ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 15, 1996 TAG: 9612160110
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-12 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: HOCKEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR.
Roanoke Express players exemplified the charitable spirit of the holidays this past week while they were off the ice.
When they visited sick children at a local hospital, though, it was the players who may have received the most from the sojourn.
Twelve Express players took time Thursday to attend a party for the young patients at the Carilion Medical Center for Children. Players distributed posters and miniature hockey sticks, posed for photographs and participated in an informal pick-up hockey game with the youngsters.
``It was a very powerful night for everybody,'' said Mitch Peacock, the team's radio broadcaster. ``The kids got to get out of their rooms and be just kids. The players got to see how positive an impact they can have. One of the doctors said, `It's hard to believe that these guys get mad enough to fight anybody.'''
Pierre Paiement, the Express' general manager, presented the children's ward with a check from the team's charity gold tournament in October. Then, players visited children who were too ill to leave their beds.
Visiting so many sick little children ``was kind of a tough position to be in,'' said Express goaltender Dave Gagnon, who has three daughters. ``I left a home where all three kids were healthy and looking forward to Christmas to a place where the kids are having a tough time and their parents aren't really thinking about Christmas.
``If we can cheer those kids up, it's a great thing. Those kids were having a ball playing hockey. When you get a group of guys with that much energy, you can share it with people and just try to spread a little Christmas spirit.''
BROPHY MILESTONE: Roanoke Valley hockey fans have showered John Brophy with boos - and beers - during his trips to local ice hockey facilities. Praise, however, has been in short supply when the Hampton Roads boss leads the Admirals against the Express.
Even local fans have to admire the milestone Brophy reached Wednesday when he won his 800th game as a coach. It is believed he is only the second coach to reach 800 victories in the professional ranks. Scotty Bowman of the Detroit Red Wings has won 1,011 games with five NHL clubs.
Brophy, who began his coaching career in the North American Hockey League in 1972, notched the victory when Hampton Roads beat Raleigh 3-1.
Brophy, 63, won 74 games with the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs from 1986-89 before he was fired. His career record heading into the weekend was 800-736-130.
``Hockey's not work,'' Brophy said. ``I hear players say now they have to give 150 percent, but they work an hour-and-a-half at practice and play a game for a few hours and they call it work.
``That's not work, it's fun. It's always been fun.''
ECHL'S BUSY WEEK: In addition to Brophy's coaching milestone, there was plenty of big news on the league front this past week:
Columbus Chill forward Gary Coupal was suspended for the remainder of the season after a vicious incident at Hampton Roads on Dec.4. While in the Chill's bench area, Coupal reached around the glass partition separating the benches and struck a Hampton Roads player Aaron Downey with a forceful, two-handed swing of his stick.
Earlier this season, Coupal had received a six-game suspension for a stick-swinging incident.
``The East Coast Hockey League will not tolerate any player who uses his stick in such a reckless and dangerous manner,'' said Andy Van Hellemond, the league's vice president of hockey operations.
``Incidents of this nature will receive the strongest possible disciplinary action, as the safety of ECHL players is first and foremost. The league will not tolerate such senseless actions from Mr. Coupal or any player.''
The Johnstown Chiefs received an undisclosed fine after coach Nick Fotiu pulled his team off the ice 23 seconds into its Dec.7 game against Wheeling. Fotiu, upset with a call by referee Greg Rooney, took his team off the ice for about five minutes before returning.
The Richmond-Raleigh game Tuesday was postponed after the ice at Dorton Arena was deemed unplayable. The ice was damaged when work crews tried to remove the coloring that had been used in a Disney on Ice performance a few days earlier.
Jacksonville fired head coach Greg LaZazzera this past week and replaced him with Bruce Cassidy, a former assistant with the IHL's Indianapolis Ice.
LENGTH: Medium: 84 linesby CNB