ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, August 8, 1996 TAG: 9608080018
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: EXPRESS NOTES
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
The Roanoke Express had known for weeks that it would not be able to re-sign goaltender Daniel Berthiaume and had even worked out a trade that would have sent him to another East Coast Hockey League team, one of the Express owners said.
Joe Steffen, the team's vice president and director of communications, also was angered by comments made by Berthiaume's agent, Larry Reauch, shortly after the popular goalie signed with the Central Texas Stampede of the fledgling Western Professional Hockey League on Tuesday.
Reauch accused Express general manager Pierre Paiement of delaying contract talks and failing to return his phone calls during the spring, accusations Steffen said are untrue.
``What Larry Reauch said are outright lies,'' Steffen said. ``Back in the spring, [Reauch] asked us to pay Daniel three times what he earned last year. I don't know anywhere in this area where people can ask their bosses for triple the amount they're making. I hold Larry Reauch responsible for Daniel not being in Roanoke.''
Berthiaume reportedly was asking for approximately $1,000 per week, which would have put the Express well over the ECHL's salary cap. Terms of his deal with the Stampede were not disclosed, but it is believed he got the money he was looking for.
Steffen said the Western league is allowing each of its six teams to sign one marquee player whose salary would not count toward the team's salary cap. That made it difficult for the Express to keep Berthiaume.
``If we paid Daniel what his agent wanted us to, we'd have to have 19 other first-year players making under $400 a month,'' Steffen said. ``If we signed that many players that cheap, we wouldn't win 20 games.''
Steffen said the team plans on signing a ``veteran goalie'' who ``our fans know very well.''
Steffen said the Express was finalizing the details of a trade that would have sent Berthiaume to an ECHL team that could afford him in exchange for at least two players.
``Larry Reauch told those [ECHL] teams, `Don't make a deal,''' Steffen said. ``He told them Daniel would try the Texas league and if he didn't like it, Roanoke would lose its rights to him in 30 days and he could come back and they can sign him.
``We're disappointed for Daniel. He's almost 31 and we hoped he would finish his career in Roanoke, settle down and raise a family here and stay involved in our program.''
Reauch said Tuesday that if the Express and ``Pierre Paiement had taken care of business, Daniel would still be in Roanoke. I know he would have been in Roanoke if other owners had stepped in.''
Steffen contended he and Berthiaume spoke many times this summer before Berthiaume began playing roller hockey. He also said Reauch knew the team was going through an ownership shake-up and that some contract talks, including those with head coach Frank Anzalone, were being delayed.
``Daniel was the one player I kept in contact with on a regular basis,'' Steffen said. ``Larry Reauch knew more about our situation than anyone. For him not to realize that an answer couldn't be gotten from Pierre at certain times ... he should have known that.''
LOCAL AFFILIATES: The team is scheduled to hold a news conference Aug.20, when it is expected to announce it is affiliating with one or more teams from higher leagues.
It is known that Express representatives have spoken to officials with the NHL's Calgary Flames and the Hershey (Pa.) Bears of the American Hockey League.
The team may also announce the hiring of its new radio broadcaster.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 linesby CNB