ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, September 24, 1996 TAG: 9609240073
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: EXPRESS NOTES
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
Ilya Dubkov has surprised the Roanoke Express again.
Two months ago, the East Coast Hockey League team's all-time leading scorer stunned the Express by moving back to Russia to play for his home country's prestigious Red Army team. This past week, he surprised team officials again with the news that he wants to come back to the United States.
So far, Express management doesn't know what to make of Dubkov's ice capades.
``We were told all along he was with the Red Army,'' said Pierre Paiement, the Express' general manager. ``Then, all of a sudden, his agent called and said Ilya wants to come back to the United States.
``He was not in our plans, so we don't know what we're going to do exactly. We still have rights to him. We'll re-shuffle the cards and see what happens. Ilya's not out of the picture. We just need time to re-evaluate the situation.''
Since the Express invited Dubkov to training camp, he cannot play for any other ECHL team without the Express being compensated. However, he might sign with another league, according to his agent, Eric Kuperman.
``He wants to come to Roanoke or get a tryout in the American [Hockey] League,'' Kuperman said. ``If he doesn't play in Roanoke, he will probably go to the Colonial League. Ilya really has warm feelings for everybody in the Roanoke organization. Mr. Paiement and Mr. [Frank] Anzalone [Roanoke's coach] have been great to work with.''
Dubkov, one of the first players to sign with the Express when the team was founded in 1993, has 211 points in three seasons with Roanoke. His 72 points led the team during the 1995-96 season, although his 20 goals were a career low.
Kuperman said coaching changes on the Red Army staff prompted Dubkov to consider returning to the United States, although he still is training with the Red Army team.
``His contract [with the Red Army squad] is not valid anymore,'' Kuperman said. ``He can go if he wants.''
Where Dubkov goes remains to be seen.
LOOKING AT PLAYERS: Anzalone and Paiement are hoping the club's first-year affiliation with the NHL's Calgary Flames results in players making their way to Roanoke. Paiement and Express vice president Joe Steffen took trips to Calgary's training camp to get a look at players who might be sent to Saint John of the AHL and, possibly, to Roanoke.
This week, Anzalone is scouting the Saint John camp, where five players he recruited will be practicing with the Flames. AHL training-camp spots provide Anzalone with an excellent tool when trying to recruit players.
Anzalone was able to secure spots for Clarkson center Chris Lipsett, Colgate forward Chris DeProfio, Princeton right wing Jonathan Kelley, Cornell defenseman Bill Holowatiuk and forward/defenseman Jason Payne, who split the '95-96 season between the Central Hockey League and juniors. They'll be in the Express' camp Oct.6, provided they don't stick with the AHL club.
AND MORE PLAYERS: There will be plenty of new faces at training camp, but several players from this past season will return. Forwards Jeff Jablonski, Dave Holum and Tim Christian have been invited to camp, as have defensemen Michael Smith, Duane Harmer and Tim Hanley. Some of those players have gone to training camp with International Hockey League or AHL teams, but should be back in Roanoke if they're cut from those camps.
Smith is in camp with the AHL's Portland (Maine) Pirates, and Hanley went to camp with the IHL's Milwaukee Admirals. Christian was released by the IHL's Grand Rapids (Mich.) Griffins during the weekend.
Invitations also have been extended to defenseman Dave Stewart and forward Jeff Jestadt, but both may be considering retirement.
PITMAN MOURNED: The Roanoke Valley hockey community lost a valued friend when Dick Pitman died Sept.7 at age 46. As president of the Roanoke Valley Youth Hockey Association, Pitman was instrumental in the rising membership of the valley's youth leagues. His efforts peaked this past winter when the Roanoke Junior Express, a local all-star squad, earned a bronze medal at the Can-Am Tournament in Montreal.
Pitman, a senior vice president of the construction firm J.M. Turner and Company Inc., is survived by his wife, Marian, a son, Daniel, and a daughter, Sarah Catherine.
NEW VOICE: The Express has hired Mitch Peacock as the club's radio broadcaster. Peacock, a native of British Columbia, was the play-by-play man for the Bow Valley Eagles of the Alberta Junior A Hockey League this past season and is a former color analyst for the Western Hockey League's Calgary Hitmen.
Peacock, a former goaltender for Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, replaces Tim Woodburn, who took a job with the Lexington (Ky.) Thoroughblades of the AHL after three seasons with the Express.
LENGTH: Medium: 87 linesby CNB