's decision to suspend operations for '94-95 prompted Goldsworthy's move.
ICE CHIPS: The ECHL's new Tallahassee, Fla., club will play its home games in the 11,032-seat Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center, where ice-making equipment is being installed. The franchise, which was purchased by Dave Elmore and moved from Huntsville, Ala., is running a contest to name the team. The early betting choice is Tiger Sharks. ... General manager Tim Mouser, instrumental in Toledo's back-to-back Riley Cup titles, has been hired as Tallahassee's general manager. ... Several ECHL owners, noting the league no longer is based solely on the East Coast, are looking to change the league's name. A proposal to rename the league the United States Hockey League was turned down at the ECHL meetings in May. Owners in favor of a change are now pushing the Eastern Continental Hockey League as a new moniker.
by CNB