ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 10, 1996 TAG: 9601100069
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
ROANOKE GOES IN SEARCH of help after winning just four of its past 14 games and falling into a fourth-place tie with South Carolina.
Two days after completing a week-long road trip with a 10-hour bus ride on Sunday, the Roanoke Express created a flurry of personnel moves on Tuesday by trading three players in two separate deals.
The Express sent forward Louis-Phillippe Charbonneau and defenseman Paul Croteau to the Erie Panthers in exchange for center Karry Biette and defenseman Wade Gibson.
Tuesday night, Roanoke dealt defenseman Jon Larson to Raleigh for defenseman Dan Murphy.
Other player moves could be in the works for the slumping Express, which has won just four of its past 14 games and has slipped into a fourth-place tie with South Carolina in the East Coast Hockey League's East Division.
Express general manager Pierre Paiement confirmed the Larson-for-Murphy deal was completed Tuesday night.
``There's another trade we're going to do,'' Paiement said. ``We're looking at finding some different combinations and stabilizing our defense.''
Croteau and Charbonneau were two players who had made some on-ice contributions, but who also had been scratched from the lineup several times. Charbonneau, who began the season with the Cornwall Aces of the American Hockey League, was at times a physical wing (he had 94 penalty minutes) who could score for the Express, but he often looked lost in Roanoke's trapping defense.
Charbonneau finished with six goals in 22 games with Express, Croteau had two goals in 23 games.
Biette, who has six goals and 18 assists, could bring more speed to the Express lineup in the wake of Marty Schriner's surprise retirement last week. Gibson has four goals and seven assists and his plus-6 rating was second-highest for the Panthers, who are sixth place in the North Division.
``Biette gives us a little more offense and Gibson's a solid `D','' Paiement said. ``We feel it's a good trade for us. Biette has been a proven goal scorer in the past. We need more offense.
``Charbonneau gave us roughness. Biette can give us roughness. Croteau wasn't physical enough. Gibson is solid and has good size.''
Larson had five goals and 15 assists for Roanoke. Statistics for Murphy were not available. The Express plays seven of its next eight games at home, including a four-game homestand that begins tonight when the Charlotte Checkers visit the Roanoke Civic Center at 7 p.m.
The Express lost three of four games on the road last week, blowing third-period leads in two of those losses. The trip ended with a 6-1 loss to the South Carolina Stingrays on Sunday followed by a 10-hour bus ride through torrential rain in South Carolina and heavy snow in North Carolina and Virginia.
Despite the rough trip, a win tonight would pull the Express within one point of the third-place Checkers in the East Division.
PARK IT: Parking will be limited due to the amount of snow piled up in the civic center parking lot, so shuttle buses will be running from the Williamson Road parking garage beginning at 6 p.m. Shuttle service will resume immediately after the game.
Due to the inconveniences caused by the snow, there will be no charge for parking in the civic center lot tonight.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 linesby CNB