ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 17, 1996 TAG: 9611180106
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HOCKEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR.
Ilya Dubkov was brought in to play for the Roanoke Express, not to save it.
The fact that Dubkov, the franchise's all-time leading scorer, re-joined the team this past week when it was coming off a 2-4 trip and in the midst of three-game losing streak was only coincidence.
The Express had known for six weeks that Dubkov wanted to leave Russia and return to Roanoke. Visas, passports and airline reservations take time in the former Soviet Union.
Still, Express coach Frank Anzalone couldn't have asked for Dubkov to return at a better time.
``Ilya Dubkov is not here to be the star of the show,'' Anzalone said. ``I think it's important for people to know that he wasn't brought here out of desperation. We had been working on this for some time.''
Anzalone has made it clear he wants Dubkov to play better than he did during the 1995-96 season, when he led the team with 72 points but scored a career-low 20 goals - only two of which came on the road.
With better teamwide toughness this season, Dubkov won't have to watch his back as much.
``I'm here to play hard,'' said Dubkov. ``Frank wants me to play hard. I said, `Yes. Yes, I will play hard.' I'm glad to be back. It looks like we've got a good team of tough guys.''
Dubkov joined the Express just a few hours before going out and scoring a goal in Tuesday's 6-2 victory over Richmond. He was comfortable centering a line with Jeff Jablonski and Bobby Brown, he said.
``I played with Jabber last year,'' he said of Jablonski. ``Things look good for the future.''
DELIVERING A MESSAGE: Todd Holt played in only five games with the Express two seasons ago. Yet, a gesture by Anzalone and his players a week ago demonstrated Holt still is a part of Roanoke's hockey family.
Holt plays for the Birmingham Bulls, but he missed the Nov.5 game against the Express. Earlier that day, Holt's 2 1/2-year-old son, Tayeen, fell from a window of the family's third-floor apartment. The child was not breathing when Todd got to him, but the father said he ``blew into his mouth'' to resuscitate him. Fortunately for Holt and his wife, Jodie, their son was not seriously hurt and is back at home.
After Roanoke beat the Bulls 2-1, Birmingham coach Dennis Desrosiers received a note that read:
``Dear Todd, after the game tonight all of our players mentioned the tough circumstances you and your wife dealt with today. All of us are saying a prayer in hope all will be OK. God bless your family.''
The note was signed by Anzalone and each of the Express players.
``It really meant a lot to me,'' Holt told the Birmingham News. Desrosiers told the paper, ``That was a touch of class.''
Hockey players are conditioned not to show any feelings for opponents other than disdain. Coaches have been known to fine players for assisting an injured opponent. What Anzalone and his players did in Birmingham, Ala., showed hockey players and coaches in another light.
They're humans, after all.
ANOTHER KIND OF MESSAGE: The game against the Bulls on Nov. 5 was not as kissy-huggy as the aftermath. Former Express enforcer Jason Clarke was playing against his old club for the first time since being traded in the off-season, so trouble was expected.
Clarke was involved in only one altercation, and probably wishes he had picked a different guy to fight than rookie defenseman Matt O'Dette, who broke Clarke's jaw and put him out of action for up to five weeks.
In the same game, Jablonski broke the nose of Birmingham's Sebastion Fortier.
NHL BY THE CHESAPEAKE: The Hampton Roads area has a great shot at landing an NHL franchise. That is, if it builds a $140 million arena and sells 10,000 season tickets before it even knows if the NHL is interested in the area.
George Shinn, owner of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, is spearheading an effort to bring the NHL to the Virginia Beach area, home of the ECHL's Hampton Roads Admirals. He said Nashville, Tenn., which is opening a 20,000-seat arena in December, will be a front-runner for an NHL expansion team, but he added Virginia has a good shot at attracting a team if it builds an arena.
Shinn gave the NHL a non-refundable $100,000 deposit Nov.2 and has offered to put up $80 million of his own money for an NHL team if the area builds an arena.
ICE CHIPS: Former Roanoke Valley Rebels goaltender Steve McKichan won a lawsuit against the St.Louis Blues on Thursday and was awarded $175,000 by jurors who agreed with his contention that he had been injured in a 1990 skirmish with Blues tough guy Tony Twist. Attorneys for the Blues plan to appeal the verdict.
McKichan was with the International Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals on Dec. 15, 1990, when Twist, then with the Peoria (Ill.) Rivermen slammed him to the ice. McKichan sued Twist and the Blues, claiming the illegal hit caused a severe neck strain, partial vision loss and other injuries that ended his chances for a career in the NHL.
Craig Millar, brother of Express forward Kyle Millar, plays for the IHL's Rochester (N.Y.) Americans, coached by former Virginia Lancers boss John Tortorella.
AROUND THE ECHL: The Baton Rouge Kingfish and the Louisiana IceGators are trying to build a rivalry by playing for the Atchafalaya Cup, which is named for the 30-mile basin that stretches between Baton Rouge and Lafayette, La., the IceGators' home. The cup goes to the winner of the season series between the teams.
After going 0-for-5 with a manpower advantage against Roanoke on Tuesday, the Richmond Renegades' power-play percentage dropped to 7 percent (5-for-68). ``We've been struggling all season,'' said Richmond coach Scott Gruhl. ``Whether it's because we're not working hard enough or we're not getting the bounces, I don't know. We're still 8-3 [through Thursday]. We're not going to question one aspect of our game when everything else is going so well.'' When the Renegades beat Raleigh 1-0 on Nov.9, it marked only the seventh 1-0 game in ECHL history.
LENGTH: Long : 110 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: File/1996 Ilya Dubkov's return to Roanoke from hisby CNBnative Russia couldn't have come at a better time for the Express.