Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 29, 1994 TAG: 9411290109
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
``When the same two teams play four times in eight days, what else can you expect?'' Anzalone said.
``Face it, the new schedule is a mistake. Things will continue to fester in this kind of setup.
``There are going to be more fights, more game misconducts. Before this is all over, somebody is going to get killed.''
Friday's game in Richmond, the fourth meeting between the Express and Renegades in eight days, had 159 total penalty minutes, including a mini-brawl that broke out at the conclusion of the first period.
Three Roanoke players - forwards Jason Clarke and Oleg Yashin and defenseman Jon Larson - were thrown out of the game by referee Matt Dunne.
Yashin received a match penalty for, according to Dunne, holding the arms of Richmond's Blaine Moore while Larson pounded the Renegade forward.
The match penalty carries an automatic one-game suspension. The Express has appealed Yashin's match penalty to ECHL Commissioner Pat Kelly, who will make a final decision this morning after reviewing videotape of the incident.
If Yashin is suspended, Roanoke will be forced to skate two players short tonight in its 7 p.m. home game with Charlotte. Clarke was automatically suspended for one game by Kelly on Monday for picking up his third game misconduct of the season.
``All the crap turned the game into a joke,'' said Anzalone, whose club lost 7-4. ``If I could have, I would have walked right out of the building. I don't condone this kind of conduct, but with the schedule now set up the way it is, I don't know how you're going to keep it from happening.
``It's putting pressure on the players, coaches and referees. Every game is becoming like a Philadelphia Flyers `Broad Street Bullies' game out of the 1970s.''
The league's new scheduling format pits the same divisional rivals against each other more often than in the past, and creates an increase in on-ice violence, Anzalone said.
``The schedule creates boredom [for the fans seeing the same teams all the time] and animosity [between the players],'' Anzalone said.
``We say we don't want fighting in this league, but this schedule is sowing the seeds for violence. We're showing R-rated movies, and three games in three nights, that's an X-rated. Well, right now, our games should be for adults only.
``My question is what direction is this league headed. We know we have to fans in the stands to make money. If I were an NHL scout and saw something like Friday, I wouldn't ever come back to an East Coast Hockey League game.''
ICE CHIPS: Tonight's game begins a rugged stretch of four games in five nights for the Express. Roanoke travels to Hampton Roads on Wednesday before returning home to face Raleigh on Friday and Richmond - again - on Saturday. ... Charlotte (11-6-2) brings a season-high four-game winning streak to town. The second-place Checkers lead third-place Roanoke by three points in the East Division. ... Roanoke needs to get going at home. The Express has won only four of its eight home games, going 4-2-2. ... The Express has acquired center Craig Herr from Tallahassee in exchange for future considerations. Herr (6-2, 195) had 20 goals and 43 points last season for Huntsville. He had one goal and eight assists in 14 games this season with the Tiger Sharks.
by CNB