ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 24, 1996 TAG: 9603250019
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HOCKEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR.
It has been five years since Daniel Berthiaume spent an entire season with one hockey team. He doesn't want to see it become six.
Berthiaume, the former NHL goaltender who has spent parts of the past two seasons with the Roanoke Express, has said since re-joining the Express in November that he would like Roanoke to be his last professional stop. He has reiterated that sentiment in the past week, saying he has spoken with at least one Express owner about re-signing for next season.
``I like it here,'' Berthiaume said. ``I've always liked it here. I've had some success and the fans have been great. I'd like to stay, but nothing is definite.''
A little more than a year ago, Berthiaume was stuck in Montreal, fishing for walleye in the icy waters of the St.Lawrence River and trying to land a job at the same time.
Although the trout in the Roanoke River and the paychecks in the East Coast Hockey League are smaller than those to which Berthiaume is accustomed, the guy who once lived near the famed giant letters that spell ``HOLLYWOOD'' is comfortable being a big fish in a small pond.
``I only wish I was closer to my parents,'' said Berthiaume, a native of the Montreal suburb of Longueuil. ``I miss fishing with my dad.''
Berthiaume, 30, began the season with the Detroit Vipers, but left the International Hockey League squad in November after the NHL's Ottawa Senators sent a third goalie to the Vipers.
He joined Detroit during last season's IHL playoffs after the Express was eliminated in the second round of the ECHL's Riley Cup playoffs. In two months with the Express, Berthiaume won a league-record 13 consecutive games and became one of the most popular players in recent Roanoke Valley hockey history.
Working out a contract with Berthiaume could be a dicey proposition for the Express. It is uncertain what terms Berthiaume and his agent, Larry Reauch, might seek in contract talks.
Berthiaume has received inquiries from a couple of IHL and American Hockey League teams about joining them for the playoffs, but he has spurned them and will remain in Roanoke during the summer.
Berthiaume has not spent an entire season with one team since 1990-91, when he won 20 games for the NHL's Los Angeles Kings.
``I'd like to play for one team for 70 games and just see what would happen,'' he said.
NEW RIVAL: With two teams moving south and two new teams entering the league, the ECHL has realigned its three divisions for next season. The East Division, which includes the Express, will add the Knoxville Cherokees to its current six members (Roanoke, Richmond, Hampton Roads, Charlotte, Raleigh and South Carolina).
The Erie Panthers are moving to Baton Rouge, La., and the Nashville Knights are heading to Pensacola, Fla., where they'll both play in a South Division that will include Birmingham, Jacksonville, Louisiana, Mobile, Tallahassee and the Biloxi, Miss., expansion team owned by Express president John Gagnon.
The ECHL also turned the tables on a higher league in the past week by snatching one of its members. After several years of losing teams or worrying about losing teams to the IHL and AHL, the ECHL welcomed the IHL's Peoria (Ill.) Rivermen into the ECHL fold.
The Rivermen, who spent 14 years in the IHL before financial losses forced them to leave the red-ink-soaked league, will play in the North Division with Columbus, Dayton, Huntington, Johnstown, Louisville, Toledo and Wheeling.
ICE CHIPS: Express defenseman Michael Smith scored goals in three consecutive games in the past week, the first time he had done that in his three-year professional career. ... Roanoke was one of only three teams whose attendance increased this season. Roanoke averaged 5,657 fans at home, compared with 5,591 last season. The Express, which averaged 4,653 fans per game in 1993-94, probably would have had a higher average this season had the weather not robbed it of several potential large crowds during three weekends in January and February. Richmond, Tallahassee and Toledo were the only other ECHL teams whose attendance increased this season. ... Tim Christian is the first Express rookie to score at least 20 goals in a season since four did it in 1993-94 (Tony Szabo, Pat Ferschweiler, Jeff Jestadt and Ilya Dubkov). ... Chris Potter, whose all-around play improved this season with the move from defense to forward, was given the Unsung Hero Award from the Roanoke Valley Hockey Boosters. Potter has 15 goals and a team-high plus-9 rating.
AROUND THE ECHL: The strong get stronger. The strong being the Richmond Renegades, who recently acquired right wing Andrew Shier from the IHL's Milwaukee Admirals. Shier helped the Renegades win the Riley Cup last year, but hadn't played with them this season. Richmond also got Mike Taylor back from the AHL's Springfield (Mass.) Falcons. On Wednesday, the Renegades received Dmitri Pankov from Springfield. ... Other teams are loading up for the playoffs. The Portland (Maine) Pirates (AHL) sent goalie Daryl Paquette to Hampton Roads, the Atlanta Knights (IHL) sent defenseman Matthew Raby to Nashville and the Wheeling Thunderbirds received right wing Rob Trumbley from the Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) Oilers (AHL). ... One day after scoring two goals in a 4-3 victory over the Express, South Carolina's Marc Tardif was called up by the Worcester (Mass.) IceCats (AHL). The next day, right wing Dan Fournel got the call from the St.John's (Newfoundland) Maple Leafs (AHL).
NOTE: Please see microfilm for statistics.
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS/Staff. Roanoke Express goalieby CNBDaniel Berthiaume stops a shot during a recent game against the
Raleigh IceCaps at the Roanoke Civic Center. A fan favorite,
Berthiaume said he plans to spend the summer - if not the rest of
his career - in Roanoke.