Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 8, 1995 TAG: 9501100009
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
That's just a joke, which also describes the Roanoke Express' affiliation with teams in the NHL and International Hockey League. In two ECHL seasons, the Express has dealt with these clubs in an obvious holiday spirit, repeatedly proving it's better to give than to receive.
Well, the holidays are over, and it's time for the Express to let off some steam.
It seems every morning Express management must go to the office thinking it is Christmas, expecting to find a player transaction under the fax machine from the San Jose Sharks or the Sharks' IHL underlings, the Kansas City Blades, or maybe the IHL expansion Minnesota Moose.
It hasn't happened, and it may not. Roanoke has lost its best goalie, Dave Gagnon, and its best center, Pat Ferschweiler, to the IHL. Ferschweiler has been called up by the Blades and the Moose. And the Express' top defenseman, Michael Smith, recently has been racking up frequent-flyer miles commuting between Minnesota and Roanoke.
Meanwhile, the Express keeps winning while losing. Coach Frank Anzalone isn't counting games in hand, he's too busy counting heads. The club returns to home ice Tuesday night, then plays eight of the next 12 on the road. The Express began the weekend only two points away from the ECHL high. Will Roanoke's playoff profile begin to melt without help?
``When you take chocolate icing off a chocolate cake, it's not the same cake,'' said Anzalone, obviously trying to sugarcoat how he feels. ``I ask myself, `Should I bitch, or should I shut up and go about my business?' It's a very touchy situation.''
Frank, whisper it to me, just between you and me ... Oh, never mind. Anzalone never whispers, nor should he in this situation.
The Express should have learned last season from its affiliation with San Jose. The Express got some nice lapel pins, solid goalie Dan Ryder and little else. A Shark executive - in the literal sense, perhaps? - came to town, played golf and said Roanoke would get three to six players. Roanoke hasn't seen six Sharks farmhands in two years.
For this season, the Express also worked a deal with the Moose, who immediately decided they only wanted Roanoke's favorite player, Dave Morissette. ``Moose'' becomes a Moose. It's a wonderful sales tool, and the Moose need something, because Minnesota is the worst team in the IHL. What did the Express expect from an expansion franchise?
``The deal was supposed to be that when they took one of our players, we'd get one in return,'' said Pierre Paiement, the Express' general manager. ``It was supposed to be a vice-versa thing.''
The Express knew it was dealing with a new club. It didn't know it was dealing with a cheap one.
``I can't say that,'' said John Gagnon, the Express' president.
Yeah, but he'd like to say it. The Moose already have used an IHL-high 34 players this season, and it's not because they have a bunch of spare parts. They've changed faces the way most clubs change lines.
IHL rules allow each club to have a 23-man roster, with 19 permitted to dress for games. ``They've signed 19 players,'' Paiement said. ``When someone gets hurt, they replace him.''
The Moose has no one to send to Roanoke. Minnesota officials tell Paiement they're waiting to see how the NHL work stoppage is handled this week, because if the big league doesn't play, Minnesota plans to sign two or three players, then send some Moose to Roanoke.
Roanoke isn't asking for the Moose. Any two-legged Moose would be fine. Meanwhile, Kansas City has players sitting out every night, yet won't send anyone to Roanoke.
Of course, last season, the Express was asked to ``loan'' Russian wing Lev Berdichevsky to Adirondack of the American Hockey League. He's still there. ``That was a lose-lose situation,'' Anzalone said.
Soon, Roanoke will be known as a hockey ghost town for a different reason than the one of the recent past. Of course, the Express can't refuse to let the Ferschweilers and Gagnons move up. If that happened, how would Anzalone recruit anyone to play here?
Paiement, never a volatile sort, says he's being patient, hoping the Blades and Moose will send help soon - or at least in time to help the Express in the playoff stretch. However, it's time for the Express' general manager to get more than two minutes for instigating. Nice guys don't finish first.
In this Minnesota-Roanoke deal, it's like a ``Rocky and Bullwinkle'' episode. Minnesota is Moose, Roanoke is squirrel, and Rocky is flying high while bailing out Moose again and again.
So, the Express keeps getting railroaded. Anzalone and his hard-working, disciplined players continue coaching, playing and winning. So, what's the answer?
``I'm not Moses,'' Anzalone said icily.
Good thing. The Moose would want him then, too.
by CNB