Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 2, 1994 TAG: 9408020103
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In a deal that should greatly enhance its fortunes for the 1994-95 ECHL season, the Express officially announced Monday that it has secured an affiliation agreement with the new Minnesota Moose of the International Hockey League.
In what many ECHL insiders are calling a major coup, the Express beat out seven other clubs, including perennial powerhouse Hampton Roads, in landing the Minnesota connection.
Moose head coach and director of hockey operations Frank Serratore said the IHL club chose Roanoke as its working partner because of his respect for Express head coach Frank Anzalone.
``I've known Frank Anzalone for over 10 years, worked with him, and he's one of the most honest, most loyal men that I know,'' Serratore said. ``This is a huge statement, but as a coach, I don't think there's a finer developer of talent than Frank Anzalone.
``He just does a phenomenal job of developing players, developing a team over a course of a year. If a player wants to get better they should plan for Frank Anzalone. We're extremely pleased to have him in our chain.''
The Moose, which will operate as an IHL independent - meaning it has no primary NHL affiliate - for '94-95, likely will supply the Express with as many as three IHL-contracted players.
More key, Anzalone said, is the fact that players not making the Minnesota roster will likely be ticketed for Roanoke.
The Moose and Express already have scheduled a joint mini-camp for Aug. 12-14 in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
``Right now,'' said Serratore, ``Frank and I are recruiting together. We're limited to signing only 23 players this year in the IHL, so Roanoke is going to be able to see some players through the efforts of Roanoke-Minnesota. Guys maybe a year or two away that we can't sign hopefully will wind up in our chain in Roanoke.''
The Express has retained its NHL tie with San Jose for '94-95, but Anzalone said he doesn't foresee much, if any, help coming from the Sharks. That's why landing the Minnesota deal was so pivotal, he said.
``Our goal here was to basically affiliate with an IHL independent team because that's the wave of the future,'' Anzalone said. ``I don't think the NHL will have any more ECHL affiliations in years to come.
``Where we benefit from this is the connotation of being associated with them, the fact that mini-camp will be a popular place for players to go to, and their main training camp, where players who don't make the club can possibly be sold on coming to Roanoke for development, with possible recall later.''
The flip side to the deal, Anzalone confessed, is that Minnesota will have the right to call up any Express player, at will.
``We are, at times, going to lose players,'' Anzalone said. ``That's going to be tough, but you have no choice. But if we're going to stay with the Joneses, we have to ride with the Joneses.''
Anzalone said he has made contact with approximately 70 recruits this summer. He said he expects as many as eight players from last season to return.
``You really don't know what's going to happen until the end of this month,'' Anzalone said. ``Some of our guys from last season have been invited to other camps [IHL and AHL]. Every kid wants to move up.
``We've recruited some good players. The potential for a very strong hockey team is there, but again these player are not done yet. There's the possibility of them signing and going to NHL camps.''
MORISSETTE GONE?: The Express now has the Minnesota Moose, but what about its original ``Moose,'' enforcer-captain Dave Morissette?
Anzalone confessed the return of Morissette is somewhat of a question mark now that the forward has been invited to the Edmonton Oilers' preseason camp.
If Morissette is signed by Edmonton, his playing days in Roanoke are over, since the Oilers' ECHL affiliate is the Wheeling (W.Va.) Thunderbirds.
``There's nothing we can do about that,'' Anzalone said. ``If [Morissette] signs with Edmonton, goes to Cape Breton [AHL] and then is sent to Wheeling, he's going to come in here and try to kick the heck out of our toughest guy.''
ICE CHIPS: Nineteen Friday-Saturday dates, plus Thanksgiving night, highlight the Express' '94-95 home schedule. The club only had 15 weekend home dates in its inaugural season.
The Express' 34-game regular-season home schedule includes 11 Saturdays, eight Fridays, 12 Tuesdays, one Thursday (Thanksgiving) and one Sunday matinee.
The Express will conduct ticket open houses on Saturday, Aug. 6 and Sunday, Oct. 9 from noon to 6 p.m. at the civic center. On both occasions, fans will be able to select seating while the ice is down. ... The Express already has topped last year's season-ticket total, selling 1,230 thus far. ... Tentative plans call for three home exhibition games, Oct. 12, 14 and 15.
by CNB