ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, August 21, 1996 TAG: 9608210033
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
NOT ONE, BUT TWO major deals have made the hockey team's off-season much brighter.
Twenty years after turning down a chance to come to Roanoke as a minor-league hockey player, Calgary Flames executive Nick Polano's job will be to convince players to come to the Star City.
One player he didn't have to convince is Dave Gagnon, the All-Star goaltender who is on his way back to Roanoke.
The big announcement made Tuesday at the Roanoke Civic Center was that the Roanoke Express signed a two-year affiliation agreement with the Flames. The next big announcement will come in early September, when Gagnon, considered to be one of the best goaltenders in East Coast Hockey League history, returns to the Express, for whom he starred during the 1994-95 East Coast Hockey League season before being called up.
Gagnon was 17-7-5 in 29 games with the Express and was the starting goalie for the East squad during the 1995 ECHL All-Star Game. His save percentage of valuable player has spent the past 11/2 seasons with the International Hockey League's Minnesota Moose.
None of the Express principals at Tuesday's news conference - head coach Frank Anzalone, general manager Pierre Paiement and vice president Joe Steffen - would confirm that Gagnon is returning, but one source close to the club said it was a ``done deal.''
After working without an NHL affiliate last season - following the demise of a two-year relationship with the San Jose Sharks - the Express is hoping the Calgary deal can provide players, assist in recruiting and help with scouting.
The Express was one of least four ECHL teams courting the Flames, who reportedly were close to coming to an agreement with the Louisville Riverfrogs a few weeks ago.
``Frank first called me in April and started talking about a working agreement,'' said Polano, a former Detroit Red Wings' coach who once had Anzalone in a training camp in Erie, Pa., in the late 1970s. ``I thought Frank was mad at me all these years. I cut him after two games in Erie. ... Frank was very persistent. He called twice a day for four months. I liked that.''
The last time Polano had a chance to come to Roanoke was in the mid-1970s, when the Philadelphia Blazers of the World Hockey Association wanted to assign him to the Roanoke Valley Rebels, where he would have been a teammate of Paiement.
``I said, `I'm not going to Roanoke,''' Polano said, ``so I finished my career in Providence. So, here I am in Roanoke. I'm very pleased to be here.''
Calgary is also affiliated with the Saint John (New Brunswick) Flames in the American Hockey League. Calgary expects 70 players in training camp, 23 of which could stay with the NHL club, 20 of which could wind up in Saint John.
``There will be a lot of players left over,'' said Polano.
Some of those players could wind up in Roanoke. Polano said his organization is confident in Anzalone's ability to develop hockey players.
``I want to make it clear that the main reason we're here is Frank,'' said Polano.
Anzalone has been the only coach in the Express' history, posting a 112-75-19 record in three seasons and guiding the team to the playoffs each year.
``The key was to get Nick to believe in Roanoke and believe in me,'' said Anzalone, also the team's director of hockey operations. ``It took time, but he said, `Yes.' They're a club very much into development [of players]. ... I can tell you that in three weeks [the Flames] have been more helpful than anybody has been in three years.''
The Express also was close to working out a deal with the AHL's Hershey (Pa.) Bears, but had to back out when the Flames required that Roanoke be affiliated only with them. The Express has an agreement with the International Hockey League's Manitoba Moose (formerly the Minnesota Moose) that will allow Express players a couple spots in the Moose training camp.
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